[What should I call you?] No one wants to be called ‘ajumma’

Honorific titles are tricky in many cultures but can be particularly baffling in South Korea, where things like social status, age, work experience, and even social prejudice can be factored in. This is part two of a series on the many ways to address another person in Korean. – Ed.  In 2019, Korea Yakult -- the former name of food and beverage company Hy -- announced it was officially changing the title of its female salespersons from “Yakult ajumma” to “Fresh Ma

June 28, 2022

[Subway Stories] Samseong Station at the heart of glitzy Gangnam

In Korean, Samseong Station on Line No. 2 is written and pronounced exactly the same as Samsung, the country’s No. 1 conglomerate by any measure. Even some locals presume the two to be related, given the firm’s nearly ubiquitous presence in South Korea.  They aren’t.  Rather, it is the another Korean corporate behemoth -- Hyundai Motor Group -- that is linked to it.  In 2014, the auto group bid a jaw-dropping 10.5 trillion won ($8.04 billion) to buy a plot

June 27, 2022

How feeding seagulls became a boat trip selling point

As a cruise ferry on Han River was about to leave the dock on a Tuesday afternoon in June, dozens of seagulls began to gather around. Some sat on the top rails of the ship while others began to fly around as passengers started to come out to the deck. Once the engine starts, you get the sense what they are here for. People were holding snacks with their fingers or throwing them for the birds to eat. Laughter and joyful scream filled the ship as people of all age groups -- from elderly peopl

June 27, 2022

[Korea Quiz] (8) How long does a typical Korean summer vacation last?

Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related.    Answer: ⓒ With summer just around the corner and the pandemic losing its grip, people are starting to make plans on where to go for their vacations and for how long. In 2021, Korean workers took an average of 3.7 days off for summer holidays, according to a survey conducted on 720 firms by the Korea Enterprises Federation. Despite the pandemic having brought travel to a

June 22, 2022

[Land of Squid Game] Gifting toilet paper or detergent as housewarming presents

If you are invited to a housewarming party in the States, you might bring food, snacks, or a bottle of wine. But housewarming parties in Korea known as jipdeuri have a different tradition. Koreans bring rolls of toilet paper or laundry detergent, the two most common jipdeuri gifts. The meaning behind giving toilet paper is that the giver is wishing the recipient continued success and good health, just as easily as the paper unravels from the roll. If you are worried your host might rece

June 21, 2022

[Subway Stories] Why Euljiro 3-ga Station is also called 'Shinhan Card Station'

When navigating through Seoul’s subway system, you will see that some stations have two names. Euljiro 3-ga Station, located in central Seoul with Line 2 and Line 3 running through, is also called “Shinhan Card station” after a credit card company whose headquarters is 10 minutes away on foot. English teacher David Stewart, 31, said displaying two names, which is designed to generate additional income for the city’s railway system, is understandable. “I barely p

June 19, 2022

[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

[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

[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

[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

[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