Korean minhga refers to practical folk paintings created by ordinary people in Korea. These artworks were used for functional purposes such as in rituals for weddings or 60th birthday celebrations, as well as for decoration, protection against evil spirits, and bringing good fortune. They were often mounted as folding screens or hanging scrolls, or pasted directly onto walls.
The term minhga (folk painting) was popularized by the Japanese folk art movement pioneer Yanagi Sōetsu. He initially used the term to describe Japanese folk paintings like Ōtsu-e. Thanks to Yanagi, Korean folk paintings—previously overlooked as subjects of academic or artistic interest—began to attract attention and became the focus of collecting and scholarly study.
Although there are many types of minhga, they can be broadly classified into four categories: Daoist, Buddhist, Confucian, and decorative. One of the most iconic subjects in Korean minhga is the tiger. Paintings often depict tigers with magpies (jakho-do), or mountain spirits accompanied by tigers (Yamagami-zu).
Jangsaeng-do (Longevity Paintings) are also common and typically include symbols of long life such as cranes, turtles, deer, pine trees, and bamboo. Other motifs include directional deities like the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise; zodiac animals; dragons, phoenixes, and qilin.
Landscapes, animals, and plants are also frequent subjects. Among the more unique forms are munja-do, which depict Chinese characters as pictorial compositions, and chaekgeori (bookshelf paintings), which show books and scholarly objects arranged on shelves.