Archive for October, 2008
The Korean Wave Posted by Ginny on Oct 26, 2008
Hallyu (한루) or the Korean wave, is a term that refers to the growing popularity of Korean entertainment, culture, food and language in other countries; particularly in East and Southeast Asia. The Korean wave can be traced back to the 1990s when audiences in China, Japan and Taiwan were first exposed to South Korean dramas…
North Korea Posted by Ginny on Oct 26, 2008
For the past couple of posts I’ve referred to the word “Korea” many times. For most of those times I’ve used “Korea” to refer to the Republic of South Korea. Today, I’m going to talk about North Korea. Now, before I begin, I just want to preface this blog by saying that I don’t want…
Soju (소주) Posted by Ginny on Oct 25, 2008
Now, enough with the serious posts and on with the fun posts! Today I’m going to talk about everybody’s favorite subject: alcohol. (Well, maybe not everybody’s favorite!) Since this is a Korean blog, let me introduce an alcoholic beverage native to Korea. It is called soju (소주). Soju (소주) is mainly made from rice, but other starches such as potatoes…
Hangul (한글) Day Posted by Ginny on Oct 24, 2008
Hangul nal (한글 날) which in English means Hangul Day, is commemorated on the ninth of October. The word han (한) means Korean and the word kul (글) means script, while nal (날) = day. Altogether Hangul Day (한글 날) means Korean script day. Hangul Day commemorates the creation of the modern Korean alphabet system. …
Jungme kyoron (중매 결혼) Posted by Ginny on Oct 23, 2008
Jungme kyoron (중매 결혼) is an arranged marriage. Traditionally Koreans son bayo (손 봐요) or go on an arranged date or meeting with a potential marriage partner. Son bayo (손 봐요) literally means, to look at one’s hand. Son (손) means hand. Bayo = (look at, see). It dates back to the time when fortune tellers would…
Confucianism Posted by Ginny on Oct 23, 2008
Confucianism is a philosophical, political and ethical system that originated with a Chinese scholar named Confucius. Why am I talking about a Chinese scholar on a Korean blog? Well, since ancient times Confucius values have influenced Korea in several ways. Some of its values still remain in Korean society today. For example, Confucius ideology places…
Kimchee (김치) Posted by Ginny on Oct 22, 2008
This wouldn’t be a Korean blog without a mention of kimchee (김치) or fermented napa cabbages mixed with garlic, red pepper powder, salt and green onions. If you ever decide to make kimchee (김치), be aware that it can take about a day or several days to soak the cabbages in water. This is done…