Calculation of Carbon Stocks on Korean Traditional House (Hanoks) in Korea

This study analyzes the contribution of hanok that construction in reducing green-house gas (GHG) emissions in Korea by calculating the carbon storage of hanoks and compar-ing it to different housing types in Korea. The hanok is a traditional Korean house. And it were first designed and built in the 14th century during thd Joseon Dynasty. According to our results, the number of hanoks in 2016 was approximately 547,085 which was accounting for 7.8% of the total construction market, This study found Gyeongbuk with 95,083, Jeonnam with 88,981, Gyeongnam with 76,388 and Seoul with 43,519 hanoks. According to the GHG Inventory Report for 2016, Korea’s total annual GHG emissions amounted to 650 million tCO2, with the carbon stocks in hanoks amounting to 19.2 million tCO2. This accounts for 2.8% of Korea’s total GHG emissions and 46.1% of the carbon absorbed by forests. Our results show that hanoks store four times more carbon than light-frame-wood-houses, and 15 times more carbon than concrete-reinforced and steel-frame houses. The main factors causing the han-ok industry slowdown are the high construction costs, lack of government support, and in-sufficient knowledge of hanok architecture. Therefore, to further increase the carbon stock of hanok, more research is needed to improve the technical use of wood and reduce construction of the hanok and prepare legal and institutional arrangements related to hanok industry.