Uncovering the Codes: Fifteen Keywords in Korean Culture

Uncovering the Codes: Fifteen Keywords in Korean Culture is a cultural guide to what is unique about Koreans and their way of life. The questions raised in this book range from the mundane to the spiritual, each touching on the essence of Korea's 5,000-year-old culture: Why is a Korean spoon flat and round, not oval? Why do Korean women pray to a bowl of water? Why do Koreans eat dog meat?

Kim Yol-kyu, a renowned scholar of Korean folklore and literature, carefully digs up the answers embedded deep in centuries-old customs. Quoting from a wide scope of references, from ancient mythology to Merleau-Ponty and Levi-Strauss, Kim unearths the fascinating connections between the past and the present. Kim is Dignified Professor of Korean Studies at Keimyung University in Daegu, Korea, where he also directs the Academia Koreana.