Archive for 'History'
What Bibimbap Means to Koreans Posted by Flying Oyster on Mar 16, 2022
Many popular Korean foods are widely loved—you may think of Kimchi, Bulgogi, Tteokbokk, and so on. Add to that list 비빔밥 (Bibimbap), one of the most well-known and popular Korean foods both in and outside of Korea. Bibimbap lovers are all over the world. A Korean airline has been serving 비빔밥 as traditional Korean…
Old and New Culture in Modern Korean Society (Part 1) Posted by Flying Oyster on Nov 17, 2021
When I first moved to the States, I worked for a Korean company for a brief moment. A couple of young co-workers often complained about senior customers who were seemingly rude to them. They believed that people who left Korea in the ’70s were easily stuck in the 70s mindset. I didn’t know what exactly…
Fun Facts Quiz of Squid Game (Part 1) Posted by Flying Oyster on Oct 26, 2021
I don’t watch a lot of tv shows, but I can’t resist good shows, especially if it is a Korean show. One day, a group of my gym friends was talking about a TV show. I naturally joined the conversation and they asked me if I was watching the show: 오징어 게임 (oh-jing-uh-game: Squid Game)…
2021 Chuseok Amid Pandemic Posted by Flying Oyster on Sep 13, 2021
추석 (Chuseok) is one of the big holidays in Korea. Chuseok will be on the 21st of September this year since Koreans use the lunar calendar system. This is the second year that Koreans face unusual 민족대명절 (min-jok-dae-myeong-jeol: national holidays) amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Traditionally, 민족 대이동 (min-jok-dae-ee-dong: national migration) occurs during this holiday season…
Four-Character Idioms That Will Improve the Level of Korean Posted by Flying Oyster on Aug 27, 2021
Before 한글 (Hangul: Korean alphabets) was invented, Koreans used Chinese characters. In fact, only 양반 (yang-bahn: higher-class nobles) were allowed to write and read in Chinese. Therefore, the gap between the nobility and 백성 (baek-sung: the ordinary people) was too big to overcome. 세종대왕 (se-jong-dae-wang: King Sejong) in Chosun Dynasty had a desire to enlighten…
Foreign Residents in Korea Posted by Flying Oyster on Jun 29, 2021
In 2021, over 51 million people are living in South Korea. Over 2 million are 외국인 (wei-gook-in: foreigners). Among them, over 1 million live in the capital city, Seoul. When I was young, I grew up in a town where I didn’t see many foreigners. Although I know that there always have been…