Archive by Author
The Culture of Exploiting Status and Position in Korea Posted by Flying Oyster on Mar 11, 2019
When I visited Korea last time, I met my childhood friends who I hadn’t seen for a long time. As soon as we settled down on the table, we all became chatty as if we were in a talking competition. One of my dear friends started talking about how tiring and unhappy she had been…
Most Common Mistakes by Korean Natives – Part 2 Posted by Flying Oyster on Feb 26, 2019
Since we talked about common mistakes made by Koreans in January, we are going to look at more frequent mistakes. Pay close attention to each word I am going to use as examples below since they are mistakes made in written Korean rather than in spoke Korean. I did my best to explain, but I…
The Ways I Enjoy Kimchi Posted by Flying Oyster on Feb 12, 2019
Kimchi is one of most common topics of interest that people bring up when I introduce myself as being a native Korean. Most people I have met expressed their love for the spicy cabbage food from Korea. Although I admit that Kimchi is a kind of food where you either love it, or you hate…
Are You A Silverspoon? Posted by Flying Oyster on Jan 27, 2019
You might think, “What kind of a question is that?” “Silverspoon” is a fairly new term, but it has been widely used in Korean society since 2015. It is a sarcastic metaphor to describe a financial/socioeconomic status of people in Korea. 은수저(eun-soo-jeo:a spoon made of silver) and 흙수저(huk-soo-jeo: a spoon made of mud) are, in…
Most Common Mistakes by Native Koreans (Part 1) Posted by Flying Oyster on Jan 12, 2019
I once had to take a Korean language test for work. The test aimed to evaluate my grammar skills in written Korean. I did fine in Korean classes in school, so I blindly thought that I should pass the test. However, I failed the test. I was little embarrassed to tell anyone because I have…
Korean Food That Brings People Together Posted by Flying Oyster on Dec 28, 2018
This statement might sound inaccurate to some skilled cooks out there, but I believe most Korean food 손이 많이 간다.(sohn-ee-mani-ganh-dah: is a painstaking task). As effortful as it may be to prepare, Korean food has the power to bring people together. I will introduce you some of my favorite Korean food that you can enjoy…
What is Jeong? Posted by Flying Oyster on Dec 5, 2018
If you are studying Korean, I bet you have heard about “정(Jeong: affection, attachment, goodwill etc.)”. The concept of 정 is a topic that you will eventually come across while learning Korean. When you type 정 in a dictionary, it lists words like ‘affection’ or ‘attachment’, but can 정 simply be reduced to one word?…