Archive for 'Culture'
More Than Korea’s 2nd City – Busan Posted by sasha on Mar 20, 2015
After a few days of exploring all that Seoul has to offer – the palaces, museums, parks, and nightlife – we headed to the other side of the country to Busan (부산). With over 3.5 million people, this is the second biggest city in South Korea. Famous for its beaches, hot springs, and international film…
Changyeong Palace Video Tour Posted by sasha on Feb 26, 2015
Tour one of Seoul’s Five Grand Palaces – Changyeonggung – in this short video. It was destroyed twice by the Japanese, but has been somewhat restored and is a nice place to spend an afternoon in the Korean capital.
The Five Grand Palaces of Seoul Posted by sasha on Feb 24, 2015
The last kingdom in Korea was the Joseon Dynasty (조선왕조), which lasted from 1392 all the way until 1910. Over the reign of Joseon, Seoul became the capital city and center of state affairs. Throughout the years, the kings had many grand palaces built here – five of them are currently open to the public. For…
Korean Names: Many Kims, One ‘Dear Leader’ Posted by Tony Kitchen on Dec 4, 2014
The New York Times recently reported that North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, has continued the North Korean leader tradition of keeping his Korean first name his, and his only. The unknown number of Jong-un’s (정은), a common name for both genders, of North Korea must choose a new name. But not the Kims. A move…
Korea’s Jeju Island, a Vacation Worth the Fight Posted by Tony Kitchen on Aug 12, 2014
Jeju Island (제주도), Korea’s national pride, a popular regional vacation and honeymoon spot, was turned into one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World after a long and successful PR campaign for what essentially is little more than a PR title. The reason one must go to the self-proclaimed “Korean Hawaii” is not solely for…
A Korean temple as a seaside escape Posted by Tony Kitchen on Apr 4, 2014
In Korea, for the weary expatriate, one reaches a breaking point when it comes to Buddhist temples. But Yonggungsa Temple (해동 용궁사) in Busan brings the energy of the sea to land. It’s monks considered it the first place in their world to see the new sun, to see the new year, which is also when…
Let’s have a Korean conversation: Part 1 Posted by Linda on Jun 25, 2013
Learning a language should be collaborative and fun! Transparent Language created another podcast for you, walking you through the question, “How are you feeling?” and various emotions/answers. We also chat about some of your Twitter questions (e.g., “What’s the best way to say the word “cute” in Korean?”)