Chimaek, dokkaebi and banjiha explained in new Korean culture encyclopedia

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Chimaek, dokkaebi and banjiha explained in new Korean culture encyclopedia

Published: 13 Feb. 2025, 13:44 Updated: 13 Feb. 2025, 16:49

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Baek Min-young, a senior curator at the National Folk Museum, holds up “Hallyu Cultural Encyclopedia,″ a two-volume encyclopedia on Hallyu [JOONGANG ILBO]

From Netflix's hit series "Squid Game" (2021-) and chimaek (Korean-style fried chicken with beer) to K-pop acts’ light sticks waved by their fans, the Korean Wave, known as Hallyu, is continuing to sweep across the globe. But what exactly is chimaek? And how is it different from regular fried chicken with beer?

For those looking for a definitive reference on Hallyu-related terms need not turn to AI chatbots. They can turn to “Hallyu Cultural Encyclopedia,” a two-volume set published late last year by the National Folk Museum of Korea in Jongno District, central Seoul.

This first-of-its-kind encyclopedia on Hallyu has been compiled by 129 experts, including international advisers. It has 453 entries with over 800 photographs and covers a wide range of topics, from Korea’s traditional food, clothing and housing to its booming industries in K-pop, drama, film and webtoons.

This encyclopedia on Hallyu is the museum’s latest addition to its encyclopedia series, which began with a five-volume “Dictionary of Korean Seasonal Customs” (2004–2006). Since then, the museum has been publishing encyclopedias on various themes and now has a total of 30 volumes across eight themes. While the physical version is limited to public institutions, the digital edition can be downloaded for free.

Starting in May, all the entries in the entire 30 volumes of the museum's encyclopedias will be accessible via web search engines. The museum is currently working on the English translation of the encyclopedia, hoping to launch the English version later this year, followed by Chinese and Spanish editions.

According to the museum, interest in the museum’s digital resources has surged, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic. The online search service for the “Korean Folk Encyclopedia,” which became available in 2016, has surpassed 3 million annual views since 2022.

Bridging traditional folk culture and contemporary Hallyu

“Since the pandemic, we’ve seen a sharp increase in international users searching our dictionaries,” said Baek Min-young, a senior curator at the National Folk Museum and lead editor of the “Hallyu Cultural Encyclopedia.”

“Some may wonder why a folk museum is publishing an encyclopedia on hallyu, but I believe the everyday life reflected in Hallyu content is essentially 21st-century Korean folklore.”

Baek holds a degree in folklore studies and previously worked at the Seoul Museum of History before joining the National Folk Museum in 2011 as part of its dictionary compilation team. Today, she leads a team of six specialists from various fields, including archaeology, history and anthropology.

Unlike previous “Korean Folk Encyclopedia” volumes, which often explained cultural terms through historical and mythological contexts, the “Hallyu Cultural Encyclopedia” takes a “pop-culture-centric approach,” according to Baek.

The National Folk Museum of Korea has been publishing encyclopedias on different topics since 2004. To date, it has 30 volumes on eight different topics. [NATIONAL FOLK MUSEUM OF KOREA]

For instance, the entry on dokkaebi, a mythological creature resembling a goblin, in older dictionaries focuses on traditional legends, such as “dokkaebi wrestling” and “dokkaebi gamut [hat]” or examines their role in shamanistic rituals and village ceremonies.

In contrast, the “Hallyu Cultural Encyclopedia” highlights the portrayal of dokkaebi in popular media, such as the hit 2016 fantasy romance drama “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God” (2016) featuring Gong Yoo, Kim Go-eun and Lee Dong-wook. The entry further introduces grim reapers, Misters of Samsin (referring to the Korean myth of Grandmother Samsin, a goddess of childbirth), ghosts and reincarnation, which appear in the drama series, through the lens of contemporary storytelling. These concepts are all deeply rooted in Korean folklore.

Similarly, the encyclopedia analyzes modern Korean films, TV shows and trends within their cultural and historical contexts. The entry on “Parasite” (2019), for example, discusses semi-basement apartments, known as banjiha, and the black bean noodle dish jjapaguri featured in the film, as reflections of Korea’s socioeconomic landscape. About 30 percent of the entries focus on popular culture, linking modern entertainment to traditional customs.

A deep dive into everyday Hallyu

The encyclopedia’s 453 entries include a heavy emphasis on food, with nearly half dedicated to Korean cuisine. In addition to well-known dishes like tteokguk (rice cake soup) and gimbap (Korean seaweed rolls), the book delves into cultural expressions related to food, such as how Koreans often say “Let’s grab a meal together” as a greeting, and the concept of mukbang (eating show).

According to the museum, foreign experts in different fields were consulted to select the topics. Fabrizio Ferrari, an Italian chef who appeared on the hit Netflix show “Culinary Class Wars” (2024-) provided insights into Korea’s unique dining etiquette, cooking tools (such as tabletop grills and kitchen scissors) and flavor profiles (such as spiciness and saltiness) — all of which intrigue foreigners.

For pop culture topics, the selection process was based on global success metrics, such as international box office performance, awards recognition and Billboard chart rankings.

The English page of the National Folk Museum of Korea's Korean Folk Encyclopedia website, folkency.nfm.go.kr [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A challenging task

According to Baek, creating an encyclopedia on Hallyu was a lot more challenging than expected because "unlike traditional folklore, which is grounded in historical sources, pop culture is constantly evolving.” Even defining the history of webtoons was challenging, as Korea’s two dominant platforms, Naver and Kakao, each claimed credit for “revolutionizing the industry,” requiring multiple rounds of revisions, she said.

Obtaining the rights to use images was also another major hurdle. Baek's team had to contact different entertainment agencies, film distributors and so on to receive permission to use the pictures. Lack of budget meant there was no money to spend on purchasing photographs. Baek's team had to make full use of photographs available for free. Some K-pop groups had to be represented by album covers, while the entry on Korean film “Shiri” (1999) could not include its official movie poster due to copyright restrictions.

For both Koreans and the world

Despite the challenges, Baek says the “Hallyu Cultural Encyclopedia” will serve as a valuable resource — not only for international fans but also for Koreans seeking to better understand evolving Korean culture.

Korea's unique metal chopsticks is an example, Baek said.

“Even within East Asia’s chopstick culture, Korea’s use of metal chopsticks is distinctive,” Baek added. “This tradition dates back to ancient times and aligns with Korea’s preference for specific cooking techniques and tableware materials, such as brass and stainless steel.”

Over the past 20 years, Korea’s customs and perceptions have evolved, and the museum has adjusted its content accordingly. A previous entry on boknal (the hottest summer days), for example, once featured a photo of young boys playing naked in a stream, but it was later removed following feedback regarding gender sensitivity. The “Hallyu Cultural Encyclopedia” will also undergo updates as needed to reflect changing cultural narratives.

Baek said her team aims to expand the museum’s specialized dictionary collection.

“The National Folk Museum’s digital encyclopedia offers rich images and video resources,” she said. “We invite everyone — both Koreans and global Hallyu fans — to explore and deepen their understanding of Korean culture.”

BY KANG HYE-RAN [[email protected]]