Korean homes stay warm from the ground up. Instead of heating air, floors are heated, keeping feet and bodies comfortable during long winters. People sit, eat, and even sleep on the floor, so warmth from below feels natural. This system is quiet, evenly heats rooms, and avoids dry air.
Ondol dates back over 2,000 years and originally reused heat from cooking fires. Even modern apartments highlight floor heating as a major feature. Visitors often say they sleep better in Korea—and ondol is usually the reason.
Korean Vocabulary
- 온돌 (ondol) – heated floor system
- 바닥 (badak) – floor
- 난방 (nanbang) – heating
- 겨울 (gyeoul) – winter
- 맨발 (maenbal) – barefoot
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