Seol Preparation

In the yard surrounding the main house of the Lees of Yean, three generations of the family, including daughter-in-law, Lee Hyo-suk (31, second from right); mother-in-law, Choi Hwang-gyu (65, left); and granddaughter, Lee Rae-gyeong (5), are having a pleasant chat as they polish brassware, used in a traditional ceremony, with straw at Woiam Folk Village, Asan City, South Chungcheong Province, on February 15, 2007; three days ahead of Seol – New Year’s Day on the lunar calendar. To the right of the daughter-in-law is a close friend of Lee’s who came to lend a hand. The house, in which the Lees of Yean have lived for 13 generations, is a tile-roofed wooden residence built during the late Joseon Dynasty that has been designated as Important Folklore Material.

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