‘Leeds era’: How one English city's name became a buzzword in Korea

Buzzwords come and go in Korea after a few years. But one has stood the test of time -- “Leeds era,” which is read as “lijeu sijeol” in Korean. The term, believed to have originated from online football communities around 2005, is used to refer to a period of one’s greatest success or popularity, similar to a heyday or a golden era. It is used in various contexts including the appearance of celebrities to the performance of athletes. Since July this year, local cabl

Oct. 2, 2022

[Korea Quiz] (22) National Foundation Day

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. Oct. 3 is the National Foundation Day, which is a public holiday in South Korea. Called Gaecheonjeol (개천절) in Korean, meaning the day when the sky opened, it commemorates the foundation of the very first kingdom on the Korean Peninsula more than four millennia ago. Dangun, the mythological forefather of the Korean ethnicity and the son of

Sept. 28, 2022

[Land of Squid Game] Playing rock scissors paper before deciding anything

Koreans choose the order of something or the 'It' person when playing games with the 'rock-scissors-paper' game. This culture continues into adulthood and so when making minor decisions as a group, they will often play rock-scissors-paper. In schools or daily life, they may decide who has to present first or who should pay after having lunch together. By Min Byoung-chul Min Byoung-chul is an endowed chair professor at Chung-Ang University who is widely known as a mu

Sept. 27, 2022

Why is murder suspect’s ID picture altered?

Sporting a dark formal suit and a hint of smile, the man in the photograph gives off an impression of a kind person with a decent office job. But the 31-year-old named Jeon Joo-hwan is the prime suspect in the murder of a female subway attendant at Seoul’s Sindang Station earlier this month. The picture, which appears to have been digitally altered, was released along with his name and age, following a decision by a joint police and civil panel on the public disclosure of the identity of

Sept. 27, 2022

Seoul 'moon village' becomes tourist trap

Jason Basulto, a 27-year-old American tourist, visited Guryong Village, one of the last remaining shanty towns in Seoul, in April this year. He had been curious about Seoul’s not-so-shiny side, like the semi-basement homes featured in “Parasite.” "Urban slums are visible not only in Korea, but in many other countries, because the wealth gap is a global issue. But the scenery of Guryong Village in the middle of high buildings was striking,” he said. For those who ar

Sept. 26, 2022

Check out farmers' markets this fall

A farmers’ market popped up at a corner of a street in Seoul’s Seongsu-dong neighborhood on Sunday. Among the vendors at the touring market dubbed Marche@ were Lee Ji-sun, 42, who brought herbs, vegetables, and eggs from her family’s farm in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province. “Our farm does not use any synthetic chemicals and we hatch chicken eggs naturally,” she said proudly. Marche@ is not an ordinary farmers’ market. Started by a group of city farmers committed t

Sept. 23, 2022

[Land of Squid Game] Chicken fight

Chicken fight is a traditional game that children enjoy playing around the neighborhood individually or as a group. It is also played as an exciting event on holidays or in marketplaces. In the game, contestants raise one leg and grasp their ankle with both hands. The contestants then hop on one foot and try to push their opponent off balance. The last person left standing wins. Chicken fight requires strength, skill and a good sense of balance. It can be played one-on-one or by several people

Sept. 22, 2022

Free cooking classes for the kimchi-curious

For those unacquainted with Korean cuisine, kimchi can taste and smell a bit strong. But don’t let that first impression scare you off from the amazingly rich, versatile and savory world of kimchi, says Son Jong-won, executive chef of L’Amant Secret, a Michelin-star restaurant at L'Escape Hotel in Seoul. At a cooking demonstration on Tuesday with 20 foreign guests, the chef showcased how the fermented cabbage, which has a varying mix of pungent, sour and spicy tastes, can ta

Sept. 22, 2022

[Korea Quiz] (21) Island of three abundances

Find the answer at the bottom of the page. The popular resort island of Jeju is often referred to as the island of three abundances, or Samdado. In an essay published in 1968, Korean lepidopterist Seok Joo-myung identified characteristics of the southern island as samda and sammu – three abundances and three scarcities. Sam in Korean language refers to the number 3 while da means many, or large in quantity, and mu means nothing or nonexistence. The three things that are plenty on J

Sept. 21, 2022

[Subway Stories] Noksapyeong Station is one big art project

  Noksapyeong Station’s name might not be as widely recognized as Itaewon, the next stop on Seoul Metro’s Line No. 6. But partygoers heading to the nearby neighborhood on the weekend and residents of Haebangchon and Gyeongridan-gil in the area know well how uniquely the station is structured. “I used to work at a cafe located in the middle of Noksapyeong and Itaewon. I would get off at Noksapyeong because it was a little closer. But every time I had to climb up the stairs,

Sept. 20, 2022

[Korea Quiz] (20) Odd facts about North Korea (2)

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. Despite having one of the smallest economies in the world, North Korea appears to be among the most belligerent when it comes to military confrontations. Not that it has actually been involved in any major engagements since the 1950-53 Korean War, but it has openly expressed hostilities against South Korea and the US, an

Sept. 14, 2022

[Land of Squid Game] Having more side dishes than the main meal

When you go to a restaurant in most parts of the world, you generally expect one or two side dishes to be served with your entree. But in Korea, you might be pleasantly surprised that with every meal, at least three or four side dishes, called “banchan,” are provided. Some traditional restaurants even provide as many as 12 different banchan, along with the main dish! What might shock you even more is that most banchan dishes can be replenished for free. When visiting a Korean res

Sept. 14, 2022

Traditions of Chuseok holidays: how it was and how it is

In what is commonly dubbed by local media as “the great migration of the nation,” flocks of people travel across the country to gather with their relatives each Chuseok, which this year falls on Saturday. Some people make the trips clad in “chuseokbim,” new clothing and shoes specially prepared for one of Korea's biggest holidays. Although commonly referred to as “Korean Thanksgiving,” Chuseok is actually not really about giving thanks for the year’

Sept. 10, 2022

[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