kimchi confusion: those clay jars

I'm a little confused on the application differences between the big clay kimchi jars i see at Joong Boo and Super H Mart and the classic kimchi refrigerator.

I sort-of get that the fridges are used to store kimchi at home, but ... what would one do with a clay jar here in the chicagolands ? Use as a fermenter? For instance, yesterday the nice lady at Super H Mart in N*perville was making Poki Kimchi and so i got a couple bags worth. Would it benefit from sitting in my back yard for a couple days in a clay dock?

More generally, i'd also be interested in a good reference to korean cooking. I love korean food, but i'm a little mystified by some of the details...

thanks,
.max

I've never made my own kimchi. I like the stuff quite a bit, but never would go through the quantities that would justify making it.
However, a good friend of my brother's is Korean and his mother would bury the pots in the yard. I don't know the duration, but it would keep it much cooler than just sitting on your porch.