The Bear in Korean Culture

REVIEW

By Editorial Team / With Cho Yonghwan, Assistant Curator, Chuncheon National Museum

Exhibition Info. Chuncheon National Museum February 7 - March 18, 2018

The Chuncheon National Museum hosted a special exhibition on the theme of the bear, a motif for Bandabi, mascot of the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games.

A display themed “The Bear in Ancient Objects”

The special exhibition The Bear in Korean Culture explored the changing perception of the bear in Korean history and culture. It consisted of five sections that can be seen in the order of “The Bear on the Korean Peninsula,” “The Bear in Korean Myths and Legends,” “The Bear in Ancient Objects,” “The Bear in Modern Life,” and “The Olympics and the Bear” following the set path of circulation.

From prehistoric times, Koreans considered the bear as an important source of food, and made various tools with the bones of the bear. Among the Korean myths and legends featuring bears, the most famous is that of Dangun, the founder of the Korean nation. The special exhibition sheds light on not only the myth of Dangun but a total of ten myths from all around the country. They include the story of Gombawi based in Geumgangsan Mountain about a male bondservant who was struck by lighting and turned into a rock; the story of Gomnaru about a man who lived with a bear-turned woman in Gongju; and the tale of the magistrate of Ulleungdo Island acting as a bear. These old tales reflect ancient Koreans’ perception of the bear as a symbol of patience and at times a sacred being.

In the past the perceived appearance of the bear also differed from that of today. With its big body, the bear was considered a strong and powerful animal and hence inkstones and table legs were often made in the shape of a bear. During the Korean Empire 1897–1910 the bear was featured on the military flags of the emperor. In modern society, however, perception of the bear has changed. Though still considered strong and stupidly honest, the bear is now considered a more familiar animal as evidenced by Teddy Bears and the varied bear characters in picture books.

At the end of the special exhibition, the mascot of the Paralympics, Bandabi the bear, was seen with the Olympics mascot Soohorang the tiger. The Chuncheon National Museum hopes that the exhibition played a role in extending the fever of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 to the Paralympics and served as an opportunity to rethink our perception of the bear, which has taken place as an important motif in Korean culture since the myth of Dangun.

Small accessories from the Nangnang period, which is on display for the first time

Gilt-bronze Bear-shaped Table Leg

Nangnang Commandery / Wood / H. 11.0 cm