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If you watched Kingdom and noticed the huge black gat, there is another detail hiding underneath it.
The hair.
Joseon men did not usually wear their hair short like modern men.
Instead, adult men often gathered their long hair on top of the head and tied it into a traditional topknot called:
상투 — sangtu.
At first glance, it may look like a historical version of a modern man bun.
But the sangtu carried much more meaning than that.
It could signal:
adulthood
social respect
proper appearance
and even a man's place within Joseon society.
What Is Sangtu?
Sangtu (상투) is a traditional Korean topknot made by gathering long hair and tying it on top of the head.
Our History Net explains that the sangtu was formed by pulling the hair upward, twisting it, and tying it at the crown. It was strongly connected with adult male identity in Joseon Korea.
So when you see a Joseon man remove his hat in a historical K-drama, that small knot of hair is not random.
It is:
상투 — sangtu.
Why Didn't Joseon Men Cut Their Hair?
This is the cultural background that makes the sangtu really interesting.
Joseon society was deeply influenced by Confucian ideas.
A famous line from the Classic of Filial Piety says:
신체발부 수지부모
Sinche balbu suji bumo.
In simple terms:
Your body, hair, and skin are received from your parents.
The idea was that deliberately damaging what you received from your parents could be seen as disrespectful.
Our History Net explains that in Joseon Korea, cutting the hair itself could be regarded as an act of unfilial behavior.
So long hair was not simply a fashion choice.
It was connected to:
filial piety
Confucian values
and proper behavior.
Did Joseon Men Never Cut Any Hair?
Not quite.
This is where history becomes more interesting than a simple rule.
Even though hair was culturally important, men still cared about how the sangtu looked.
Our History Net records that fashionable men in Hanyang sometimes shaved part of the hair around the crown to keep the sangtu small and neat. This practice was called baekgochinda, and an ideal sangtu was sometimes described as being about the size of an egg.
So:
“Joseon men never touched their hair”
would be too simple.
The cultural rule emphasized preserving the body received from one's parents, but real grooming practices could still involve trimming or shaving for appearance.
That's a good reminder that historical ideals and everyday life were not always identical.
Sangtu Meant Adulthood
A sangtu was also a social signal.
It could show that a man had entered adult life.
Our History Net explains that men who had completed coming-of-age rituals or marriage were recognized as adults, and the sangtu functioned as a symbol of that adult status. Men who had not tied a sangtu could be treated as socially younger, regardless of their actual age.
That means a hairstyle could affect how other people treated you.
Not just:
“He wears his hair this way.”
But:
“He is now recognized as an adult man.”
That is a much bigger cultural meaning.
Was Sangtu Connected to Marriage?
Yes, often.
Marriage and adulthood were closely connected in traditional Joseon society.
A man who married could tie his hair into a sangtu as part of entering adult male status.
That is why historical descriptions often connect sangtu with:
marriage
coming-of-age
and social adulthood.
But don't reduce it to:
Sangtu = married man.
The deeper meaning is:
Sangtu was a marker of adult male identity within Joseon social customs.
How Was a Sangtu Made?
Imagine having long hair every day.
You can't simply put a gat on top of loose hair.
The hair had to be prepared carefully.
The basic process was:
long hair
↓
comb and arrange
↓
gather upward
↓
twist and tie into a sangtu
↓
secure and tidy
Then other items were added.
Did Joseon Men Use Combs?
Yes.
And this is where we have very direct evidence.
The Encyclopedia of Korean Culture lists several traditional types of combs, including:
얼레빗 — eollebit
참빗 — chambit
면빗 — myeonbit
and specifically:
상투빗 — sangtubit
The entry defines 상투빗 as a small comb used to arrange the hair when making a sangtu.
So long-haired Joseon men were not simply tying up uncombed hair.
Hair grooming was part of getting properly dressed.
Sangtu, Manggeon, and Gat
Now the previous Gat lesson makes much more sense.
These three belonged together.
상투 — Sangtu
The long hair was gathered and tied on top of the head.
망건 — Manggeon
A mesh headband helped keep stray hair neatly in place.
Our History Net describes men first arranging the hair and tying the sangtu, then using a saljjeokmiri tool to tuck loose hair under the manggeon.
갓 — Gat
The outer traditional hat completed the formal look.
So the sequence is easy to remember:
Sangtu → Manggeon → Gat
Or visually:
hair → headband → hat
That is why the gat makes much more sense once you understand the hairstyle underneath it.
What Is a Donggot?
Another object used with the sangtu was:
동곳 — donggot.
A donggot was inserted into the sangtu to help keep it secure.
Historical sources show that donggot could be made from materials such as:
jade,
copper,
gold-plated metal,
silver,
amber,
and other materials.
For wealthier men, even this small object could become decorative.
So the sangtu was not just hair.
It could involve an entire set of grooming and dress accessories.
What Is Saljjeokmiri?
Here's another tiny object K-drama fans rarely notice.
살쩍밀이 — saljjeokmiri
was a thin tool used to push stray hair near the ears underneath the manggeon.
Our History Net specifically describes it as part of the process of tidying loose hair before tightening the manggeon.
That means the polished Joseon gentleman look required more work than:
tie hair → put on hat.
There was a real grooming routine behind it.
Sangtu vs. Modern Man Bun
To modern viewers, the closest visual comparison may be:
man bun.
Both involve:
long hair
gathered up
and tied on top or toward the back of the head.
But they are not culturally the same.
Modern Man Bun
Mostly a hairstyle or fashion choice.
Sangtu
A traditional Korean hairstyle connected to:
adult male status,
Confucian social customs,
formal appearance,
and traditional headwear.
So a sangtu is not simply:
“the Korean version of a man bun.”
The shapes may remind us of each other.
The cultural meanings are very different.
From Sangtu to Modern Hair Care
Joseon grooming tools and modern grooming products are obviously not the same.
But one basic problem has not changed:
long hair has to be managed before it can be arranged neatly.
Traditional Korea had specialized tools, including the sangtubit, specifically for arranging hair before making the topknot.
For a simple modern comparison, a bamboo comb set can show the basic act of detangling and arranging longer hair before putting it into an updo.
The product below is a modern bamboo comb set.
It is not a traditional Korean sangtubit, chambit, or Joseon reproduction.
Explore a Modern Bamboo Comb Set on Amazon →[Mordern Bamboo Comb set LINK]
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Why Was a Neat Sangtu Important?
Joseon culture placed great importance on proper appearance.
Our History Net describes how clothing and headwear could reflect:
etiquette,
status,
and personal dignity.
Even sangtu size could become part of men's fashion.
So when a historical drama shows a carefully dressed scholar preparing his hair before leaving the house, it isn't necessarily filler.
That preparation belongs to the cultural idea of appearing:
proper
respectable
and socially appropriate.
Sangtu and Seonbi
This also connects with another word we've learned:
선비 — seonbi.
The seonbi ideal emphasized:
learning,
self-discipline,
integrity,
and proper conduct.
Appearance did not define a seonbi.
But proper dress and grooming fit naturally into a culture that valued disciplined behavior.
That is why the classic image of a Joseon scholar often includes:
neatly arranged hair
manggeon
gat
and formal clothing.
What Happened to Sangtu Culture?
By the late 19th century, Korean society was undergoing enormous political and cultural change.
One particularly famous conflict involved:
단발령 — Danballyeong
the Haircutting Ordinance.
Cutting men's topknots became symbolically explosive precisely because hair was not regarded as meaningless.
It touched:
Confucian ideas,
family duty,
identity,
custom,
and modern reform
all at once.
So when modern viewers ask:
“Why was cutting hair such a big deal?”
the answer begins with understanding the cultural importance of:
상투.
Related Korean Words
상투 — Sangtu
Traditional Korean topknot associated with adult men.
상투빗 — Sangtubit
A small comb used to arrange the hair when making a sangtu.
망건 — Manggeon
Traditional mesh headband used to keep the hair neatly arranged.
동곳 — Donggot
A pin used to help secure the sangtu.
살쩍밀이 — Saljjeokmiri
A thin grooming tool used to tuck stray hair under the manggeon.
갓 — Gat
Traditional Korean hat worn over prepared headwear.
단발령 — Danballyeong
The late Joseon haircutting ordinance associated with modernization reforms.
효 — Hyo
Filial piety.
Quick Korean Tip 🇰🇷
Next time you watch Kingdom or another Joseon K-drama, wait until a male character removes his gat.
Then look carefully.
Can you spot:
상투 — sangtu?
What is around his forehead?
That may be:
망건 — manggeon.
And if you remember our previous lesson:
갓 — gat
goes over the whole arrangement.
You've now turned one K-drama costume into three Korean cultural words.
FAQ
What is a sangtu?
Sangtu (상투) is a traditional Korean topknot made by gathering long hair and tying it on top of the head, especially associated with adult men in Joseon Korea.
Why did Joseon men keep their hair long?
Confucian ideas taught that the body, hair, and skin were received from one's parents, so cutting the hair could be regarded as disrespectful or unfilial.
Did Joseon men use combs?
Yes. Traditional Korean combs included a specific sangtubit (상투빗) used to arrange the hair when making a sangtu.
Is sangtu the same as a man bun?
No. They look somewhat similar, but a modern man bun is mainly a hairstyle, while sangtu had historical social and cultural meanings connected to adulthood and traditional Korean dress.
What did men wear over a sangtu?
Men could wear a manggeon to keep the hair neat, followed by traditional headwear such as a gat.
What is a donggot?
A donggot (동곳) is a pin inserted into the sangtu to help secure it.
Was every man with a sangtu married?
Marriage was closely connected to adult status and the practice of tying a sangtu, but it is more accurate to understand the hairstyle broadly as a marker of adult male identity in traditional society.
Why was cutting off the sangtu controversial?
Because hair had strong connections to Confucian filial piety, adult identity, and traditional social customs. Cutting it could therefore symbolize much more than simply changing a hairstyle.
Look Under the Gat
The next time you watch a Joseon drama, don't stop at the hat.
Look underneath it.
The gat tells one story.
The manggeon tells another.
And beneath both is:
상투 — sangtu.
A hairstyle that tells us about:
long hair,
filial piety,
adulthood,
grooming,
and the social world of Joseon men.
If you haven't read it yet:
👉 What Is a Gat? The Korean Hat Everyone Noticed in Netflix's Kingdom
And visit the Learn Korean Hub for more Korean language and culture hidden inside the K-content you already love.
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