This Exhibition Hall illustrates how the lives of Koreans during the era of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) revolved around the agrarian life and annual cycle of the four seasons. Korean villages were established at the most favorable locations and the smallest unit of living space where people used to live together. This exhibition shows the various aspects of villagers’ daily lives through the four seasons, starting with spring. The overall aspects of the Korean way of life can be observed in the marketplace, which served as a venue of culture and trade that connected villages with people, people with people, and commodities with commodities. Visitors can have a glimpse into traditional life, including occupations, dieting, clothing, housing, and crafts, based on the seasonal agrarian customs, which were created to promote a life of harmony with the changing of the seasons.

Formation and Organization of the Villages
Jangseung is a sculpture with a configuration of a human face drawn or engraved at the top, and erected at the entrance of the village or Buddhist temple. Although Jangseung is used to indicate the boundaries and location of the village or a Buddhist temple, it is used mostly as the patron deity that safeguards the village people from evil spirits and disasters. Lettering, such as Cheonhadaejanggun (the supreme general under heaven) and Jihayeojanggun (woman general of the underworld) are engraved on the body of the sculpture while Chukgui (spirit catcher) and lettering indicating the five directions (east, west, south, north, center) were also commonly engraved.

Spring
The sowing of crops spans from Ipchun (onset of spring around February 4th) to Gokwoo (period of rainfall for seeding around April 20th), among the 24 divisions of the seasons of the lunar calendar. When spring comes, the government recommended that the farmers put their efforts toward farming while the village jointly holds a memorial service for the guardian deity, praying for an abundant harvest and well-being of the village for the year. Rural villages begin their farming activities, which include tilling, fertilizing, and sowing seeds in the farmland, while the fishing villages hold rituals for the fishing vessels with prayers for the safety in the fishing grounds and abundant catches. Moreover, people start to catch shellfish in the mud flats that are referred to as “another farm field.” Edible greens are harvested in the mountains and fields, and edible grass roots and tree bark are collected in order to overcome the season of food shortage just before spring’s arrival.

Summer
The season of rapid crop growth spans from Ipha (onset of summer around May 5th) to Daeseo (period of dog days of summer around July 24th), among the 24 divisions of the seasons in the lunar calendar. As arduous labor is accompanied in the transplanting of the rice seedlings, weeding, and watering of the rice patches, customs of serving midday snacks and folk songs sung during labor enabled the transformation of difficult labor into the joy of working together. Once weeding was completed, everybody participated in games, along with the washing of the short half-mooned hoes. Salt was produced from the sea with the aid of the scorching sun while laborers, fatigued by the intense heat, took a rest by either going fishing or taking a nap by the river. People often would make summer clothes with ramie fabric and hemp cloth in order to endure the sweltering summer heat.

Market
The market was a venue for various transactions, including the sales of various products at the shops, the selling or exchanging of local specialties between people gathered from various regions of the country, as well as the venue for the sharing of news between relatives and neighbors. It all began with the installation of the street market that dealt with the transaction of goods at permanent shops in Hanyang, the capital city of Joseon, in its early stages, leading up to the increased establishment of markets in the outlying areas to more than 1,000 throughout the country, thanks to the advancement of calculators, the development of a monetary economy, and the creation of road networks. Entertainment also blossomed at the market where people gathered. In particular, mask dance performances grew in popularity due to the satirical take on society at the time, which helped the general public share in the comfort, the joys, and the sorrows with one another. As such, the markets generated a boisterous environment through the gathering of an extensive range of people, including shop owners selling goods, craftsmen making the goods, entertainers arousing interest to entice the promotion of the market, and people from all parts of the country trying to sell their local products and purchase those of other regions.

Autumn
The harvest season spans from Ipchu (onset of autumn around August 8th) to Sanggang (the arrival of winter frost just before the winter season around October 23rd), among the 24 divisions of the seasons in the lunar calendar. With the grains harvested, farmers would hold an ancestral memorial service to express gratitude for the good harvest. A portion of the harvest is paid as rental for the farmland after having threshing and polishing the grains, while a portion is used to purchase daily supplies in the market. In addition, the harvested vegetables are stored properly to complete the year’s farming activities. Various repairs to the house, including window panes made of hanji, traditional Korean paper, are replaced and the straw thatch on the roof is reinforced in order to prepare for the oncoming bitter cold of the winter season.

Winter
The season of stocking up harvested grains as the food source for winter and storing seeds for the next season of planting spans from Ipdong (onset of winter around November 8th) to Daehan (period of the winter at its peak around January 20th), among the 24 divisions of the seasons in the lunar calendar. Blocks of fermented soybeans were made to be used as ingredients for various traditional Korean sauces. Also, as it was difficult to consume the essential amount of nutrition during the bitter cold winter, hunted animals and soybean tofu were used as a common food source, as well as kimchi in order to serve as a nutritional supplement. In addition, thick winter attire, or padded/quilted cotton wool were worn along with various other accessories to keep warm, such as winter hats and arm warmers. Upon the arrival of Dongji (winter solstice), people would eat red adzuki-bean porridge to chase away the bad fortune for the year and prepare to begin a new year.

Conclusion
Seollal (Lunar New Year’s Day): Lunar New Year’s Day is the first day of the New Year and is the biggest national holiday in Korea. A wide range of Korean customs are associated with Lunar New Year’s Day, including Seokbim (New Year’s attire), Saebe (New Year’s bowing to elders), Deokdam (well-wishing or virtuous remarks), Charye (ancestral rites), and Bokjori geolgi (the hanging of bamboo strainers for luck on the walls of kitchen). These customs communicated the wishes of the Koreans to spend the upcoming year in good health and prosperity.

Jeong (an affectionate human bond): Wrapping cloth is made with leftover pieces of cloth with an extensive range of formats used to wrap or cover objects. Wrapping cloth was not only a means used for the storage and transportation of goods, but also a symbol of the affectionate human bond between Koreans in sharing what they have and covering up the mistakes of others.

National Folk Museum of Korea
The National Folk Museum of Korea is situated in the center of Seoul with the goal of becoming an educational venue where visitors can learn how Koreans lived from the past to present. The National Folk Museum of Korea investigates, researches, and acquires artifacts and various resources about the daily lives of Koreans in the past and present.

The Museum operates three permanent exhibition halls and an open-air exhibition hall, including an exhibition hall dedicated to the history of daily life and culture of the Korean people, an exhibition hall about the Korean Way of Life and an exhibition hall for the life cycle of Koreans. Additionally, special exhibitions are held at least four times a year to further broaden the understanding of Korean folkways.

The National Folk Museum of Korea is dedicated to acquiring and preserving artifacts and information on the traditional ways of life, which are rapidly disappearing due to modernization and urbanization. The materials acquired through purchases, donations, or temporary loans are systematically consolidated in accordance with criteria for the categorization of folklore materials after having been scientifically processed and treated. Various research projects are conducted to acquire photographs, films, and videos of the sites of various folk events. Moreover, the museum systematically organizes and accumulates specialized ethnologic literatures and a wide range of multimedia folklore materials in the Folk Archives to allow for easier access.

The Museum conducts investigative research on the traditional daily life and cultures of Korea including seasonal customs, local religions, and regional festivals that have been passed down to the present, while also publishing a wide range of reports on the findings of the research. Recently, the museum also began to record the practices of contemporary living that are endangered due to rapid urbanization and local development.