Every country has traditional games and Korea does not disappoint on this topic. Some of them might be familiar to you or not. Also, most of these games are usually played at family holidays such as Korean Lunar New year/ Seollal and Chuseok, and not only.
YUTNORI
Yut-nori (윷놀이/iut-no-ri), is a traditional Korean family board game that is mostly played during the Lunar New Year (설날/seol-lal). The comb form -nori (놀이/no-ri) means to play. Yut-nori is also known as yunori, nyout, yoot, cheok-sa, or sa-hee. It is believed that yut-nori has been played since the Three Kingdoms (57 BC-668 CE), but it is imprecise.
An explanation of a game in folklore describes a bet by some villagers to raise five different kinds of animals. Pigs, dogs, sheep, cows, and horses. Each of the villagers would grow only one kind.
Yut-nori consists of a board, 4 yut sticks, and 8 small tokens - 4 for each team.
The board is called "malpan" (말판). This plate was historically round and made of stitched cloth. However, nowadays, it is rectangular in shape and the material of the board is either paper, plastic, or wooden sheet. The board has 4 straight lines along the edges and 2 diagonal lines inside the rectangle.
The markings on the board indicate the stations. Yut sticks, which are called "jang-jak-yut" (장작윷), are traditionally made of wood and used as dice. Each stick should have a flat side and a round side. Yut sticks are 4 sticks 15-17cm long and about 2-3cm in diameter. These sticks are split in half. Chestnut wood is most often used, but also birch wood. These woods are chosen for their weight and the fresh sound they make when played.
The small tokens are called "mal" (말), which means "horse". They are usually made of black and white plastic. Common mal are coins, buttons, or small pebbles. However, they can be anything as long as there are 2 different colors for the 2 different teams.
How to play yut-nori:
The aim of the game is to either bring all your chips back to the start or stop in one of the corner squares, you can take a shortcut.
If you have 1 stick face up, you can move one place. This is called "Do".
If you have 2 sticks face up, you can move two places. This is called "Gae".
If you have 3 sticks face up, you can move three places. This is called "Geol".
If you have 4 sticks face down, you can move four places. This is called "Yut". There is also a bonus and you can roll it again which is optional as some people don't include this.
If you have 4 sticks face up, you can move five places. This is called "Mo" like "Yut", you can get a bonus to re-roll.
SSIREUM (WRESTLING)
Ssireum is similar to Japanese sumo wrestling, with two opponents fighting each other in a sand ring. The player who knocks their opponent to the ground scores a point. Competitions are held annually, which are popular. Ssireum, a contest of strength and technique, is a form of combat unique to Korea.
Traditionally practiced as combat and self-defense, ssireum was also part of rituals performed in ancient tribal states. The rules evolved, allowing ssireum to develop into a prized national sport for competition and entertainment.
TUHO/ PITCH-POT
Tuho was originally popular among royal families and the upper class. In a similar fashion to horseshoes, tuho players attempt to throw darts into the top of a narrow-necked wooden jar. The score is determined by the number of arrows in the jar. Tuho is currently played by people from all walks of life.
JEGICHAGI
In jegichagi, players hit a jegi and the player with the most hits wins, similar to Western Hacky Sack. Usually played in winter, jegichagi's name varies by region. Jegi, similar in appearance to a frill, is made from a coin and hanji (handmade Korean paper). The player kicks the jegi into the air and continues to kick it to keep it off the ground; a change of kicking foot is allowed.
In a one-on-one game, the player with the most consecutive hits wins;
in a group game, players stand in a circle and take turns kicking the pegs. A player who lets the jegi fall to the ground loses and throws it to the winner to kick. When the loser catches the pawn with his hands, he can re-enter the game.
GONGGI
Gonggi is a popular Korean children's game traditionally played using five or more small grape-sized pebbles or colored plastic stones. It can be played alone or with friends. Since the game only requires a few stones and a flat surface, the game can be played by anyone almost anywhere.
The same game exists in Nepal and is called Gatti. It is similar to Knucklebones in the Western tradition. There are many ways to play Gonggi, but the most typical way to play Gonggi is to play with five balls or pebbles. Gonggi has also been played in many other places.
YEONNALLIGI
Kite frames are generally made of bamboo with paper attached. Most kites, rectangular or diamond-shaped, are tied with string on a reel. Kite flying is a traditional winter game for children and adults. There is a kite-flying period from New Year's Eve to Daeboreum (the first full moon festival), after which the kite's string is cut for it to fly. Kite flying is less common today due to work obligations, but kites were flown as a distraction from the cold winter.
DDAKJI OR TTAKJI
It is a Korean game played by two or more players. Ddakji is constructed by folding two square pieces of paper together into a square. As with milk caps, the game is won by flipping over the other player's card.
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