Lesson 2 The Wonders of Korea
Ondol: Lasting Warmth
You may have experienced the feeling of standing on a heated floor after coming in from a cold winter’s day.
Your body warms up from your feet.
However, in some buildings like schools and hospitals, you might experience cold feet and warm air at the same time.
This is because your home and school probably use different heating systems.
While many school or office buildings use a heating method that warms the air directly, most Korean homes use underfloor heating based on the traditional ondol system.
Why do Koreans still use ondol system in modern apartments and houses?
What are the characteristics of ondol and what benefits does it offer?
The History of Ondol
It is difficult to determine the exact origin of ondol, but early forms have been discovered in residential sites from the Gojoseon period (2333 B.C.E. to 108 B.C.E.).
Ondol has probably been used continuously since then, mainly in the colder northern regions.
It is widely believed that winters became much colder in the 17th century.
This led to ondol becoming much more popular nationwide.
Thanks to the efficiency of ondol, Korea’s ancestors could go through the winters without worrying too much about the cold.
Spending time in cozy ondol rooms not only warmed their bodies but also comforted their minds.
How Ondol Works
The essential components of ondol are the agungi, gorae, and gudeuljang.
Firstly, the agungi is an outdoor fireplace where the fire is lit.
This fire is the primary source of the heat that eventually warms the room.
The gorae is a system of specifically designed passages beneath the floor.
Once the fire is lit in the agungi, the hot air travels through the gorae, which ensures that the heat is evenly distributed beneath the floor surface.
Above these passages is the gudeuljang, a slab of stone.
As the hot air from the agungi moves through the gorae, it transfers the heat to these stone slabs.
One of the distinct properties of the stone used in gudeuljang is the ability to resist rapid heat transfer, which allows the gudeuljang to release the heat slowly into the room.
Thanks to this unique design and the properties of the stone, the ondol system ensures that rooms remain comfortably warm for extended periods.
The Advantages of Ondol
The unique strengths of ondol really stand out when it is compared to Western-style heating.
Traditional Western-style heating involves lighting a fire indoors and emitting smoke through a chimney.
With this method, smoke can pollute the air inside the room and the heat can escape easily.
With ondol's underfloor heating, on the other hand, heat naturally goes upward from the heated floor, and the entire room can be warmed efficiently.
In addition, since the fireplace is located outside and the smoke never enters the room, it is easier to maintain a pleasant indoor environment.
It's not just Koreans who praise ondol.
Horace Allen, an American doctor who visited Joseon in the late 19th century, wrote about the efficient ondol system in his book.
According to Allen, ondol not only kept the room comfortably warm but also allowed people to use the fire for more than one purpose.
He mentioned families warming the house and cooking rice at the same time, for example.
The Global Spread of Ondol
Underfloor heating in the style of ondol has become increasingly popular in other parts of the world.
Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the most influential American architects, developed a heating system based on ondol using hot water pipes for his own projects.
His Jacob's House is considered the first example of applying underfloor heating to Western-style buildings.
Describing ondol as “ideal heat,” he has had a great influence on the promotion of underfloor heating.
More recently, there has been an increase in cases where underfloor heating systems are being adopted, such as in the German parliament building and the Copenhagen Opera House.
Ondol has comforted Koreans with its lasting warmth for thousands of years and continues to give warmth and comfort to them today.
Though boilers and hot water pipes have taken the place of the agungi and gorae, the basic principles of ondol haven't changed.
The warmth of ondol, now being shared with people beyond Korea, is set to last for generations to come.
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