Korea Explained: Ancestral Rites Culture In Korea, As Reinterpreted In The Trending K-Drama "Queen Of Tears"

Learn all about ancestral rites culture in Korea, as many people grow curious after watching "Queen of Tears".

Kay Sesoko, Kpopmap Editor
5 min to read · Published : Mar 20, 2024

Korea Explained: Ancestral Rites Culture In Korea, As Reinterpreted In The Trending K-Drama "Queen Of Tears"

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You may have seen scenes in K-Dramas where Koreans perform ancestral rites (called 제사 (je-sa) in Korean) either on major holidays such as Chuseok (the Korean thanksgiving) or Seollal (the Lunar New Year) or even during the memorial gathering for someone's death. Usually in these K-Drama scenes, you might notice family members gathered (usually dressed in black or demure colors), in front of a table filled with traditional foods and a portrait of the deceased (sometimes not there).

Well, today we're going to explain all about the Korean ancestral rites culture, so that you can gain a better understanding of it.

Why do Koreans practice ancestral rites?

Koreans hold ancestral rites ceremonies/rituals to honor their ancestors, maintain family bonds, seek blessings and protection, and to uphold tradition.

A look into some of the history behind ancestral rites ceremonies

Ancestral rites can be traced back to ancient times as the tradition has continued for hundreds and hundreds of years. For instance, the tradition was a predominant part of Korean society especially in the Joseon dynasty where Confucianism and its principles were at the forefront.

Confucianism values filial piety (treating one's parents well) as one of its pillars. One of the footholds of this was through various ceremonies including the ancestral rites ceremony. The ideal that families who held these ceremonies were perfect examples of Confucian values was widespread and thus became the new normal over time, regardless of one's societal status.

In the later Joseon Dynasty, the caste system was starting to disappear. During this time, citizens tried to boost their societal status e.g. in the form of families buying noble genealogies, etc. To the same logic, ancestral rites became one way to represent a family's standing. The more abundant the offering on the table, the more abundant the family. This explains the scale of preparation that still happens for ancestral rites today.

Who conducts ancestral rites ceremonies/rituals and what happens?

Due to the conservative and largely patriarchal nature of the society during the Joseon Dynasty, ancestral rites rituals were another extension of those cultures and ideals. Men were in charge of leading the actual rites, whilst women (who had limited rights during this time) had to do all of the preparation.

In the trending K-Drama of the moment, "Queen of Tears", they show the reverse of this. All of the brother-in-laws who have married into the Queens Group family are in charge of the ancestral rites. They handle all of the food preparation and set-up, then the Queens Group relatives proceed with the ceremony.

In the drama, you can see the intensive nature of the preparations too in the scene where Kim SooHyun cries as he cooks.

This is unlike the typical conservative Korean tradition where women are mostly in charge of preparing for the ancestral rites. This includes all of the food preparation too, which can take anywhere from one to a few days depending on the family and the scale of the ceremony.

More about ancestral rites food

You might also have noticed that most ancestral rites tables look the same. This is because there are symbolic foods that are placed on the table in most households.

There is also a meaning to the positioning of the food/objects on the table. For instance, the main dishes (such as rice and soup) are placed in the center of the table as they symbolize sustenance. Things like meats and fish are arranged surrounding those. There is also a directional pattern, like some items having to face either the west or the south.

The placement of these foods is not the only aspect that gets paid extreme attention to. There is even a certain way that the items should be placed on the table to ensure the ultimate respect for their ancestors.

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Other foods/beverages/items commonly found on the ancestral rites table but not pictured above: kimchi, rice cakes, rice cake soup, tofu, soy sauce, cutlery (spoon and chopsticks), alcohol, incense, etc.

In some cases, if the deceased like a very particular dish or snack, then you might see that on the table, as well.

The ceremony itself

If the ancestral rites falls on a memorial day, the ceremony is usually held in the evening on the anniversary of the deceased's death.

Usually, a representative member of the family (e.g. the oldest male) leads the ceremony. This person is called the 'jeju' (yes, like the island - 제주 in Korean). The person who assists them is called the 'jipsa' ('집사' in Korean).

The jeju lights incense and alcohol is poured for the ancestors. The glass of alcohol is turned a couple of times over the incense. You might have seen this in "Queen of Tears" when Kwak DongYeon is scolded by Kim JungNan for turning the glass too quickly. This alcohol will be offered to the ancestor three times by different people, depending on the family.

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Family members then bow deeply to show respect before they offer the food on the table to their ancestors. Thereafter, the family will gather for a meal of the foods that were prepared. This links them to the ancestors through the symbolism of enjoying a meal together. If you'd like to read the extremely detailed steps of the ceremony, check them out here. (You can translate the page to English with the Google translation tool).

These are only some of the more basic steps to the ceremony. There are several symbolic steps in between which vary from family to family. Some families might do things differently depending on their respective customs. For instance, there might be differences like some families not allowing women to attend the ceremony at all or women bowing a certain number of times and men bowing a different number of times, etc. Whilst the basis of the tradition is the same - it can be quite complex in terms of different nuances.

How do Koreans feel about ancestral rites ceremonies/rituals?

Modern sentiment about ancestral rites

Whilst many believe that ancestral rites are an important part of Korean tradition. There is a growing sentiment among Koreans that the tradition is slightly outdated and needs to change to fit the modern context a bit better.

As a result of the grandiose food offerings at these ceremonies, a lot of labor goes into the process of preparing for ancestral rites - which modern day Koreans are trying to find a solution to as it can be quite time-consuming. Many feel that they don't have the time to invest and there are many other issues being raised about the tradition in general.

This also applies to feminist issues of gender inequality rooted in the tradition, as women are expected to do all of the preparation for the ceremonies in most households. This is why some viewers found "Queen of Tears" to be so refreshing, whilst others hoped for a reality that is somewhere in between the K-Drama and the current tradition.

The discontentment also comes from the economic implications of holding ancestral rites as Korea faces a high inflation crisis. Many argue that it is not financially feasible to hold ancestral rites on the same scale as before because simply preparing the food has become too expensive. By minimizing the scale of ancestral rites to fit more to the family's lifestyle, many Koreans feel that they can continue with the ceremonies without any complaints.

What do you think of the Korean ancestral rites culture?