Among Westerners, especially friends, sarcasm is commonly used in conversation, often taking the form of a humorous, ironic statement (e.g. saying “Oh, that's great” to imply that a situation is not good). Koreans hardly, if ever, use sarcasm. Foreigners should avoid using sarcasm too often when interacting with Koreans as it will most likely not be understood, or worse, it may be taken literally.

Min Byoung-chul is an endowed chair professor at Chung-Ang University who is widely known as a multicultural educator and for his practical English teaching. This content is based on his book, “Land of Squid Game,” which can be purchased at major book stores. -- Ed.