Yunnori
traditional board game played in Korea
Yunnori (Korean: 윷놀이), also known as yutnori, yut, nyout and yoot, is a traditional board game played in Korea, especially during Korean New Year. The game is also called cheoksa (척사; 擲柶) or sahui (사희; 柶戲).
Origin
Yunnori finds its roots in Korea's Three Kingdom Period (57 BCE – 668 CE). While its exact origin remains uncertain, evidence of yunnori has been documented in various historical records spanning Korea, China, and Japan. A claim by Korean historian and activist Chae Ho-shin suggests its descent from the Korean Kingdom Gojoseon in 2333 BC, as mentioned in a book by Buddhist monk Ilyeon (Park et al., 2013). Petroglyphs bearing records of yunnori during the Joseon era were discovered in the mountains of the Korean Peninsula and Manchuria. Surprisingly, yut carvings were also found in a Buddhist temple and were most likely designated prayer sites.
Historians draw connections between yunnori and a Chinese chess game called chupu/jeopo from the 1400s to 1860s, highlighting similarities in their four-token systems. Notably, Goryeo-era documents illustrated yut boards and their 29 stations. Yunnori's presence is also depicted in traditional Korean paintings (minhwa).
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