This week on Jeju: A to Z, Todd Thacker takes a brief look at a thatched-roof houses. These traditional residences are becoming increasingly rare, but they hold great cultural and social significance for islanders.
If you were to walk along the Jeju coast one or two hundred years ago or more, you’d see clusters of small, oval-shaped farm and fishing village residences ingeniously built with readily available materials.
The Jeju thatched roof house, or choga (초가) can still be found in certain areas of the island, though as the years pass they’re becoming evermore rare.
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Stones, clay, and thatch combine in a unique way
The choga design and construction is unique to Jeju. The walls are composed of interlocking stacks of basalt stones insulated with caked earth mixed in with barley straw. The thatch is readily available and easy to twist into interweaving strands. These sit taut in an aesthetically pleasing checkerboard pattern, which from a distance looks like a fish net.
The layout is different from the mainland in that there is no front yard or detached house. Instead, two structures, one main, the other secondary, serve an entire extended family generation to generation.
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Dwellings reflect social, family structures
Researchers and historians have pointed out that these traditional houses -- which have served Jeju islanders for centuries -- are illustrative of how Jeju society and individual family structures adapted to the challenges of life on the island.
With Jeju’s harsh environment -- especially its nearly constant wind and blinding sun, occupants require a sturdy dwelling. In summer the walls are cool, in winter they insulate against the cold. And the roof, of course, needs to be especially robust.
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Extensive upkeep, disappearing know-how
This means that a choga requires regular maintenance, with work beginning in earnest before the arrival of spring. Unfortunately, in the 21st century, much of the time and effort -- not to mention the know-how -- needed to keep these traditional residences functioning is being abandoned in favor of modern concrete and tile.
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Todd Thacker
Without a doubt the choga is rapidly becoming a rarity on Jeju. However, there are historians, government officials and the general public who are helping to preserve choga in places like Pyoseon and Seongeup Folk Village. Many cite fond memories of visiting their grandparents in these cozy, thatched abodes.
Todd Thacker KCTV