#kirogi

[brooklynmuseum]

During marriage celebrations in Joseon Korea, it was customary for the groom to present a pair of geese— a symbol of marital harmony— to the parents of the bride. The practice grew out of the belief that wild geese mate for life. Gradually, wooden ducks came to replace live animals.

Posted by Rebekah Pollock Wedding Goose (Kirogi), 19th century. Wood with traces of ink, 9 3/4 x 5 1/4 x 13 3/4 in. (24.8 x 13.3 x 35 cm). Brooklyn Museum

[lavalkim]

The sad goose father

Sometimes I feel so amazed and most of the times puzzled for the things I hear and see in KOREA.…

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[koreastandardtime]

S. Korea's kirogi families: separation for the sake of education

The Associated Press reports on the strains experienced by South Korean "kirogi" (wild geese) families -- those who send their children abroad, usually to the United States, to get a better education. It isn't clear why AP is running a story on this subject now -- it's an old trend that's been chronicled by many other media outlets in the past, including the Washington Post, the Dallas Morning News and the Korea Times. In fact, AP cites statistics that suggest it's a fading trend, noting that the number of pre-college-age South Korean kids attending overseas schools while separated from their parents plunged to 18,000 in 2009 (the most recent year for which data is available) from a peak of 30,000 in 2006. What accounts for this steep drop? The story doesn't say.