[KS] What is the history and use of charcoal in South Korea?

[Afostercarter at aol.com]

In case your interest in charcoal also extends north 
of the DMZ, you may care to take a deep breath,
cover your mouth, hold your nose and contemplate
North Korea's surely unique (in 2011) contribution  to
energy inefficiency, forest depletion, and air  pollution
- three hits in one! - namely, charcoal-burning  trucks:
 
_http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/03/03/2010030301014.html_
 
(http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/03/03/2010030301014.html) 
 
 
They actually boast about this, as I noted some years  ago:

_http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/DH14Dg01.html_ 
(http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/DH14Dg01.html) 
 
A more academic account, with pictures, is at
_http://japanfocus.org/-Peter-Hayes/3233_ 
(http://japanfocus.org/-Peter-Hayes/3233) 
 
Unbelievable but true, like much else about the  DPRK.
 
Kind regards
Aidan FC
 
 
Aidan  Foster-Carter 
Honorary Senior Research  Fellow in Sociology & Modern Korea, Leeds 
University, UK 
E: _afostercarter at aol.com_ (mailto:afostercarter at aol.com)      
_afostercarter at yahoo.com_ (mailto:afostercarter at yahoo.com)    W: _www.aidanfc.net_ 
(http://www.aidanfc.net/)      
W in Korea:  
_http://web.archive.org/web/20090202080126/http://aidanfc.net/index.html_ 
(http://web.archive.org/web/20090202080126/http://aidanfc.net/index.html)  
______________
 
In a message dated 12/9/2011 09:13:54 GMT Standard Time, i at knigel.com  
writes:

Thank  you all for helping me with finding out if the myth behind the
Tancheon  (The Stream of Charcoal) was actual Korean folklore. I have,
unexpectedly,  become obsessed with charcoal. I hadn't realised how
much charcoal was, and  continues to be, used in Korean society. I've
been learning about the  charcoal kiln saunas, "white charcoal',
charcoal air fresheners, and lumps  of charcoal over gates to fend off
evil spirits from birthing women;  however, I'm having a bit of trouble
finding out some of the other historic  details in English about
charcoal. I'm wondering if any of the  anthropologists, or anyone else,
could direct me to some history or  folklore on charcoal in Korean
society. I'm interested in any tidbit or  fascinating fact. I
appreciate your help a  lot.

Kindness,
Knigel




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