As the Solar Terms Return, the Present Begins to Be Interpreted

Webzine Damdam of the Korean Studies Advancement Center
Examines Turning Points in Tradition, Media, and Narrative through the 24 Solar Terms

Traditional time does not remain in the past. Rather, it is the oldest language for interpreting the present.

The January 2026 issue of the Story Theme Park webzine 'Damdam', published by the Korean Studies Advancement Center (President: Jeong Jongseop), explores the theme of "The Grand Timetable, the Solar Terms," offering a new interpretation of contemporary society, culture, and the media industry through the lens of the 24 solar terms.

"Gujang Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido" (Donation from the Gyesi Branch of the Yeongyang Nam Clan, Mulsowa Old House)

This New Year's issue is notable for expanding the concept of the solar terms from a simple calendar system or seasonal custom to a "framework for perceiving time" that has shaped human life, state governance, and industrial change. As the order of tradition meets the language of the present, the solar terms are once again invoked as a tool for contemporary reflection.

◆ Time That Moved the Nation, Standards That Shaped Lives

Kim Haein, research professor at the Academy of Korean Studies, explains in "Dividing the Segments of Time" that the principle of the lunisolar calendar, which harmonizes the movements of the sun and the moon, made the 24 solar terms a standard for regulating both daily life and governance.

Institutional practices such as the prohibition of executions during certain solar terms in the Joseon Dynasty, or the court rituals of offering red bean porridge at Jongmyo and receiving greetings from officials on Dongji (Winter Solstice, regarded as a "Little New Year"), demonstrate how the solar terms were directly linked to the state system.

The article also delves into the calendrical principle of determining zodiac signs based on Ipchun (the Beginning of Spring), and the exorcism rituals associated with red bean porridge on Dongji, tracing the roots of seasonal customs that have continued to this day within the context of food culture history.

◆ Another Timetable for Understanding the Media Industry

Kim Nakyoung, adjunct professor in the Department of Media, Film, and Advertising at Hyupsung University, applies the cyclical logic of the 24 solar terms to the modern media ecosystem.

The explosive growth of short-form video content is likened to the heat of Haji (Summer Solstice), while the resurgence of OTT narratives is compared to the coolness of Baengno and Hanro (White Dew and Cold Dew). The phase in which generative AI technology, after unchecked expansion, enters a period of adjustment is interpreted as the frost of Sanggyeong (Frost's Descent).

The current media market is diagnosed as being in the "Dongji (Winter Solstice)" period, preparing for a new cycle. This suggests that technology and storytelling are at a turning point, ready to be realigned.

◆ Sensing the Solar Terms through Webtoons, Criticism, and Fiction

This issue goes beyond academic discussion, expanding the sensibility of the solar terms through webtoons, art criticism, and serialized fiction. Eun-Kyung Seo's webtoon "Doksaengsaeng Jeon" captures moments when the solar terms operate with humor and satire in the daily lives of teachers and children.

Performance critic Sujin Lee's "Dream of a Perfect Year" reflects on the human face of politics, highlighting the conflict between justification and survival amid the harsh winter of the Byeongjahoran (Manchu Invasion of 1636) as depicted in the film "The Fortress."

Writer Moon-Young Lee's "The Day Mangheochon Froze" symbolically illustrates the succession of life force through the confrontation between General Winter and the monster Youngno during the severe cold between Sohan and Daehan (Minor and Major Cold), embodying the cyclical nature of the solar terms.

The January 2026 issue of the webzine 'Damdam' can be found on the Story Theme Park website of the Korean Studies Advancement Center.

The solar terms were not merely records of past seasons, but questions posed once again to the present.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.