Korea ppt-korean kites

1. NATIONAL KOREAN STUDIES
SEMINAR
C O P Y R I G H T 2 0 1 4
M A RY C O N N O R A N D S U N G K I M
BRINGING KOREA INTO K-12
CLASSROOMS
KOREAN KITES

2. WHY TEACH KITES?
• Teaching with kites is a way to teach your students about
science, world cultures, art and design.
• After reading Linda Sue Park’s The Kite Fighters,
students will experience an ideal culminating project.
• The Drachen Foundation (drachen.org) has an
impressive collection of 30 cultural kites, lesson plans,
and kite kits. The website is easy to navigate, provides
information on how to fly kites, types of kites, where to fly
kites, wind charts, launching a kite, controlling a kite,
landing a kite, kite safety and a glossary.

3. THE KOREAN FIGHTER KITE

4. KOREAN FIGHTER KITE
• The Korean Fighter Kite, with a hole
centered in its sail, is unique among the
world’s fighting kites.
• It is flown with the mechanical advantage
of a fast-spinning, long-handled winder
that gives the accomplished flier great
control over huge aerial distances.

5. THE FIGHTER KITE
• The unique characteristics of a Korean
fighter kite are a three point bridle, a
center hole, and an extremely fast winding
line reel. The center hole acts to give
stability to the kite quickly after fast
maneuvers and makes the Korean kite
ideal for use as fighters.

6. BACKGROUND
It is commonly believed that the Chinese invented
kites and that kites were brought to Korea over
1,000 years ago.
Stewart Cullin wrote in his book, Korean Games,
that the Korean kite was invented 400 years ago
when the Koreans were fighting a war against
Japan. His soldiers were discouraged by their
reverses in battle and also by the falling stars in
the sky which they took to mean as a bad sign.

7. BACKGROUND
The general made a kite, to which he attached a small
lantern, and sent it up in the night sky. The soldiers
thought the light in the sky was a new star and
thought this was an auspicious sign, and renewed
their fighting with increased energy.
Kites were also used in ceremonies for centuries and
by the Korean Navy to give signals from ship to ship.
It was customary for all classes to fly kites. This even
included the King.

8. THE SPORT OF KITE FIGHTING
• Simple kite flying, or “kite playing,” in Korea is
secondary to the sport of kite fighting. In kite
fighting, the silk strings are prepared the entire
length by dipping them in fish-glue to which some
sharp material, such as powdered glass or
porcelain, have been added. Any kite may be cut
down by another.
• The moment two kite-strings are crossed, the
players must let out their lines, as when one of them
becomes tense, it is immediately cut through.
Sometimes four or five strings are crossed and the
fighting lasts all day.

9. THE SPORT OF KITE FIGHTING
• The moment a kite is cut down it is at one seized
by small boys who have been eagerly waiting for
a disaster to happen.
• It is a common expression in Korea that there is
no ownership rights in a lost kite, and even the
reel string is forfeited.

10. KOREAN FIGHTER KITES
• The fighter kites can be ordered from the
Drachen Foundation at www.drachen.org
• The cost is $12.50 for a pack of ten kites.
• The estimated time for construction is between
30-40 minutes. Decoration will take additional
time.

11. THE KOREAN BIRD KITE
A Korean Bird Kite can be constructed by children
ages 5-8 in approximately 40 minutes.
Drachen price: $12.50 for ten.

12. BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Culin, Stewart. 1991. Korean Games. Toronto:
General Publishing Company (original edition,
1895)
• Park, Linda Sue. 2000. Kite Fighters. New York:
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
• Website: www.drachen.org