The Korean Culture and Dealing With Death, Essay Example

Death of a loved one is always a crucial part of anyone’s turn of time. When one dies, it is just right for people who are left behind to weep in bitterness and sorrow and this matter is highly considered in the Korean culture as noted by Kyu (1984) in the writing entitled The Concept of Ancestors and Ancestor Worship in Korea. According to this reading, the Korean traditions in relation to dealing with death in the family are quite specific (Kyu, 204). From the photographs shown for this discussion, it could be seen how Koreans tend to make sure that their belief of deities is acknowledged at the wake of the dead family member. The assumption by which the deities ought to hear the call of the family for the sake of enjoining with the dead’s soul is shown through the massive food preparation made for presentation during the full stretch of the wake (Park, 2010, 25).

During the actual burial, cries of bitterness could be heard from family members and villagers the like. It could be understood that it is with these cries that the soul of the dead one could be sent to the deities’ attention. The villagers get along with the mourning as they call the gods in full oneness of community; the belief over the louder cries and the more the criers get the most attention from the supreme beings make these practices more necessary for consideration among Koreans (Park, 28). This, according to tradition is noted as the Yom, or the transfer of rites that is completed for the sake of making sure that the soul of the dead individual becomes fully recognized by the deities (Park, 29). Their clothes and the name colors used in the funeral for the dead person are also very specific not only for the sake of the ceremonies but for the sake of showing respect to the dead individual. According to Dredge’s writing, funeral traditions such as these ones are part of the process by which families tend to accept the occurrence of death and console themselves of the loss of a loved one (77).

Works Cited

Dredge, P.. Korean Funerals: Ritual as Process

Kyu, LK. (1984). The Concept of Ancestors and Ancestor Worship in Korea. Asian Folklore Studies.

Park, Chang-Won. (2010). Funerary transformations in contemporary South Korea, Mortality: Promoting the interdisciplinary study of death and dying. Durnham University.