KoreanClass101.com Blog

Hey fellow KC101ers! I’m reviving this category for a brief moment to share with you a video I made recently. It’s a class speech I wrote (with extensive help from my teacher I might add) back in July of this year during my brief time at 이대.

This speech was supposed to be the culmination of what all we had learned. I was in the beginner class and was nominated to deliver the speech. How nice. The problem is that I’m lousy at verbal communication in any language and I’m an awful reader to boot. So, when you combine this with a sweet country boy’s accent you get a recipe for pure hilarity. I tried to read my speech from a crumbled piece of paper on stage in front of my peers and teachers. No dice. I got so nervous that my leg started jittering uncontrollably and my voice was shakin like a salt shaker. It was bad. And to go from bad to worse, I got so flustered that I said an unmentionable Korean cuss word softly into a microphone. Not smart. Fuel to a fire.

So, this video is my redemption. It’s not perfect but it’s twenty times better than what my peers heard on that fateful afternoon. I would greatly appreciate any and all feedback. We are all students of the language and I believe we can all benefit from constructive criticism.

Watch the video here

Transcript:
여러분 안녕하십니까? 제 이름은 매튜 스미스입니다. 미국에서 왔습니다. 우리 반에는 한국어 선생님이 두 명 있습니다. 우리 선생님 성함은 김하령, 전혜원입니다. 김 선생님은 친절한 분이 십니다. 그리고 전 선생님은 인내심이 많은 분이십니다. 우리는 자기 소개, 취미, 집, 날짜, 가족, 하루 일과를 공부했습니다. 또 우리 반 친구들 과 같이 노래방 과 찜질방을 갔습니다. 재미있었습니다. 저는 우리 반을 아주 좋아합니다. 그리고 우리 반 선생님께 정말 감사합니다. 그래서 제가 선생님를께 선물하고 싶습니다….들어주셔서 감사합니다.

The Demilitarized Zone.

No really, it’s actually quite scary. But I had a lot of fun. But then again I like history.

The Demilitarized Zone located in South Korea is not the only non-combat zone in the world. In fact, it is one of ten currently standing neutral or no-conflict zones. The largest zone is most definitely the one in Antarctica - the entire continent is deemed a no-combat zone by forty-six consenting countries! However, the Korean DMZ is likely the most famous and certainly the most heavily guarded DMZ in the world. Plus it inspires movies like nobody’s business.

One might think with an area that is designated a no-combat zone that that it would be fairly safe, right? Actually, here’s a list of serious incidents from 1967-2001 that occurred on, around, or due to the DMZ. It’s a spicy little area, isn’t it? Not bad for a zone in its fifties.

It’s also a hugely popular tourist attraction. But when you look at it, it’s quite possibly the worst possible choice for a tourist attraction. It’s not a building. It’s not a historical ruin. It’s not a river. No, it’s 387.5 square miles of sophisticated military operation and fierce cultural tension.

Perhaps it is the almost taboo nature of it that attracts so many people worldwide? Let alone the zone has provided a backdrop for badboys worldwide to sneak personal snapshots of forbidden things such as hidden tunnels, guard posts, and unnecessarily tall flag poles.

The DMZ is probably among the top four most recognizable facts about Korea in general; standing proudly next to the 1988 Seoul Olympics, 2002 World Cup, and the ridiculously cute 윤은혜.

However, the purpose of the zone is clear - don’t mess with us and we won’t mess with you. I seem to remember having a similar timeout once for fighting with my brother. However, it isn’t the purpose of the zone that gives me pause - it’s the close vicinity to downtown Seoul that makes me wish I was into Swedish culture instead of Korean.

About thirty miles (48 km) south of the DMZ lies roughly 11 million people. A boatload of people in Seoul are not all the far away from the most heavily guarded place in Asia. Kind of scary, right? Maybe that’s why Korea has appeal - danger appeal - like enough appeal to want to date him, but not take him home to mom - unless you just want to make your mom mad. Yeah, that’s my Korea.

So in conclusion, I’m terrified of the DMZ. I treat it with respect. I know that South Korea’s military is not one to mess with, so I’m not worried for anyone’s safety, per se, but I am a little worried at the fact that something like the DMZ even exists in the first place. Perhaps one day it will be torn down. I wonder then what will Korea do with itself if not always looking over its shoulder?

For a more candid, distinctly American viewpoint on the DMZ, I recommend checking out this nicely written first-hand experience. What are your tourist experiences?

Thoughts?

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