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Traditional mud hut connects adopted Korean children to their culture

By Emily Fox, WKAR News

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkar/local-wkar-914200.mp3

OKEMOS, MI – In the backyard of an Okemos home is the beginning of a 16th century style Korean mud house. The Korean owners will open up the house for adopted Korean children to help them connect with their cultural heritage.

AUDIO: About a dozen volunteers helped build the house with Sang Won and Mesung Lee of Okemos. For the past 19 years the Lees have headed up two week-long camps for adopted Korean children.

Janet Monroe's children attended the camps during the summer. She says the camps helped her children, especially her son, develop a sense of identity as a Korean American.

"There's a whole group of kids who had so much in common with him," Monroe says. "It just kind of solidified part of his identity. It brought together two aspects of his personality. Obviously he is American but it also brought the Korean part of him more into focus."

The 200 square foot hut is created from a 5,000 year old design. Sang Won Lee said it's made almost entirely from natural materials like bricks, charcoal, stone, wood and mud. Most of the mud was taken directly from the Lee's backyard.

"My whole house intended to using all natural. . . not any chemical, anything," says Lee.

The hut is also energy efficient. The natural materials keep it cool in the summer. In the winter, it's heated by a traditional Korean design called ondol. With the ondol, three to five logs burning in a furnace under the hut's floor can keep it warm for 24 hours.

The Lees host around 80 children for their Korean culture camps. Mesung Lee said it's important for Korean kids to learn about Korean culture. The hut will help put students in touch with their roots.

"We are going to open this one for the Korean culture camp, children and parents, twice a year so they can learn and feel, sleep and hear and somehow sense that they are back home," Lee says.

Mrs. Lee also wants to use the hut to teach campers how to play the gayageum, a traditional Korean instrument. They also learn the proper etiquette for a tea ceremony.

When the Lee's are not hosting campers, Mr. Lee says he hopes to use the hut so he and his wife can connect with the Korean life they left over 30 years ago.

"This area is perfect for some playing, one lady sitting playing the gayageum," he says. "Some friend sitting here and drink the tea, that is the perfect idea."

The Lee's host their culture camp every summer and winter for youth between the ages of five and 18.

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