The ''beoseon'' () is a type of paired

sock A sock is a piece of clothing worn on the feet and often covering the ankle or some part of the calf. Some types of shoes or boots are typically worn over socks. In ancient times, socks were made from leather or matted animal hair. In the late ...

s worn with ''

hanbok The (; term used in South Korean standard language, South Korea), also called () n North Korean standard language, North Korea and China, is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term which is used to refer to traditional ethnic Koreans, Korean ...

'',

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

n traditional clothing and is made for protection, warmth, and style. It is also called (족의, ), ''jokgeon'' (족건, ) or ''mal'' (말, ) in

hanja Hanja (Hangul: ; Hanja: , ), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters () used in the writing of Korean. Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period, the first ever Korean kingdom. (, ) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, wh ...

. According to a book titled (훈몽자회,訓蒙字會) written by Choe Sejin (최세진,崔世珍) in 1527 during the reign of King Jungjong of the

Joseon Dynasty Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...

(1392 - 1910), was called (보션말), so it may be called by the name before the time. It is not clear when first began to be worn, but ancient is assumed to be a form extended from a

trouser Trousers (British English), slacks, or pants are an item of clothing worn from the waist to anywhere between the knees and the ankles, covering both legs separately (rather than with cloth extending across both legs as in robes, skirts, and dr ...

or ''

bojagi A bojagi (, sometimes shortened to ) is a traditional Korean wrapping cloth. Bojagi are typically square and can be made from a variety of materials, though silk or ramie are common. Embroidered bojagi are known as subo, while patchwork or scrap b ...

'' (wrapping clothes) for protecting the foot. During the period of the

Three Kingdoms of Korea Samhan or the Three Kingdoms of Korea () refers to the three kingdoms of Goguryeo (고구려, 高句麗), Baekje (백제, 百濟), and Silla (신라, 新羅). Goguryeo was later known as Goryeo (고려, 高麗), from which the modern name ''Kor ...

(57 BC – 668 AD), made of silk was worn but it was limited by social class. In the

Joseon Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...

period, ''beoseon'' made of a white fabric was usually worn regardless of class except special occasions.

Types

The types of ''beoseon'' can be varied by purpose, shape, and sewing technique. ''Goteun beoseon'' (곧은버선) or also called ''godeulmok beoseon'' (고들목버선) and ''nuin beoseon'' (누인버선) are defined by shape. According to sewing technique, ''beoseon'' is divided into ''som beoseon'', ''gyeop beoseon'', ''hot beoseon'', ''nubi beoseon'', and ''tarae beoseon''. ''Som beoseon'' (솜버선) is composed of the outer fabric and cotton (''som'' in Korean) as a

batting Batting may refer to: * Batting (baseball), the act of attempting to hit a ball thrown by the pitcher with a baseball bat, in order to score runs * Batting (cricket), the act of defending one's wicket with the cricket bat while attempting to score ...

to give foot warmth and style. ''Gyeop beoseon'' (겹버선) is made with two layers (''gyeop'') of a fabric without stuffing the inside. ''Hot beoseon'' (홑버선) is made with one layer (''hot'') and worn as an inner sock to prevent the outer ''beoseon'' from getting dirty. ''Nubi beoseon'' (누비버선) is made by quilting (''nubi'') and usually worn for protection against the cold during winter. The ''beoseon'' is considered practical because of the easiness to handle after cleaning although the running stitches can be broken or it is stiff than other ''beoseon''. ''Tarae beoseon'' (타래버선) is decorative socks for children. After quilted, ''tarae beosoen'' is embroidered with strings in various colors, and a string is attached to each portion of ankle to bind them at the front. Although the shape of ''beoseon'' does not reflect gender, ''beoseon'' for men have a straighter seam than that of women.

References

{{Reflist Socks Korean footwear Clothing

Types

See also

References