Games and Traditional Sports

Card/Board Games

GoStop is a flower card game. Flower cards were invented in Japan, possibly in order to circumvent laws against playing with conventional 4-suited card decks. Nowadays, however, it is in Korea that games with flower cards are most popular. The best known Korean flower card game is Go Stop, which like most Japanese flower card games is a fishing game. Players capture cards from a central layout by playing a card of the same month (flower). The aim is to collect scoring combinations among the cards captured. When a player's captures have a sufficient value, the player can stop the game and claim payment, or can continue the game (go) in the hope of winning more, but risking that an opponent will win meanwhile. It is this decision to stop or go that gives the game its name. To properly play the game, cards should be slapped down when playing them.

Baduk (paduk) is the Korean name for what is known as Go in English. This game is particularly popular with middle-aged and elderly men – there’s even a TV channel dedicated to the game. A strategic board game for two players, it is noted for being rich in strategic complexity despite its simple rules. The two players alternately place black and white stones on the vacant intersections of a line grid. The objective of the game is to control a larger part of the board than one’s opponent. To achieve this, players strive to place their stones in such a way that they cannot be captured, while mapping out territories the opponent cannot invade without being captured. Placing stones close together helps them avoid capture by enabling them to capture attacking stones before they are themselves captured, whereas placing them far apart influences more of the board. Part of the strategic difficulty of the game stems from finding a balance between such conflicting interests. Players strive to serve both defensive and offensive purposes, and choose between tactical urgency and strategic plans. The game ends, and the score is counted when both players consecutively pass on a turn, indicating that neither side can increase its territory or reduce its opponent's.

Janggi (also romanised as changgi, jangki, and tjyangkeui) is the Korean name for a strategic board game that is widespread in Korea and sometimes referred to as Korean chess. Janggi is sometimes fast-paced due to the jumping cannons and the long range elephants, but professional games most often last for over 100 moves and is thus most often slower than western chess. Also, while in Western chess battle is concentrated in the middle few rows for the bulk of the game, in janggi the battle seems to be fought simultaneously all over the board.

Yutnori is a Korean traditional board game played in family gatherings, especially during Korean New Year and Thanksgiving. “Yut” refers to the four sticks used in the “nori” , which means game. Yutnori consists of the Yut (four sticks), the Mal, (tokens) and the Mal-pan (game board). How the yut fall when cast determines how far a token can be advanced. The score is based on number of yut that are over or up. Each combination has its own name (Do, Gae, Gul, Yut and if all the yut are facing up, Mo) and its own value with Do allowing the Mal to be moved one space through to Mo, which allows an advance of five spaces. The player to bring all her/his mals home first is the winner.

Past Traditions:
Chajeon Nori was a giant jousting match between two teams of villagers, usually men. The two commanders were atop large log frames maneuvered by their teams. These trapezoidal log frames, known as dongchae, consisted of two 10-meter-long logs tied together with straw rope. Some members of the team carried the dongchae, while others fought with the opposing team to help their side advance. The commanders were chosen from among the team at the beginning of play. The teams were traditionally named "east" and "west." A team won by forcing the other team's dongchae to the ground. After their victory, the members of the winning team traditionally tossed their straw sandals up in the air.

Many folk games were associated with shamanistic rites that were handed down from one generation to the next. Three rites were important with regards to folk games: Yeonggo (a drumming performance to invoke spirits), , Dongmaeng (a harvest ceremony)  and Mucheon (dances to the heaven). These performances were refined during the period of the Three Kingdoms and games were added.

Kite flying began as in Korea for military purposes but it eventually became a popular pastime. Traditionally, on Lunar New Year, people flew kites to wish for a good harvest and for the well-being of their family and their country.The traditional Korean kite (yon or yeon) is made with bamboo sticks and Korean paper.

Nol-Ttwigi (Korean See-saw) differs from the Western version where riders sit atop either side of the see-saw, in that nol-ttwigi participants stand on their side, then jump up, forcing their partner into the air on the opposite side. This game is popular among females, usually during traditional holidays and festivals. Originally, it provided a means for upper class girls to see over the wall surrounding the family home, since they were not allowed to leave the enclave. It also gave the boys a chance to see what the girls hidden behind the wall looked like.

Spinning Tops Korean-style involved spinning the top in an enclosed box, with points scored for various actions. Also popular were fighting tops where players tried to knock their opponents' tops out of a designated area.

Other traditional games include pitching arrows into a pot (tuho) and a game of stick-tossing (jeopo). There are also stone fights (seokjeon), swing riding (geunetagi), masked dance drama, and a ball game (gyeokku).

Traditional Sports
Cheongdo So Ssa-eum (Bull Fighting) differs from Spanish bull fighting, which pits man against bull, in that it's  bull vs. bull. Two bulls butt heads and try to push each other backwards. The first bull to back off loses.

Hapkido (also spelled hap ki do or hapki-do) is a dynamic and eclectic Korean martial art that employs joint locks, pressure points, kicks and other strikes. Hapkido practitioners train to counter the techniques of other martial arts as well as common "unskilled" attacks. There is also a range of traditional weapons including short stick, cane, rope, sword and staff which vary in emphasis depending on the particular tradition examined. Although hapkido contains both long and close range fighting techniques, the purpose of most engagements is to get near for a close strike, lock, or throw. Hapkido emphasizes circular motion, non-resisting movements, and control of the opponent. Practitioners seek to gain advantage through footwork and body positioning to employ leverage, avoiding the use of strength against strength.

Taekwondoa is now an Olympics event. Although believed by many to be a traditional Korean sport, it actually came into existance during the late 1940s, as then President Syngman Rhee decided that Korea should have a national sport. However, it is derived from taekkyon, which is an ancient martial art.

Jul T'agi (Rope Walking) was often taught from one generationo to the other. Rather than simply walk from one end of the rope to the other, Korean tightrope walkers jump up and down, do somersaults, and tell jokes to the audience.

Ssireum (also spelled Sirum is the national sport of Korea. In the modern form each contestant wears a belt that wraps around the waist and the thigh. The competition employs a series of techniques, which inflict little harm or injury to the opponent: opponents lock on to each other's belt, and one achieves victory by bringing any part of the opponent's body above the knee to the ground. The match is played out in a sandy ring, similarly to Japanese sumo wrestling.

Modern Games
Video game culture is a form of new media culture that has been influenced by video games. As computer and video games have increased exponentially in popularity over time, they have caused significant impact upon popular culture. This form of entertainment has spawned many fads. Video game culture has evolved in time, particularly in connection with the Internet culture. Today, one can see the impact of computer and video games in politics, television, popular music, and Hollywood.