SYNTHESIS OF TRADITIONAL AND MODERN ELEMENTS IN SOUTH KOREAN CULTURE

Abstract. The calling card of the Republic of Korea is its cultural component. Currently, it has a tendency to a unique connection in itself, characteristic of modernity and echoes of the deep past. This article will consider examples of such a synthesis both on examples from the everyday life of Koreans, and on the example of the author's interpretation of Korean mythology in cinema.

Keywords: South Korea, Chusok, Kumiho, traditions, modernity, ancestor cult, hangul, mythology, dramas.

The culture of South Korea is an example of a harmonious combination of elements of traditional and modern. This phenomenon manifests itself in the vast majority of areas of South Korean culture.

Nowadays, you can observe with what respect modern Koreans treat older generations. The origins of this tradition came long before Confucianism entered Korea, during the reign of shamanism, but took shape as an element of ideology in Confucian dogmas. In these instructions, special respect for representatives of older generations was proclaimed one of the most important [7]. The result of this provision was the appearance in the Korean language of several styles (or degrees) of politeness, among which a separate place is given to communicate with older [2].

Another indicative example is Chusok, a national holiday when harvest day is celebrated, which falls on the 15th of the 8th lunar month. By modern Koreans, this holiday is seen more as a family than an agricultural one. The family gathers in the house of the oldest representative of the clan on the male line, dresses in traditional Korean clothes, collects a table with traditional Korean cuisine, commemorates deceased relatives in cemeteries [5]. In academia, there are 2 main versions of the origin of this holiday:

1) In one of the earliest sources on the history of Korea, "Samguk Sagi" mentions such an event as Kabe. From the record of 32 years (during the reign of Yuri-isagym): «After establishing [the names] of the six communities, the van divided them into two parts and ordered his two daughters, so that, having gathered the girls in each of them, they formed two groups with their friends, which from the day of the kaman (16th) of the seventh month of autumn were to gather every day in the courtyards of large communities and weave from early morning to the second part of the night (i.e. around 10 p.m.). On the 15th of the eighth month, it was calculated which of them did more, and the defeated arranged a wine and food treat for the winners, accompanied by songs, dances and all kinds of games. It was called the amusement performance of kabe.»[1].

2) There is also an opinion that Chusok comes from ancient Korean shamanic rituals. A striking example is the ritual of Chilmoridan Yondyn Kut, mainly held on Jeju Island - sacrifices were made to local deities and ancestors from the spirits of wind, rain and sea [2]. In the above ritual, the rite of offering sacrificial dishes and water by a female diver, henyo, stands out as a separate "step" [6].

Nevertheless, both versions, and Im Ton Kwon, and information from the Samguk saga, show the antiquity of the origin of this holiday and the special attitude of the inhabitants of South Korea to the traditions of our time.

It is worth paying more attention to such an attribute as hanbok - a traditional Korean costume. As previously written, it is mainly dressed for the traditional Chusok holiday. However, this is not the only time when he is remembered. During many fairs, various theatrical, musical, dance programs, as well as excursions. Hanbok originates from the clothing of the North Siberian nomads of the Scythian-Siberian culture, became the most popular during the Three Korean States and underwent strong changes in the era of the Joseon Dynasty. Notably, the modern female hanbok is a direct descendant of the Joseon version of the costume.

A particularly revered holiday in South Korea is Hangul Day, or Korean Writing Day. The Korean alphabet itself is the property of the Korean nation not only in the South, but also in the North. The writing itself appeared in the 15th century by order of King Sejon the Great. The letter of the Korean state became a unique phenomenon, since it did not experience such influence from China as the Hanmun script in Korea. This day received the status of an official holiday on October 9, 1945, on the Independence Day of South Korea. Every subsequent year, on October 9, various concert events and exhibitions are organized, meetings are held with famous linguists, philologists in literary centers at universities.

The synthesis of traditional and modern elements in South Korean culture is especially pronounced in the field of cinema.

Dramas are multi-part films originally from East Asia. Illustrative examples of South Korean dramas demonstrating the synthesis of traditional and modern elements are such series as The Goblin (Tokkebi) and The Legend of Kumiho.

In "Toccabi," it tells of a magnificent warrior, an ambitious commander. He was accused of conspiracy against the king and was killed with the stigma of a traitor, the warrior was anathematized, as a result of which his soul and body could not find peace for 1000 years. For the curse to collapse, Toccabi must find his bride, who lives in the 21st century. The film shows the idea of ​ ​ reincarnation in our days, which existed in Korea during the reign of Buddhism [3].

In Korean folklore, Tokkebi is equated with a Slavic house, outwardly similar to a trait. He also, according to legend, likes to make fun of mortals, but does not pursue the goal of causing them any harm. The hero in the film fully reflects the essence of the behavior of this character, only the action takes place in the 21st century [9].

Another character of Korean folklore revealed in the drama in question is the Reaper of Death. In the traditional view, this is a guide of souls to the afterlife, which was depicted in a black hat and a black hanbok. In the film adaptation as a whole, a folklore image was adopted with an eye on modernity - the character was presented in a black strict suit. He also met, saw off the dead and tracked the lost souls, accompanying them to a different world [3].

In the drama "The Legend of Kumiho," based on the name, it tells about such a mythical character as Kumiho. In the traditional sense, it is a fox with up to 9 tails and able to accept the image of a beautiful girl. The main task of this creature is to finally become a person, for which 1000 male lives must be sacrificed over 1000 years. Up to this point, Kumiho has immortality. In early legends, this character was interpreted as positive, but in later ones it already acquires a purely negative essence. There are versions of legends where the fox undertakes to fulfill an additional condition to the main ones - the future person must help all those in need [1].

In the film adaptation, the author's interpretation of this myth takes place. In order to gain mortality, the hero (Kumiho) must find his beloved, who, like the one described above, must be reborn several centuries later.

Also in the same character, the second "hypostasis" is revealed - the role of the Mountain Spirit. This is a borrowed hero of myths from ancient Chinese animistic beliefs, suggesting the existence of patron spirits and the presence of a soul in everything in the world. The Mountain Spirit, or Sansin, is the patron spirit of mountains and mountain valleys. His task is to protect his territory and help the creatures living there. In medieval Korea, it was believed that rulers, military leaders and great Confucian thinkers could be reincarnated as the Mountain Spirit [8].

In the film adaptation, the main character combines two roles - Kumiho and the Mountain Spirit, as a result of which the help and protection of those in need comes out as one of the primary tasks of the hero. There is a kind of reception for two Korean folklore heroes with some author's innovations in history, in particular, from Kumiho. Firstly, the main character is a male representative, and secondly, the character was not obliged to take 1000 human lives in replacements for one of his own. In this case, the borrowings in part of Kumiho are taken from early Korean legends, where the character in question is interpreted in a positive way. Although, in the scenes that depict actions in the past, the people were afraid of the Fox and in every possible way opposed them.

The examples given in the report are far from the only ones that can clearly demonstrate the merger of traditional and modern culture in South Korea. Nevertheless, in this way, we were convinced that the manifestation of this synthesis occurs in a wide variety of sectors of cultural life in South Korea.