Most Popular
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Criminals who drugged teens' drinks with meth sentenced to up to 18 years
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Rival parties unite to form 4-way body to break med school standoff
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Korea to certify safety of EV battery from October
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Wartime sexual slavery victims file for Japanese govt. asset disclosure
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S. Korea logs current account surplus for 3rd month in July
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Producer Teddy's girl group Meovv debuts, showcasing dual feline charms
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Farewell summit: Yoon, Kishida pledge to keep momentum in revitalizing ties
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Man to pay W727m for opening plane door before landing
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Two Korean women arrested for stealing tourist's bag in Turkey
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Frieze Seoul sees slower sales, yet confirms stronger art scene in Seoul
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[Korea Quiz] (7) “Ani” doesn’t always mean no
Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related. Answer: 아니 아직 Ani, I have not. “Ani,” which usually means “no” in Korean, may be one of the most versatile expressions in the Korean language. The most common usage of “ani” is as an exclamation you say in order to disagree. You can say “ani” as the response to a question or to correct a statement someone said to you. But bear
June 15, 2022
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[Land of Squid Game] Calling significant other ‘brother’
People often use pet names for their significant others, but “brother” or “sister” is usually off the table. In Korea, many young women will call the person they are in a relationship with “oppa” -- the same word that Korean people use for “older brother.“ It may sound strange to foreigners, especially if you are watching a TV drama, but for Koreans, it merely means that they are referring to their partner as someone older or wiser than them. It
June 13, 2022
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[What should I call you?] Why ‘Mr. Strange’ is a no-go in Korean language
Honorific titles can be tricky in many cultures, but can be particularly baffling in South Korea -- where various factors like social status, age, work experience and even social prejudice can be factored in. This is part one of a series on the myriad ways people address each other in the Korean language. -- Ed. In a scene played for laughs in the 2016 movie “Doctor Strange,” the titular protagonist keeps correcting those referring to him as “Mr. Strange” by saying, &ld
June 13, 2022
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[Subway Stories] Melting pot of culture, shopping and tourism in Dongdaemun
The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories -- a Korea Herald series exploring subway stations and their surrounding areas across the city. – Ed Step out of Exit No. 12 at Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station on the Seoul subway and turn left at the second corner, and you will yourself surrounded by the Cyrillic alphabet. The area is commonly known as the Gwanghui-dong Central Asia Street, with scores of shops run by Russians, Uzbeks and Mongolians. The street is one of the
June 12, 2022
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[Land of Squid Game] Being 1-year-old when born
Did you know that a South Korean baby born on New Year’s Eve is already 2 years old when the clock strikes 12? Yes, believe it or not, how Koreans calculate their age might leave you startled if you have never heard this before. In South Korea, a newborn baby is already 1 year old on the day of their birth and then gets an additional year when the calendar hits the new year. This is because in Korea, age is calculated from the day of conception. Boom! That means you become a year or t
June 8, 2022
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[Korea Quiz] (6) Noble bloodlines...of everyone, apparently
Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related. Answer: c Like in other countries, there are family names in Korea that can be traced back to royal lineages or aristocrats, known as “yangban,” during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). For example, a person with the last name Kim originating from Gimhae is part of the Gimhae Kim clan. This person can theoretically be descended from the bloodline of the ancient Geumgwan Gaya
June 8, 2022
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[Video] Jongno or Jongro?: Why there are multiple ways to pronounce some Korean names
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s name can be pronounced in more than one way. Some pronounce his name in Korea as “Yoon Seo-kyol” while others call him “Yoon Sung-nyeol.” Neither is technically incorrect, according to the National Institute of Korean Language. But his name is not alone in having more than one pronunciation. Olympic gold medalist Kim Yuna also can be pronounced as both “Kim Nyeo-na” and “Ki Myeo-na.” Take Jongno 3-ga
June 7, 2022
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Korea Quiz (5) Road trip to North Korea?
Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related. Answer: ⓑ South Koreans can travel to far-flung, exotic destinations if they want, but there is one place that remains off limits -- North Korea. The irony of this is that the two countries are just 195 kilometers apart, from capital to capital. By road, it would be around a three-hour drive. To put this in context, the distance between Seoul
June 1, 2022
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[Land of Squid Game] Not writing anyone’s name in red
When I first entered my hotel room in Frankfurt, Germany many years ago, I was shocked to see my name written in red. Although this was the welcoming message from the hotel, I immediately called management to have the color of my name changed. In Korea, names are written in red only after one is deceased. Foreigners have no problem with names written in a variety of colors, but when in Korea, never use a red pen to write someone’s name. By Min Byoung-chul Min Byoung-chul is an end
May 30, 2022
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Guys, get a fancy car to sign up for Korean dating apps
If you’re a single man and looking for love and marriage through dating apps in Korea, you’d better have at least one of these: A diploma from a high-ranking university, a high-paying job, a sizable net worth, or at least a luxury car. These are the requirements for men to be qualified for a matchmaking service at the Gold Spoon app, which has more than 470,000 members. “We thoroughly evaluate male candidates’ financial ability by looking into their employment contra
May 30, 2022
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Korea Quiz (4) English education in Korea
Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related. Answer: b English is a compulsory subject in Korean school, taught from the third year of elementary school (age 6-7) all the way to the final year of high school (age 17-18). This means that Koreans would have learnt the language for a total of 10 years by the time they finish high school. Ninety-eight percent of Koreans complete high school. Together with Korean and mathe
May 25, 2022
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[Land of Squid Game] Kkakdugi culture
When children get together to play, it is inevitable that there is one child who is the least skilled or younger than the rest -- especially if a younger sibling has followed their brother or sister out to play. Typically, these children are picked last to play on a team, or they could be left out altogether if there are an odd number of players for a game that calls for equal numbers. Korean children have developed a way to include those who could be left out when picks have been made. The
May 23, 2022
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Quirks of Korean dating explained (6) Negative views of unmarried cohabitation
They say love is universal, but when it comes to dating culture, Korea has a different love language, according to five international couples that The Korea Herald interviewed. From love ‘confessions’ to matching outfits, here are some dating norms that set Korea apart. –- Ed. In some Western countries, moving in together is considered an important step for a couple trying to take their relationship to the next level. But in Korea, an unmarried couple living together is tab
May 23, 2022
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[Subway Stories] Royal tombs along subway lines
The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories, a Korea Herald series exploring the city’s subway stations and surrounding areas. -- Ed. On a subway map of Seoul, some stations have names that end in the same Korean letter, romanized as “reung,” or “neung.” Signifying the burial mounds of kings and queens, the stations are where the royal mausoleums from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) lie, a reminder of Seoul’s long history as the capital city.
May 23, 2022
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Quirks of Korean dating explained (5) Always connected
They say love is universal, but when it comes to dating culture, Korea has a different love language, according to five international couples that The Korea Herald interviewed. From love ‘confessions’ to matching outfits, here are some dating norms that set Korea apart. – Ed. Whether through phone calls or text messaging, Koreans like to stay connected with their loved ones throughout the day, asking each other where they are, what they’re doing and what they&rs
May 20, 2022
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Quirks of Korean dating explained (4) Jealous of opposite-sex friends
They say love is universal, but when it comes to dating culture, Korea has a different love language, according to five international couples that The Korea Herald interviewed. From love ‘confessions’ to matching outfits, here are some dating norms that set Korea apart. – Ed. Jealous of opposite-sex friends Some Koreans are particularly sensitive to their partner‘s opposite-sex friends, believing that men and women cannot be true friends and sexual attraction is bound
May 19, 2022
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Quirks of Korean dating explained (3) Crazy for love milestones
They say love is universal, but when it comes to dating culture, Korea has a different love language, according to five international couples that The Korea Herald interviewed. From love ‘confessions’ to matching outfits, here are some dating norms that set Korea apart. – Ed. Crazy for love milestones On KakaoTalk, the almost-ubiquitous messaging app for Koreans, it is not difficult to find users who display the number of days they have been together with someone on
May 18, 2022
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Korea Quiz (3) Spoon theory
Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related. Answer: b Spoon theory is a euphemism used to describe a person’s family background, usually related to financial situation and social influence, by comparing it to spoons made of different materials. The phrase is derived from the English expression “born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth,” and the most common use is referring to a person of a wealthy
May 18, 2022
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My homework is your work: Students seeking shortcut
* From waking up a dozing student to tidying up graves, online advertisements with unusual but real job descriptions offer a peek into the Korean society. The Korea Herald looks at some of these unusual ads. The following is the third installment. –- Ed. A job ad that still exists on the hyperlocal community app Karrot Market is from a person searching for someone to do his or her homework assignment about “algorithm in computer engineering.” “I think I’ll be ask
May 18, 2022
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Quirks of Korean dating explained (2) Twinning outfits
They say love is universal, but when it comes to dating culture, Korea has a different love language, according to five international couples that The Korea Herald interviewed. From love ‘confessions’ to matching outfits, here are some dating norms that set Korea apart. The following is the second installment. – Ed. In Korea, many young couples express their love through fashion -- by wearing matching outfits in public. A search on Instagram with the hashtag &l
May 17, 2022