[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

[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

[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

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

[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

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

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

[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

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

[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

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

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

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

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

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

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

These creators barely speak Korean. But they make money out of it.

Seven African men with muscular torsos wearing blue sweatpants stand facing the camera. In unison, they say, “Happy birthday, Ye-jin” in Korean.  In front of them, two men, also sporting the same look, hold a chalkboard with the same Korean line written on it.  After the birthday shout out, they all start dancing along to “GANADARA,” a song by Korean singer Jay Park.  This video message, posted on YouTube channel “World Surprise Video” last

May 17, 2022

[Land of Squid Game] We’re gganbu!

In one of the episodes of the Netflix series “Squid Game,” an old man hands over his last marble to the lead character, Gi Hun, saying, “We are gganbu. Gganbu always share everything with each other, no matter what.” By handing over his last marble, he lets Gi Hun win. The term “gganbu” in the story means close companions, like blood brothers who share everything without expecting anything in return and who help each other in difficult situations. While g

May 16, 2022

Quirks of Korean dating explained (1) Love confessions, a rite of passage for all couples

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.    For Koreans, confessing their love to a crush is deemed a crucial step for a romantic relationship to begin. Only when one party makes the confession, the so-called “some&rdquo

May 16, 2022

Going solo: Korean body scrubs adapt to pandemic

For the first time in nearly two years, Bae Eun-jin, a 35-year old office worker in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, recently had a proper Korean sauna experience -- soaking her body in hot water and getting a full-body scrub.  The only difference was that the bathhouse she visited was set up for a single customer only.  “Since I was the only customer there, I felt safe from infection risks. I loved the quiet atmosphere without any distractions from other people,” said Bae, w

May 16, 2022