‘한복생활’은 오랜 역사와 전통 속에서 다양한 형태로 지속하여 왔으며, 우리 민족의 정체성과 가치를 대표해 온 전통생활관습이자 전통지식이다. ▲ 바지·저고리 또는 치마·저고리로 이루어진 2부식 구조와, ▲ 옷고름을 갖추고 있는 한복(韓服)을 지어, ▲ 치마-저고리, 바지-저고리 착용 순서에 따라 입고, ▲ 예절·격식·형식이 필요한 의례·관습·놀이 등에 맞춰 향유하는 문화를 뜻한다. 문화재청은 ‘한복생활’을 신규 국가무형문화재로 지정하였다.
당초 지난 3월 ‘한복 입기’ 라는 명칭으로 지정 예고된 바 있었으나, ▲ 한복 그 자체의 무형유산 특성 및 관련 문화를 포괄할 필요가 있는 점, ▲ ‘한복 입기’가 단순 한복 착용에 대한 인식으로 오인할 수 있는 점, ▲ 한복 제작 및 향유하는 문화가 포괄적으로 고려되어야 하는 점 등의 이유로 ‘한복생활’로 명칭을 최종 변경하게 되었다.
가족 공동체를 중심으로 전승되고 있는 ‘한복생활’은 설·추석 명절뿐만 아니라 돌잔치·결혼식·상장례·제례 등 일생의례를 통해서도 여전히 행해지고 있는데, 점차 그 빈도와 범위가 줄어들고 있으나 반드시 예(禮)를 갖추는 차원에서 갖춰 입는 그 근간(根幹)은 지금까지도 꾸준히 유지·전승되고 있다.
한복은 고구려 고분 벽화, 신라의 토우(土偶), 중국 측 사서(史書) 등 관련 유물과 기록을 통하여 고대에도 착용했음을 확인할 수 있다. 삼국 시대는 바지·저고리 또는 치마·저고리로 이루어진 우리 민족 복식의 기본 구조가 완성된 시기이며, 우리 고유의 복식 문화를 기반으로 변화·발전하면서 조선 시대에 이르러 우리 복식의 전형(典型)을 확립하였다. 1900년 4월 <문관복장규칙>이 반포되어 문관(文官)들이 예복(禮服)으로 양복(洋服)을 입게 되면서부터는 수천 년간 내려오던 한복문화가 한복·양복의 혼합문화로 전환되었다.
‘한복’이란 용어는 개항(1876) 이후 서양 문물로 들어온 양복과 우리 옷을 구별하기 위해 사용한 것으로 알려져 있으나, 정확히 누가 언제 처음 사용했는지는 특정하기 어렵다. 다만 1881년『승정원일기(承政院日記)』 기사에서 ‘조선의(朝鮮衣)’, 1894년 일본 신문 기사의 ‘한복(韓服)’을 통해 한복이 당대에도 우리 민족의 생활문화·사회구조·민족정신을 담고 있던 것으로 파악된다.
혼례식에서는 ‘녹의홍상(綠衣紅裳)’이라고 하여 신부는 연두저고리와 다홍치마를 입고, 족두리나 화관을 쓰고 겉옷으로 활옷이나 원삼을 착용하였다. 상장례에서 망자(亡者)에게 입히는 수의(壽衣)는 살아생전 윤달에 미리 준비하면 장수(長壽)할 수 있다고 여겼으며, 바느질 매듭을 짓지 않았다. 이는 망자나 자식들이 화통(化通)하지 못하다고 생각하였기 때문이다.
19세기 말 서양식 의복 도입으로 인해 우리 고유의 의생활에도 변화가 생겨 일상복은 간편함과 실용적인 서양식 의복으로 대체되고, 한복의 형태는 크게 간소화되면서 그 쓰임도 의례복으로 일부 축소되었다. 그러나 현재까지도 의례별로 예(禮)를 갖추는 차원에서 갖춰 입는 그 근간이 유지되고 있다.
이처럼 ‘한복생활’은 ▲ 오랜 역사를 가지고 한반도 내에서 전승되고 있다는 점, ▲ 고구려 고분 벽화, 신라의 토우(土偶), 중국 측 사서(史書) 등 관련 유물과 기록이 확인되는 점, ▲ 역사·미학·디자인·패션·기술·경영(마케팅)·산업·교육 등 전방위적으로 학술연구가 왕성하고 앞으로도 학술연구 자료로서의 가능성이 큰 점, ▲ 가족 공동체를 중심으로 현재에도 의례별로(명절·일생의례) 예(禮)를 갖추는 차원에서 갖춰 입는 그 근간이 지속·유지되고 있는 점, ▲ 현재에도 생산 주체, 연구기관, 가족 공동체 등 다양한 전승 공동체를 통하여 한복을 착용하는 등 ‘한복생활’ 관련 전통지식이 전승·유지되고 있는 점에서 국가무형문화재로 지정할 가치가 있다고 평가받았다.
The Cultural Heritage Administration (Administrator Choi Eung-chon) will designate “hanbok saengwal” as National Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Koreans have long transmitted the hanbok (traditional Korean clothes) culture in various ways throughout the history. Hanbok saenghwal is hanbok-derived traditional lifestyle and knowledge that embodies Korean people’s identity and values.
Hanbok saenghwal refers to a series of cultural practices which encompass the whole experience of making, wearing, and enjoying hanbok that has been practiced in accordance with specific etiquettes and formalities, differently for each occasion – ceremonies, rituals, traditional holidays, or recreational events. Hanbok consists of a jeogori (top) and either a chima (skirt) or baji (trousers) with otgoreum (ribbon knotted to close the top) completing its distinct look. It is designed to be worn from the lower garment first and then the upper part.
The Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee decided to designate the item as “hanbok saenghwal” instead of its provisional name “hanbok wearing,” considering it better represents the hanbok culture as a whole. Hanbok saenghwal comprehensively encompasses cultural experiences of wearing, making, and enjoying hanbok as well as intangible characteristics of hanbok itself.
Hanbok saenghwal has been passed down within families. Koreans keep the tradition of wearing hanbok on traditional holidays like Seollal (Korean Lunar New Year) or Chuseok (Korean equivalent of the thanksgiving holiday), as well as for special occasions like first birthdays, weddings, funerals and ancestral ceremonies. It is true that contemporary Koreans wear hanbok far less frequently than their ancestors. However, hanbok is still worn by Korean people as a means to show respect and courtesy.
Before the industrialization period, women used to sew or mend hanbok for their own family members. On traditional holidays, particularly when the seasons change, Koreans would get themselves a new fabric and make clothes to mark the beginning of a new season in hopes for good health and wellbeing. This custom is called differently for each holiday: Seolbim, Chuseokbim and Danobim respectively for Seollal, Chuseok, and Dano (the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar).
Likewise, hanbok is more than just a piece of clothing to Koreans, an important custom through which people have practiced courtesy and wished for each family member’s good health and well-being. This is why hanbok surely is a valuable intangible asset.
The fact that ancient Koreans also wore hanbok is evidenced by various artifacts and records such as tomb murals from the Goguryeo dynasty (37 B.C.- A.D. 668), clay figures from the Silla dynasty (57 B.C.–A.D. 935), as well as historical documents from China. It was during Korea’s three kingdoms period (57 B.C.-A.D. 668) when the two-piece, top-and-bottom structure of Korean clothes was basically established. The structure kept evolving and transforming based on our distinct clothing culture until the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910), when the prototype of our own clothes was established. In April of 1900, the government announced a new regulation to officially adopt Western-style uniforms for state officials. With this, Koreans who used to wear only hanbok for thousands of years began to wear both Western-style suits and hanbok concurrently.
It is believed that our clothes were called “hanbok” to be distinguished from the foreign clothes – as “han” refers to “Korean” and “bok” refers to “clothing” – with Korea wwwing its ports to the outside world in 1876. However, the exact origin of the word “hanbok” is yet unclear. Although terminology for Korean attire has varied such as “Joseon-ui (Joseon’s attire)” used in a 1881 record of Seungjeongwon Ilgi (the diaries of the royal secretariat), or “hanbok” in a 1894 article from Japanese newspaper, all these historical records show how hanbok embodied Koreans’ lifestyle and culture as well as societal and national spirit at the time.
There are special types of hanbok for certain occasions. “Baenaet jeogori” is hanbok for newborn babies. To protect babies’ soft skin, it is made with as few seams as possible. Hanbok called “Kachi durumagi” was named after Kachi seollal, another name of the New Year’s Eve, and children traditionally wore it on the New Year’s Eve and also on the New Year’s Day sometimes. Today, contemporary Koreans dress their babies with Kachi durumagi for the baby’s first birthday party. This outfit has a bright array of colors on its cuff, which reflects people’s hopes to drive out the evil spirits while bringing in good fortunes.
For the wedding ceremony, brides traditionally wore a green jeogori and a crimson skirt, as well as ceremonial outerwear called hwalot or wonsam, with jokduri (flower headwear) on their head. For funerals, a shroud for the dead was made without a knot as knots were believed to bring bad luck to the descendants. Koreans also believed they could live long if they prepare the shrouds during the leap months while they are alive.
Introduction of Western-style clothing brought about changes to clothes and lifestyle of Koreans. Western clothing replaced hanbok in Korean’s everyday clothes as it was considered more practical and convenient. Hanbok became simpler in its form and began to be reserved for special occasions. Nonetheless, hanbok-wearing still remains today as a way of showing courtesy on special occasions.
“Hanbok saenghwal” was designated as National Intangible Cultural Heritage for the following reasons. ▲First, it has long been passed down from generation to generation across the Korean peninsula. ▲Second, records on hanbok have been found from historical artifacts and documents, such as murals of Goguryeo tombs, clay dolls from the Silla Dynasty and historical documents of China. ▲Third, extensive studies on hanbok are currently underway in various fields like history, aesthetics, design, fashion, technology, management, marketing, industry, and education, which will further contribute as valuable academic resources. ▲Forth, it is still practiced particularly within families as a way to show courtesy during traditional holidays. ▲Lastly, traditional knowledge of hanbok saenghwal is transmitted and safeguarded by diverse communities, not only by families but also businesses or research institutions.
Meanwhile, the Cultural Heritage Administration will not recognize a specific group or person as a transmitter for the designation, as hanbok saenghwal is a cultural tradition that is being practiced by all Koreans across the Korean peninsula, so are the cases of “kimchi-making” and “jang-making (Korean sauce and paste making).”
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