Kun Wook Ryu

Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Culture

The Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Culture (EKFC) is a multi-volume, multilingual compendium documenting Korea's folk heritage, seasonal customs, beliefs, literature, rites of passage, traditional arts, and daily life practices.

Role

Research Assistant & Curator

Period

2016 – 2022

Scope

Compilation, Translation & Digital Indexing

View Authored EKFC Entries →

Project Multi-Volume Scope

Basic Necessities (2017–2019)

Clothing, Food, & Housing

Comprehensive curation covering traditional attire (Hanbok), culinary traditions, and vernacular architecture (Hanok).

Arts & Performances (2015–2016)

Folk Dramas, Music, Nongak & Dance

Documentation of community band music, mask dances, folk paintings, and performing arts traditions.

Rites of Passage (2014)

Life Cycle Rituals

Framing traditional milestones including birth, coming-of-age, wedding ceremonies, funerals, and ancestral rites.

Folk Literature (2012–2013)

Folktales, Songs & Pansori

Cataloguing oral literature, epic chants, folk songs, and narrative storytelling traditions.

Folk Beliefs (2009–2011)

Shamanism, Communal & Household Religion

Documenting sacred practices, village rituals, tutelary deities, and domestic worship practices.

Seasonal Customs (2004–2006)

Korean Seasonal Customs

Structuring cyclical agricultural rituals, seasonal festivals, and month-by-month traditional observances.