Korean Baseball Players Posted by Ginny on Apr 5, 2009
Did you know that the major leagues currently retain Korean-born ball players? Take Shin Soo Choo (추신수). He played as an outfielder for the Seattle Mariners in 2005-2006 and now he plays for the Cleveland Indians. He’s only 26 years old and he makes about $1.35 million a year. I know that’s not a lot…
Countries and People Posted by Ginny on Apr 3, 2009
If you want to name a person’s nationality, you take the country’s name + in (인). Here are some examples: Germany : 독일. German person : 독일인. France : 프랑스. French person : 프랑스인. Korea : 한국. Korean person : 한국인. China : 중국. Chinese person : 중국인. America : 미국. American person : 미국인. Another…
Korean Dramas Posted by Ginny on Mar 30, 2009
Korean soap operas are called drama (드라마). Unlike the soaps in the U.S., Korean dramas (드라마) run about three months to six months long. Here is a list of Korean dramas (드라마) that have been well received by the international public: Full House (풀하우스): It’s been especially popular in Taiwan and stars the female lead…
Korean Movies Posted by Ginny on Mar 29, 2009
Watching Korean movies with English subtitles is a great way to learn Korean. I’m going to list a couple of movies that are/were critically acclaimed by the South Korean public. The tension and strife between North and South Korea is a popular theme for many Korean movies. Take the movie Shiri (시리). Shiri (시리) is…
Independence Day Posted by Ginny on Mar 28, 2009
July 4th is the day the American colonists declared their independece from England. Well, Koreans also have their own Independence Day called samiljul (삼일절). The name samiljul (삼일절) was named after the March protest demonstrations. The demonstrations were called manseundong (만세운동). Coincidentally, Korea was subjugated by the Japanese the same number of years the American…
Samjil Nal (삼질날) Posted by Ginny on Mar 26, 2009
Samjilnal (삼질날) is known as one of those special occasions that fall under the category of seshi pungsok (세시풍속). Seshi pungsok (세시풍속) is a term used to describe festivals that are celebrated with the change in seasons. Samjilnal (삼질날) is considered an auspicious day because it’s celebrated on the third day of the third month…
Kim Jong Il’s (김정일) Birthday Posted by Ginny on Mar 23, 2009
Did you know that last month was Kim Jong Il’s sengil (생일) or birthday? His birthday is a national holiday. Kim Jong Il’s birthday was accompanied by a ceremony much like the mass games for the Olympics. There were synchronized swimmers, acrobatic dancers, and muscians. Strangely enough, Kim Jong Il (생일) was not present at…