by Dubsnatch Team March 24, 2022
What comes to your mind instinctively when you think of South Korea?
K-pop -of course, dramas, high tech, kimchi, maybe soju, and funny Korean traditional games!
That's right, folks.
South Korea has a bunch of friendly traditional games - something that's becoming increasingly rare in our technology-driven society.
So if you're looking for a unique cultural experience or simply want to try your hand at some traditional games from South Korea, read on!
In this article, we'll introduce some popular traditional Korean games and their rules.
Let's get started!
South Korean have some really nice recreational activities to play with simple rules that anyone can fancy!
Here are some South Korean group activities you can enjoy and how to play them.
Yut Nori (윷놀이) is traditionally a family Korean indoor game between two teams during the Lunar New Year's Day and the Great Full Moon Festival.
Yut Nori is a Korean board game that usually comes with:
However, an alternate version of the game also exists with larger-sized sticks that can be played both indoors and outdoors.
The rules are relatively simple: both teams must progress on the board following the different available paths and return all their pieces to the starting point.
The order to play is usually determined by playing other traditional games like Kai Bai Bo, the Korean version of rock paper scissors.
To play at Yut Nori, teams have to throw their wooden sticks through the air.
The way they land will determine the move number they'll be able to do on the board.
There are then 5 possible combinations to determine how many movements are possible:
And 2 possibles actions while moving their pieces:
That's pretty much all you need to know to play Yut-Nori with your family and friends!
Jegichagi (제기차기) is a traditional Korean game for all ages but is especially appreciated by kids, even if teenagers and adults can still play from time to time.
This recreational activity has a form of hacky sack traditionally played by Korean boys during winter.
It remembers a lot of children juggling with a soccer ball.
However, instead of being a soccer ball, this game is about kicking an object named Jegi.
A Jegi has a round base like a sizeable old coin called yeopjeon, wrapped with clothes or hanji, and has a badminton shuttlecock alike form.
Jegichagi can be played alone or with teams.
The goal of this game is straightforward.
Players must juggle with the Jegi using their feet to reach as many points as possible.
While playing in a team, the participants' order should be determined to know who starts first.
It can quickly be done with a simple hand game like Muk Jji Ppa (묵찌빠).
There are multiple ways to play Jegichagi:
Jegichagi is a funny Korean traditional game to play even solo or with 2 teams of 2 players each.
Gonggi Nori (공기놀이) is a Korean children's game that can be played almost anywhere alone or with a group.
Most Korean adults know this recreational activity and play it with their family, remembering their childhood.
Gonggi Nori usually comes with 5 small pebbles or colored plastic stones.
The goal is to throw all the stones in the air and catch them all while still in the air.
A number of points to achieve should be set up by teams before playing this game.
The order to play is often determined by other Korean traditional games like Kai Bai Bo, but it can also be other ones.
To play at Gonggi Nori, there are some simple rules to follow:
There are now 5 possibilities to pass turns that add complexity to this game. All of them make an end to the active player's turn:
Gonggi Nori is an excellent game to play with children and friends.
It is also a fun solo game with a reasonable number of points to achieve!
Biseokchigi (비석치기) is a traditional Korean game mostly played outdoors as it requires some available space, like in a schoolyard or a parc.
Though, it can also be played indoors.
It is a recreational activity famous among boys in South Korea.
The goal is simple as it's an aiming game where players have to knock down stones placed on the ground with a flat rock called biseok, made of small pillar stones.
There are some similarities with bowls when you have to strike an opponent's bowl to take it away from the jack.
It's a game played between 2 teams.
To play Biseokchigi, both team players must face each other, draw a line in front of their feet with an appropriate interval (80 to 196 inches), then stand on the line.
As for most traditional games in South Korea, the participant's order should be determined before starting the game.
An excellent way to do it is by using a simple hand game like Kai Bai Bo.
There are some simple rules to follow to process by stage:
From there, many game variations are possible involving feet, back, chest, shoulders, and even underarms!
Among them, some famous are:
There are finally some disqualifications rules valid for all stages:
Biseokchigi is an awesome game to play with a group of friends or colleagues, as funny moments are mostly guaranteed!
Ssireum is South Korea’s national sport, where its origins can be traced way back to the Three-Kingdom era.
The name was derived from the verb "ssireuda", which means "holding out."
In ssireum’s modern form, two contestants wearing a satba or belt around the waist and thigh get into the platform and attempt to bring their opponent’s knee down to the ground.
There are at least 55 techniques employed in playing the sport, including hand, leg, waist, and lifting approaches.
Tuho Nori is a traditional Korean game with a vibrant history and was used by royals during the Three-Kingdom era to the late Joseon dynasty to pass the time.
All you need to do is throwing an arrow inside a jar.
Whoever throws the most number of arrows wins tuho-nori.
In traditional times, women with upper-class families weren’t allowed to go outside the high walls of their family garden.
It is the inspiration behind this game’s conception.
Neolttwigi is a seesaw game played mainly by girls.
They would toss one another just to see the world outside the walls.
Nowadays, neolttwigi is often performed during South Korean holidays like Chuseok and Dano.
The suffix -nori added at the end of some South Korean traditional game names means game in Korean (놀이).
You can see in some game names the addition of "nori", even if not always added like for Yut and Gonggi.
The most popular Korean traditional games to play outdoor in South Korea are Jegichagi (제기차기), Neolttwigi (널뛰기), Biseokchigi (비석치기), Tuho (투호), and Ssireum (씨름).
The most popular Korean traditional games to play indoors in South Korea are Yut Nori (윷놀이), Jegichagi (제기차기), which can be anywhere with enough space, Tujeon and Gonggi Nori (공기놀이).
The most popular traditional Korean board games in South Korea are Yut Nori (윷놀이), Gonggi Nori (공기놀이), and Gonu Nori.
The most popular traditional Korean card games in South Korea are Hwagatu (화가투) and Hwatu (화투).
And that's pretty much it!
Whether you're looking for a fun game to enjoy with friends or family, these traditional Korean games will keep you well entertained.
And if you would like to find about the Korean games in Netflix Squid Game, be sure to take a look at our article!
So what's your favorite one?
Let us know on Twitter, and don't forget to challenge your friends to a round of Muk Jji Ppa!
We are a really small team of passionate people loving and supporting the independent video game industry. We are also addicts to most new technologies, animes, shows, pop culture, and movies!
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