[Korea Quiz] (19) Odd facts about North Korea

Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related. -- Ed.  Find the answer at the bottom of the page. North Korea is one of the most unusual states in the world, led by a dictatorial regime that saw the power succession to a third generation a decade ago. But according to South Korea’s law, it is not even a real country. The Constitution of South Korea states that its territory is the Korean Peninsula and its islands, d

Sept. 7, 2022

[Land of Squid Game] Serving food more than once

  There will be plenty of instances where, despite ordering your own separate meal, you will be asked to share some part of your food with Korean friends. And, when it comes to sharing food, Koreans always offer to share more than once, as we believe that offering just once lacks consideration of others, or "jeong." So, be sure to always offer to share your food more than once and don't be shy about accepting an offer of food from others. By Min Byoung-chul Min Byoung-chul is

Sept. 7, 2022

Personality tests for finding love match?

The enduring popularity of Myers-Briggs personality tests among younger South Koreans is changing the way they date. Some people are using mobile applications to figure out which personality types, indicated by a jumble of four letters like ISFJ or ENTP, would be most or least compatible with them. Hwang Da-in, a 25-year-old college student in Seoul and an ISTJ herself, says her ideal match is an ISFJ, based on chats she had with virtual characters of different personality types on an app called

Sept. 6, 2022

[Land of Squid Game] Life prediction ceremony on the first birthday

An important Korean ceremony is the celebration of a baby‘s first birthday, known as doljanchi. The ceremony is held to bless the child with a prosperous and healthy life. The highlight of this ceremony is where a variety of objects are placed in front of the baby and the baby is encouraged to grab one or two items. Each of the items represents a different future for the child in terms of career or lifestyle. A brush, a gavel, or a stethoscope may mean that the baby will become a schol

Aug. 31, 2022

[Korea Quiz] (18) Religions in South Korea

Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related. -- Ed There is no state religion in South Korea and over half of Koreans profess no religion. But among those who are religious, the two largest groups are Christianity and Buddhism. According to a census conducted in 2015, 19.7 percent of the country’s population consider themselves Protestant Christians. Together with Roman Catholics, who make up another 7.9 percent of the pop

Aug. 31, 2022

[Land of Squid Game] Only smiling as greeting

When greeted by a foreigner, some Koreans may respond with just a smile. Westerners prefer to exchange verbal greetings. In noisy places, they may simply nod or wave. Therefore, Westerners may feel slighted by receiving only a smile in return. However, you may see some Koreans try to express themselves with gestures rather than verbal communication. By Min Byoung-chul Min Byoung-chul is an endowed chair professor at Chung-Ang University who is widely known as a multicultural educator and

Aug. 25, 2022

[Korea Quiz] (17) Animals in myth

Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related. -- Ed.  The Dangun myth tells the story of how the first Korean kingdom Gojoseon was founded in 2233 BC.  A long, long time ago, a heavenly prince named Hwanung descended on the Korean Peninsula to rule over humans. A tiger and a bear, envious of people living so happily and peacefully together under his rule, prayed and prayed with wishes to become human.  Hwanung, mo

Aug. 24, 2022

[Subway Stories] From 1988 Olympics to MJ’s first concert in Korea, Seoul Sports Complex has many stories to tell

Hours before the baseball game between the Doosan Bears and Kiwoom Heroes in Seoul on Thursday, the area around Sports Complex Station was bustling with colorfully dressed fans, merchants and even scalpers calling out to bystanders. The scene was in stark contrast to just a year before, when the Korea Baseball Organization sold only 50, 30, 10 or zero percent of the seats, depending on the COVID-19 pandemic situation at the time. Korean pro sports are back, and the jam-packed exits at the

Aug. 21, 2022

[Korea Quiz] (16) Mountains in Korea

Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related. -- Ed.    Mountain hiking is one of the most popular hobbies among Korean people, partly because mountains are accessible from anywhere in the country. 　 South Korea is home to thousands of mountains, known for their rugged slopes, leafy forests and scenic beauty. In fact, over 60 percent of Korea’s land is situated 700 meters above sea level, in other words, covered by m

Aug. 17, 2022

[Land of Squid Game] Helping others in need

There is a custom in Korea of helping others in return for their help, called “pumasi,” which is derived from the “jeong” aspect of Korean culture. Long ago, when one farmer had a difficult task to accomplish, such as building a new rice paddy, rather than facing the task by himself, his neighbors would come and help. They would work together to build the new rice paddy, with each neighbor knowing that the farmer would return the favor when they needed help. Eve

Aug. 16, 2022

[Korea Quiz] (15) Tales of Adm. Yi Sun-shin

Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related. -- Ed.  Answer: (b) Throughout its 5,000-year history, S. Korea has had no shortage of heroes. But only one claims the title of “Seong-woong,” roughly translated as “a sacred hero.” Adm. Yi Sun-shin (1545-1598) of the Joseon era is considered among history‘s greatest war heroes. Revered for his undefeated record, loyalty to the country and the

Aug. 10, 2022

[Land of Squid Game] No obligation for tipping

Tipping workers is rare in Korea and therefore, you‘re not obliged to provide a tip after you take a taxi or eat at a restaurant. You won’t, however, offend anyone by leaving a small token of appreciation for their exceptional service. Koreans traveling abroad might, however, forget to tip, but this is merely because they are not used to doing so in Korea. By Min Byoung-chul Min Byoung-chul is an endowed chair professor at Chung-Ang University who is widely known as a multi

Aug. 9, 2022

[Subway Stories] Sinchon, a playground for K-pop lovers

    The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories, a Korea Herald series exploring subway stations and their surrounding areas across the city. – Ed.  On a recent Wednesday, a square near exit No. 2 of Sinchon Station was packed with people, predominantly young and female.  The crowds were for Enhypen, a rookie boy band from Hybe, the K-pop powerhouse behind BTS, who was holding a fan meet-and-greet event there.  While the septet said hello to fans one b

Aug. 7, 2022

[Korea Quiz (14)] life expectancy

Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related. -- Ed.  Girls born in Korea in 2020 are expected to live 86.5 years, six years longer than boys. The latest available data puts the average life expectancy at 83.5 years for both sexes in Korea, second only after Japan among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Japan’s figure is 84.7 years, while the OECD average stands at 80.5 years. Despite

Aug. 3, 2022

[Land of Squid Game] Eating seaweed soup on birthdays

If you are a K-drama maniac, you might be wondering why Koreans eat seaweed soup on their birthdays. Most cultures have cakes or some other special dish (usually a pastry). But in Korea, it’s seaweed soup. Seaweed is traditionally served to women during postnatal care. The seaweed is a great source of iodine and iron, and its detoxifying characteristics make it an ideal food for postnatal recovery. So, Koreans eat seaweed soup on their birthdays to pay respect to their mothers. 

Aug. 1, 2022

[Subway Stories] Love and hate for Seoul’s largest meat market in Majang Station

The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories — a newly launched Korea Herald series exploring subway stations and their surrounding areas across the city. – Ed. It’s 10 minutes’ walk from the station, but your nose already knows: The air smells like a meat market. Majang Station on Seoul Subway Line No. 5 is known for its market, where nearly 60 percent of all meat and meat by-products distributed in Seoul are handled. For locals, this is also the place to go to g

Aug. 1, 2022

[Korea Quiz] (13) Not all “개” can bark

Answer: (a) “개 (gae)” might be one of the most versatile words in the Korean language. The most common meaning of the word is a dog, but it can also be used to mean all the other options listed above. In recent years, however, teenagers have used the word more often and in a far broader context as an amplifier to increase the intensity of something both positive and negative. It works like “very” or “so.” But unlike the other four meanings that can be f

July 27, 2022

[Land of Squid Game] Buildings missing the fourth floor

What meanings do you place on numbers? You‘re probably familiar with the most famous ’lucky seven.‘ Or the famously-avoided number 13. In Korea, the same is done with the number four. The Korean word for four is pronounced ’sa,‘ which has the same pronunciation as the Korean word for ’death.‘ Though it’s less prevalent nowadays, Korean buildings, especially some old ones, still do not have a fourth floor. By Min Byoung-chul  Min Byoun

July 25, 2022

[Korea Quiz] (12) ‘Insider’ gets a new meaning in Korea

Answer: (a) “Inssa” refers to those who are very social and active throughout all manners of social activities, whether it be making friends or taking initiatives at work, school or in whatever group they may be part of. It is derived from the English word insider. Its antonym is “assa,” from outsider, and it refers to a person who is not accepted as a member of a particular group and feels isolated or different from those who are accepted. Coined by young people

July 20, 2022

[Subway Stories] Tidbits and tales behind jaw-dropping growth of Seoul subway

Seoul currently boasts one of the longest metro systems in the world, exceeded in length by only seven regions including Shanghai, London, Moscow and New York. What started out as a single line system in 1974 has expanded exponentially to nearly 300 kilometers connecting some 300 stations scattered across 11 lines, not counting the nine additional routes like the Suin-Budang Line that connects the capital with its satellite cities. Now, those 11 subway lines carry 7.2 million pasengers every

July 18, 2022