The Ethical Meanings of Korean Traditional Mourning Rituals 




  
 Korean traditional mourning rituals celebrate the transitory ritual of death. This ritual 
forbids any outward appearances of joy.  Instead, it is a very somber and serious ritual 
for mourning.
  The traditional mourning rituals in Korea belong mainly to the Confucian ritual 
system by "chuzhijiali(ρΉν­Κ«ΦΙ)". But elements of Buddhism and folk religions are also 
evident. The roles that the god of mountains, the Great dipper and fungsui play in these 
mourning rituals are just some examples.
 The procession of funeral songs while mourners are bearing a bier on their shoulders 
is also more characteristic of Buddhism and folk religions than that of Confucianism. 
The funeral song is an expression of the nihilistic view of life in Korea that humans 
must accept death as a destiny of human life, while seeking a heavenly world at the 
same time. 

The ethical meanings of Korean traditional mourning rituals are as follows:

1. The meaning of respecting life. The dead body and bone remains are treated with 
importance. Even after death, the human body remains with the soul.  This is just a 
symbol of immortality of the soul and that which promises rebirth.  For this reason, 
cremation is forbidden.

2. The meaning of ancestor worship. The memory of the parents, and ancestors, are 
cherished and  it serves as an object of religious worship because it is the source of 
one's life. And the grave therefore can also be thought of as a religious symbol.

3. The value system of a patrilineal society. Especially in the case of the mourning 
dress system, the five stages of mourning dress are set according to the patrilineal line. 
For example, in the mourning rituals for the maternal grandparents, they wear mourning 
dress same as paternal second cousins, and wife's parents same as paternal third 
cousins. 

4. The standard for a dead man is similar to that of a living man. Even after a man 
died, he would still be treated with the same respect reserved for the living. Most of 
all, mourning decorums help maintain a somber attitude and manner towards death. But 
the mourning decorums also function as a memorial service. These rituals will form 
strong ties between the two worlds forever.

 Today, the traditional mourning rituals in Korea are changing, but the essence of the 
Korean's inner mind still remains.