Bon-ga is the Korean word for the ancestral family home many people return to during Chuseok.
The term bon-ga literally refers to a family’s original or principal home. During major holidays such as Chuseok, relatives may travel to this place for reunions, shared meals, and family observances.
The idea is especially meaningful in a society where households have become increasingly urban and geographically dispersed. A bon-ga may be a rural family home, a remembered hometown, or the place regarded as the family’s ancestral base.
Bon-ga is not the same as hanok, which means a traditional Korean house. A bon-ga can be located in a modern building; the word describes its family significance rather than a particular architectural style.