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Quiz about Traditional and Modern Korea
Quiz about Traditional and Modern Korea

Traditional and Modern Korea Trivia Quiz


This quiz will discuss traditional and modern Korean culture, language and society. These facts should be of general interest to anyone who is curious about Korean culture...enjoy!

A multiple-choice quiz by thejazzkickazz. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
87,975
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
5 / 10
Plays
1256
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 203 (1/10), Guest 47 (8/10), Guest 103 (1/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. True or false: The Chinese and Korean languages belong to the same language family.


Question 2 of 10
2. True or false: Approximately half of the words in a standard Korean dictionary are of
Chinese origin.


Question 3 of 10
3. Which country, outside of the two Koreas, contains the largest population of ethnic
Koreans?
Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. What is the Korean term for the family genealogy? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Though the family is the key unit of Korean culture, Korean men during the Koryo period
traditionally sought out alternate forms of entertainment outside of family life. This included seeking out the
company of Geisha-like individuals called what?
Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Which of these practices was most frowned upon in Korean tradition?
Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Which scholar of Korean history of the 16th century coded Confucian principles for
official use by all Korean families?
Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Many traditional Korean homes were equipped with a highly effective heating
mechanism. What was this early home heating system called?
Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Another feature of the traditional Korean home was a room called the Sarangbang. What
was the purpose of a Sarangbang?
Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Which of the following best describes the 'Yangban' of traditional Korean society?

Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 26 2024 : Guest 203: 1/10
Mar 19 2024 : Guest 47: 8/10
Feb 28 2024 : Guest 103: 1/10
Feb 27 2024 : Guest 112: 5/10
Jan 29 2024 : Guest 67: 8/10
Jan 29 2024 : Guest 176: 4/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. True or false: The Chinese and Korean languages belong to the same language family.

Answer: False

Actually, the origin of the Korean language is in question as it pertains to the other Asian
languages, although it does have similarities with Japanese and the Altaic languages, of
which Mongolian is an example. The Chinese language belongs to the Sino-Tibetan (or
Tibeto-Burmese) language family, unrelated to Altaic, Korean or Japanese.
2. True or false: Approximately half of the words in a standard Korean dictionary are of Chinese origin.

Answer: True

Although the Chinese and Korean languages are unrelated, the
Koreans borrowed from the Chinese language extensively for terms related to
government, scholarship, abstract concepts and other relatively complex concepts. This
is not to say that the Korean language does not contain native concepts that are complex,
but only that Chinese words have very successfully infiltrated and superseded the native
words, largely because of the massive influence of Chinese philosophy, education and the
like.
3. Which country, outside of the two Koreas, contains the largest population of ethnic Koreans?

Answer: China

This may come as a surprise to many. There are approximately 1.8 million Koreans in China, 1 million in the
United States and 700,000 in Japan. The Koreans claim that the ancient Koguryo kingdom extended well into territory now claimed by China.
4. What is the Korean term for the family genealogy?

Answer: Chokpo

In Korea, the family
genealogy is of the utmost importance. This relates to the Confucian tradition, imported
from China. South Korea may in fact be the most Confucian of any nation today, very
carefully retaining the essential genealogy records required for ancestor worship.
5. Though the family is the key unit of Korean culture, Korean men during the Koryo period traditionally sought out alternate forms of entertainment outside of family life. This included seeking out the company of Geisha-like individuals called what?

Answer: Kisaeng

Kisaeng were professional
entertainers, like Geishas, and should not be thought of as prostitutes. Rather, a Kisaeng
is more of a well-educated and highly talented escort, capable of playing musical
instruments, reciting poetry and other such things. Today, however the Kisaeng have
been reduced to what would essentially be considered the status of a prostitute.
6. Which of these practices was most frowned upon in Korean tradition?

Answer: Marrying within one's clan

Traditionally, Korean men who were wealthy were welcome to take on a
second wife, aka a concubine. Marriage arrangement has always been acceptable in
Korea, and still is today although it is not as prevalent. In the traditional Korean family,
once a girl married in, she became the property, essentially, of the husband and his
family. Under the thumb of a demanding mother-in-law, life could thus be a living hell!
One major taboo in Korean culture is to marry someone of the same family name and
clan, even frowned upon up to the modern day...which is tough considering how few
major family names (important: there's more than one clan for each family name) there
are in Korea!
7. Which scholar of Korean history of the 16th century coded Confucian principles for official use by all Korean families?

Answer: Cho Kwang-jo

Cho lived from 1482-1519 and
created a Confucian 'village code' which became the basis for law in the many small
villages throughout Korea.
8. Many traditional Korean homes were equipped with a highly effective heating mechanism. What was this early home heating system called?

Answer: Ondol

The Ondol was a
serpentine channel created with rocks and clay that passed underneath the home, from
the kitchen oven to the chimney. Traveling through the Ondol, the heat from the kitchen
fire was enough to warm the entire house, creating a comfortable environment for a
Korean family even in the cold winter months. By the way, the Ondol system is still used
in many Korean homes!
9. Another feature of the traditional Korean home was a room called the Sarangbang. What was the purpose of a Sarangbang?

Answer: Meeting place for men

For relatively wealthy
Koreans, the sarangbang was a place of refuge for men to entertain their friends and male
relatives. Women were traditionally not allowed in the Sarangbang for any reason.
10. Which of the following best describes the 'Yangban' of traditional Korean society?

Answer: Scholar-officials

The Yangban are the traditional elite ruling class of Korean society,
and some Yangban families to this day retain a relatively high level of status in Korean
society!
Source: Author thejazzkickazz

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