Birth in Joseon and Beyond: Korea's Traditions and Modern Changes
Creatrip Team
2 months ago
The National Folk Museum of Korea is hosting a special exhibition 'Birth, Everyone’s Feast' (until May 10) in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, showcasing 328 artifacts that trace childbirth customs from late Joseon to today. Visitors enter through a narrow, gold-stringed (geumjul) passage into a recreated early-20th-century birth room, reflecting the private, family-centered nature of delivery. Highlights include a 'baekil jeogori' (a celebratory 100-piece infant jacket), a father's childcare diary, and a 'Cheonin Cheonjawmun' (천인천자문: a thousand-people, thousand-characters book) made for a child’s first birthday to pass on community blessings. The show also presents traditional birth taboos and folk remedies, letters and government guides across eras, global birthing rituals from 14 countries, and contemporary forms of being born such as adoption. A participatory area invites visitors to share their own birth experiences, emphasizing communal care and solidarity around childbirth.
