Tag Archives: North Korea
Is reunification happening in the Korean Peninsula? Posted by Flying Oyster on Nov 21, 2018
Is 통일(Tong-il: reunification) happening in 한반도(Han-ban-do: the Korean Peninsula)? When I was around 10 years old, I remember I got really scared after listening to the news. The news was about the immediate possibility of invasion by 북한 (Book-han: North Korea). The news showed people frantically stocking up on canned food and 라면(Rah-men: an instant…
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…
North Korean Architecture Posted by Ginny on Sep 10, 2010
North Korea has this reputation of being a pastoral countryside with no buildings in sight, and that’s simply not true! A common characteristic of North Korean buildings is that they are often tied to nationalistic ideals. A lot of the buildings were built for propaganda purposes, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t architectural wonders…
Scenic Places in North Korea Posted by Ginny on Sep 1, 2010
North Korea covets some of the most scenic locations in Korea. When you look at these places, it’s hard to believe that the country is troubled in any way. A lot of these places are currently closed to international visitors, but once the ban is lifted, these places might be good travel spots. Amnok River…
North-South Trouble Posted by Ginny on May 14, 2010
If you’ve watched the news recently, North and South Korea haven’t been getting along so well. That is, of course, you could argue that they’ve never really gotten along, they’ve tolerated each other. The current news is that South Korea shot warning shots at a North Korean patrol boat. According to South Korean officials, the North…
Sung-tan-jul (성탄절) Posted by Ginny on Dec 21, 2008
What is sung-tan-jul (성탄절)? Sung-tan-jul (성탄절) is Christmas in Korean. As you know, some South Koreans celebrate Christmas. However, the story’s different for North Korea. Christianity is seen as a doctrine imported by the West. As a result, the North Korean government views Christmas and anything associated with the West with suspicion. Although there are…
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…