'Year of Golden Dog' raises hope for Koreans

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Lifestyle

Thu, December 7, 2023 | 23:01

Korean Traditions

'Year of Golden Dog' raises hope for Koreans

Posted : 2017-12-31 17:31

Updated : 2017-12-31 19:56

According to the Chinese zodiac, 2018 is the "Year of the Golden Dog. / Korea Times file

By Kang Hyun-kyung

Around this time every year, there's a ritual Koreans perform _ they characterize the New Year based on Chinese astrology and predict how it will turn out.

According to the Chinese zodiac which relates each year to an animal of the 12-year cycle, 2018 is the "Year of the Golden Dog," a characterization derived from the "Year of Musul." In Chinese character, "mu" means yellow while "sul" refers to dog.

Yellow or gold is the color of royalty. So Chinese astrology experts say babies born in this year are bound to be leaders. People born in the Year of the Dog are trustworthy and conservative. They are deep thinkers and they enjoy a strong reputation. It is said they are mild-tempered, but once they are agitated they tend to explode and their anger is hard to control.

Ban Byung-yool, a professor of Korean history at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, said the 12-year cycle _ also known as the Earthly Branches _ had been part of Koreans' way of life since the Chinese Lunar calendar was introduced in this country.

"In pre-modern times, the Earthly Branches were quite useful and it had long been used in East Asia as a tool to predict what will happen in the forthcoming year," he said. "They are a sort of empirical wisdom derived from humanity's accumulated knowledge acquired over thousands of years and lessons learned during those times. Therefore it's fair to say the 12-year cycle is wisdom, rather than superstition as some may call it to downplay its role."

In the Year of the Golden Dog, some experts anticipate the nation's birthrates may go up because of the positive interpretation of the year. Birthrates likewise soared in 2007, the Year of the Golden Pig, as experts said babies born that year would become rich. Amid the falling birthrate, the nation's birthrate rose 10 percent that year from the year before.

Kwak Geum-joo, a professor of psychology at Seoul National University, said the use of the Chinese zodiac to predict how the New Year will turn out may sound a bit irrational but is not at all bad.

"It shows that people, deep in their hearts, are longing for a certain positive change to happen in their lives and this means they are still hopeful for the future," she said. "We never know what will happen tomorrow. As people live in uncertainty, they are just hoping things will go well."

Predicting the New Year based on the characteristics of zodiac animals is unique to East Asian culture. Chinese astrology experts predict what will happen in the New Year based on the presumed characteristics of the animal.

For example, people born in the Year of the Dog are frank, outgoing and cause-driven people who can risk themselves for what they believe is right for the community, according to them.

Among people born in the Year of the Dog, those who were born in 1958 _ better known as ‘58ers _ are well-known for their striking differences in characteristics. They are the post-war boomer generation. Some 920,000 babies were born that year, the first time in the nation to see over 900,000 annual newborns.

Rising birthrates led to heavier competition for college entrance in 1977 as Korea's first boomer generation turned 19. Although they are old now, the ‘58ers are regarded as more independent and less hierarchical than other age groups.

Park Gwang-seo, a retired professor of physics at Sogang University, said the use of the Chinese zodiac to predict the future is quite a Korean phenomenon.

"Koreans localized foreign culture," said Park, also the president of the Korea Institute for Religious Freedom. "I presume the Chinese culture has been almost forgotten in China. But Koreans still have it and use it widely… Such Koreanization of foreign-born culture is also found in religion when we look at how American Protestantism has transformed in this country. I feel Korean Protestantism is more fundamental than its American counterpart."

Some experts say commemorating the New Year with the Chinese zodiac has been spurred by self-serving businesses. High birthrates create a boon for some businesses that produce child-related products, so they make the most of the Chinese zodiac to sell their products more. Diaper producers enjoyed a rare boom in 2007 due to the boosted birthrate.

hkang@ktimes.com