Chobok (初伏), First Dog Day 

"Chobok" (初伏), which literally means "first dog day," is one of the three hottest summer days along with "Jungbok" and "Malbok." It is the third Gyeong Day (庚日) after "Haji," the summer solstice. The fourth Gyeong Day (庚日) after the summer solstice is "Jungbok (中伏)," and the first Gyeong Day after Ipchu is "Malbok (末伏)," and all three hot days are collectively referred to as either the "Sambok" (三伏) or the "Samgyeongil" (三庚日). Since Bok days arrive at intervals of ten days, there are twenty days between "Chobok" and "Malbok". "Sambok" in just 20 days is said "Maebok (每伏)." But, since "Malbok" comes after "Ipchu," so between "Jungbok" and "Malbok" add up 20 days, it is said "Wolbok (越伏)," meaning it "skipped a month." When dated according to the solar calendar, rather than the lunar calendar, the "Sambok," or three hottest days, take place between "Soseo" (around July 8 of the solar calendar) and "Cheoseo" (around August 23 of the solar calendar).

물놀이하는 서산의 아이들

Enjoying Cool Water in Seosan City, Chungcheongnam-do

According to an ancient belief, on Bok days the yin energy "lies flat" due to pressure from the yang energy. The Chinese character "bok" (伏), which takes the shape of a man lying down like a dog, connotes that the descending "metal" (金) energy of the autumn cannot withstand, and ultimately succumbs to, the still intense heat of summer. In other words, summer’s hot energy dominates autumn’s cool energy. In terms of the Five Elements, summer belongs to "fire" (火) and autumn to "metal" (金), so to deliver the meaning, "The metal energy of autumn succumbs three times to the fire energy of summer," the three Bok days use the character (伏).

삼계탕을 먹고 있는 서울 사람들과 청송의 삼계탕

Eating Samgyetang in Seoul	Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup) in 2009 in Cheongsong County, Gyeongsangbuk-do

On the Bok days, people customarily enjoyed eating dog soup, called "Gaejangguk," and ginseng chicken soup, or "Samgyetang." Come Bok, people would go up to a secluded mountain, butcher a dog and eat boiled dog soup near a stream. This custom was called "Bokdarim" or "Boknori." In Hamgyeong-do region, butchering a dog was called "Gaenoreum." In addition, people ate red bean congee, Korean melons and watermelons believing that doing so would prevent heat stroke and disease. Yu Man-gong (柳晩恭), a government official of the Joseon dynasty, depicted the scene of Bok customs as follows: "On a tray full of melons is ice as clear as quartz - its cool energy dominates the Three Bok Days. There’s no sign of goats or lambs in the butcher’s shops; in every house only innocently jumping dogs are boiled and eaten."