KoreanClass101.com Blog

Korean Dramas.

They’re here. Get used to them.

These television shows are comparable to primetime television programming in America (think Grey’s Anatomy or Heroes). These Korean series bear little resemblance to what we refer to as “daytime” television. The production format is closer to a “miniseries” (think Band of Brothers or Lonesome Dove). However, when westerners hear the term “K-drama” or “soap opera” we instantly think of cheesy dialogue, unnecessarily long pauses, overacting, unrealistically overdone characters, and untimely bizarre deaths (think General Hospital or The Young and the Restless or your dramatic cousin on your dad’s side). While the Korean equivalents certainly share some of the surface level similarities, there is much difference to be found.

Korean soap operas are so big that they are hard to ignore. When I say big, I mean it in every way. Big drama, big secrets, and especially big budget. I liken them to a perpetual Superbowl game playing on all channels. It’s hard to ignore. If you didn’t like them before, you like them now. Admit it.

See? Doesn’t that feel good? No? Dirty? Yes, of course.

Come on. I’m from Texas. You may see a grown man cry once in a blue moon but you sure won’t see him watching a soap opera anytime soon. With Korean dramas though, they are insidious. Infectious. Just watch one episode. No biggie. Your buddy said it was a good show, right? And he can drink his weight in 소주…Of course at that point, I convince myself that it is all in the name of learning the language. Yeah, so really, it’s like homework. I mean, that’s not wrong at all, right? Just doing some homework?

Actually, in that regard, many dramas fill in that role nicely. The dialogue is close to natural, the dialect is usually standard, and common speech is used frequently. Whereas if an ELL (English Language Learner) were to imitate the speech used in Prison Break…not so effective. Some Korean dramas even go so far as to be quite deliberate in their speech that it’s hard not to pick up at least some of the language.

Truth be told, not all are fantastic. They can run the risk of dreadful predictability and the use of rehashed, overused themes. However, some challenge social norms and break the mold of what a television show should entail. Some entertain while others educate. Some take modern settings while others assume alternative realities. Some are a showcase for dialects and subcultures. In addition, a plethora of historical-based dramas are arguable in their own category by themselves let alone seeped in Korea’s surprisingly saucy history.

Oh and make no mistake, you will cry. Oh yes. There will be tears.

One particular difference in these shows is the demographic viewing audience. Typically, American soap operas are viewed by non-working or stay-at-home homebodies. It’s also fair to point out the majority of the viewers are older women. Korean soap operas are viewed by people of all ages, gender, and class. Working class people watch them, but so do white-collar business people. And apparently so do young twenty-somethings from America

It’s also interesting to point out the group factor in watching Korean dramas. When seemingly unrelated people sit around and watch the same show, they now share something in common. This reminds me of an ancient form of online blogs and forums. Really! Think about it. I dropped by a nice little 목욕탕 to find the group room filled with locals all in an awed hush over the K-drama playing on the television screen. If you want something in common, try all hating all the same spoiled brat on the screen. Add into that formula a natural group-centered culture such as the one found in Korea and you have a recipe for K-drama addiction. The poorly taken photo below doesn’t show the fury that was in the room. We were all watching the same spicy program. The funny part is that there were people that I could have sworn were sleeping, but they would react when something shocking would happen in the plot. A sort of “He said what?!” reaction.

Likely, everyone who has professed an interest in K-dramas are especially fond of their first show they watched. Like many other foreigners, mine was Full House. Furthermore, many students of the Korean language have openly admitted that it is because of Korean dramas that initially sparked their interest in the language and culture. Can you imagine KBS producing shows with the unintentional side effect of being a sort of diplomatic representative showcase for a whole culture? The ramifications of 비’s poor acting are quite profound now that I think about it…

Thoughts?

안녕하세요. 현우예요. How was your week? I hope you had another exciting week!! ^^

Today I’d like to share a video that I took in the Summer when I was in Jejudo - Jeju Island/Province (제주도), the biggest island and the southern most province in Korea - a beautiful place! 정말 예쁜 곳이에요. It’s a very short video, but I hope it will help you feel refreshed a bit ^^!!

It might be better if you clicked on the video and watched it in high quality.

감사합니다.

I sat my linguistics exam yesterday. THANK GOD THAT IT’S OVER. I don’t know a single person on that course who enjoyed it in the end, no matter how enthuisastic they started out. I just hope that I’ve passed, fingers crossed! Now I have 2 weeks worth of Romanticism history to catch up on … *dies* I just have to keep on reminding myself that all of this is so that I can go study Korean in my dream university.

Today, instead of talking about the music that I like, I wanted to ask, what music do you like? How did you start listening to Korean music? What are some of your favourite artists, or favourite songs? Do you listen to Korean music more than the music of your own country or another country? I’m always very interested to see what people like, and how they came to hear it. Some people’s stories are very similiar to my own, others are vastly different. So, even if you don’t listen to Korean music, I’d love to hear about that too!

Swimming Safety.

Koreans have had a long affair with swimming. Korea is a peninsular country surrounded by water so naturally, Koreans have been swimming for recreation for some time. However, danger lurks in those calming waters…but I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s set the stage.

In America, typically we teach our children to do three things as soon as possible: feed themselves, ride a bike, and swim. Don’t get me wrong - we don’t throw kids in the pool and hope they resurface eventually. Traditionally though, whenever a family goes swimming the toddler goes in the pool while the adult teaches the child how to swim. Little by little, once the child gains confidence, we typically encourage him or her to swim relatively unassisted until the child can swim all by themselves. Same process with tying shoes, learning how to dress themselves, ride a bike, etc.

All in all, Americans view swimming much like driving a car - everyone knows how to do it so it’s not a big deal. None of us can swim like Michael Phelps but we can float safely and certainly feel quite confident in a pool whether we are using proper form or not.

Well, I’m not sure what exactly where the breakdown happens in Korea, but I notice the vast majority of people terrified of swimming. Like unnecessarily terrified. 8-year-olds practically screaming because of the “lazy river” water current, 11-year-olds complaining about the (not even) 3.5 foot depth, and children of all ages clutching to the closest older relative so as to not drown in the kiddie pool. Not to mention that all the while they are covered from head to toe in safety apparel like innertubes, wingies, lifevests, and bathing caps.

Oh and bathing caps are not optional. Moving on.

The wavepool is where I get emotional. We all know the wave pool, right? It’s a simulated beach with a large motor that forces water to rise and fall producing waves. Most waterparks have them to varying size and strength. I visited the lovely 대명리조트 in 부안 this summer and was greeted with a brand new facility, top-class service, and an attached waterpark that was nothing short of stunning. The wave pool here was decent enough and I couldn’t wait to tackle the cool waters only to find out that I had to wear a lifevest to go swimming.

Have we not gone over this before? I can swim. Everyone I know can swim. It’s not a talent - it’s a learned skill. Alas, if I wanted to cool down appropriately, I had to don a seemingly 25-pound lifevest. Mind you, it is quite difficult to swim in a lifevest. I’m pretty sure they are designed for floating as I felt very encumbered. I got tired after five minutes of flailing my arms and had to take a rest. Fear not! Mandatory rests on the hour every hour are commonplace and as soon as the lifeguards’ whistles blew, the entire pool emptied in less than a minute.

Speaking of the lifeguards, they take their responsibilities quite seriously. Two of them serviced a pool area about the size of a kindergarten classroom and were not only pacing back and forth, they were giving out suggestions (rather commands) to the swimmers so they could stay safe. It’s commendable, if not a little out of place.

The point being is that artificial pools are littered with ill-equipped swimmers who are over-protected and over-dressed with safety.

What really surprises me is the ocean and how people treated the water there. The waves were dangerously violent as I was knocked down several times and the salinity of the water was eye-burningly-high. What was missing? All forms of safety. No bathing caps, no lifevests, no floaties - just a bunch of people having fun when really - it was quite dangerous if you ask me. I left that beach with a headache, sores, and a killer bruise on my leg.

Perhaps it’s like 정은 said in Advanced Audio Blog #17 about how Koreans have misconceptions about swimming. In her case, she was convinced that women that swim would develop broader shoulders. Is this one of many reasons why Koreans don’t bother to learn it? Maybe I have it wrong - maybe Koreans don’t have a long history with swimming.

I know that I don’t have particularly pleasant memories about learning to swim (as myself and my brothers love to bring up to my parents the story of the borderline abusive swim teacher and how no one believed us that she was pure evil) But even with my tragic initial experience with swimming, I can say that I am an accomplished swimmer. But who cares? Apparently Koreans do.

Oh well.

Thoughts?

Hi. 현우예요. How was your week, everyone? 일주일 동안 잘 지냈어요? I want to talk a little bit about the word ‘마음’ in this blog post today.

If you like listening to Korean pop songs, 마음 is like one of the top ten frequently appearing words in the lyrics - which is more than natural because most of the songs are basically talking about 마음.

마음 is a very interesting word - it can not only be translated in many ways into English, but it also has a lot of meanings even in Korean. So for all the phrasal verb lovers out there, I’ll go through some of the most common expressions that contain the word “마음” in them that cannot easily be translated into English word by word.

마음 can be mind, heart, feeling, emotion, or even interest. If you eat your 마음 (마음을 먹다), you ‘make up your mind’. And after you’ve made up your mind (마음을 먹은 후에) if your 마음 is changed(마음이 바뀌다), you have a second thought. And while you’re still debating what to choose among many options, if something ‘enters your 마음’ (마음에 들다), you like it. But if you misplace and lose what you found likeable (마음에 든 것을 잃어버리면), your ‘마음 is not good’ (마음이 안 좋다), and that means you’re feeling sad and depressed, and your ‘마음 isn’t comfortable’ (마음이 안 편하다) - you’re worried and not relieved. But when you find the thing again, your ‘마음 is put down’ (마음이 놓이다) and that means you’re relieved from the worry.

Of course everybody has 마음, but if ‘you have your 마음 in a particular person’ (마음이 있다), you are interested and like that person as a possible date, but sometimes when you are really nervous, you say things that ‘are not in your 마음’ (마음에 없는 말을 하다) - and that means you end up saying things that you didn’t really mean. Your friends tell you to let bygones be bygones, but you still ‘can’t grab your 마음’ (마음을 못 잡다) and that means you’re still very anxious about it and can’t pull yourself together.

Like this, 마음 has a lot of meanings and phrasal verbs related to it (like in English the word ‘heart’ does) and I’m sure there are more. I’ve recently started listening to more K-pop songs and I’ve realized once again how often I hear the word 마음 all in different contexts. So I hope this short blog post will be of some help and ‘enter your 마음’ ^^

And a bonus: when someone bugs you about your decision, the way you’re dressed, or whatever, and you want to say “I make my choices. It’s none of your business”, you can say “내 마음이야!”  : )

여러분, 안녕하세요!

I was a happy little fangirl yesterday, because Epik High’s latest release, a mini album called LOVESCREAM, came out! I love it, it’s great! It’s got a couple of songs in their usual, upbeat hiphop style but it’s also got some instrumental tracks on there, really pretty little pieces that are melodic and somehow a little bit dark, similiar to some of the instrumental pieces on their Remapping the Human Soul and Pieces, Part One albums.

If you’ve got a Naver account, you’ll be able to listen to previews of the album over on Naver. You need to use IE though, the music player isn’t so friendly when you try using Firefox. And if you click the little orange TV icon next to 1분 1초, you’ll be able to watch the music video (or you can watch it on YouTube over here). I don’t actually like 1분 1초 too much, but the MV is so weird and backwards XD

KoME interviewed Moonshine recently, and like I always do when we interview an artist I know nothing about, I checked out some of their music. Moonshine used to be known as Deathrasher, and were one of Korea’s first death metal bands, formed back in 1993. I was a bit surprised to see that in such a long life, they only released a handful of demos and three albums, but then again the band has gone through many line-up changes. Interestingly enough, from what I’ve heard, the majority of their songs are actually in English, though they included some Korean tracks on their latest album Eternal, because apparently even some Korean fans didn’t realise that Moonshine are actually Koreans!

Funnily enough, this little hip hop and boyband lover used to be a huge metal fan about 10 years ago XD My musical tastes have expanded a lot since then, hahaha XD Moonshine, from what little I’ve heard, have some elements of the type of metal I used to like most, but also some of the elements that I hate most too, so it gets a bit of a mixed reception from me. If you’re into metal though, then you should definitely give Moonshine a try! Their official myspace has 6 tracks from Eternal that you can listen to. I really like the music for Moonshine Madness though the vocals don’t do too much for me, but I quite like Wake Up The Moon.

AC voltage differences.

Physics101. Alternating current (AC) is what is in the wall while direct current (DC) is like what is in your car’s cigarette lighter socket. Today, let’s go over some important things to consider about AC power when traveling to South Korea. We must consider two things 1) Voltage and 2) Plug shape.

You’ll find that plugs that come with two flat pins usually are built for 110-120V and plugs with two round pins  are built for 220-240V. Let’s address the most pressing difference first: current (measured in volts). Korea most generally runs a current of 220-240 volts so that must be taken care of first. But before you go out and buy a new travel razor or cell phone charger, check the backside of your device.

If you take a look at the power brick of most electronics, many mid-to-high end electronics already have the voltage capabilities to function perfectly fine in Korea, as well as other countries. For example, my laptop power brick lists the device at capable to run from 100-240V. Score! But alas, my beard trimmer is rated at 120V only - so it must stay stateside

Once you have identified what will not explode once plugged in, now you must find something to change the plug/prong shape. Below is a cheapie but a goodie that attaches to the end of your appliance. The one pictured below is for U.S.A -> R.O.K. Also, don’t panic - my adapter cost me about 50 cents (500 원) in Korea.

Another common solution specifically for laptops is purchasing a new cord that connects from the power brick to the wall. Consider that the three-prong female-end laptop cord is somewhat universal in design. Where the difference lies is the regional plug shape. Meaning, if you went to a Korean electronics store, you can pick up a professional quality laptop cord to go from your power brick to the wall. I think they run less than 만 원 (around 10 bucks).

Below is a list of common plug types. If you see a red X, you need a plug adapter.

I must reiterate that changing the plug shape is not enough - if you plug something in that is rated for 110-120V into a Korean wall socket with a plug adapter - you will see sparks, smoke, and/or Jesus. Play it safe and check the voltage. Essentially, if you can’t get a hold of an adapter and/or your product isn’t rated for 220-240V (like my trimmer) then that’s where transformers come into play. Hook up with a friend who has one of these little dandies and you are in luck.

Transformers (트랜스퍼머) step down the current to a native-like level for several hours. It isn’t recommend to use such transformers for extended periods such as days, weeks at a time because the electricity being stepped down isn’t always “clean”. Remember those other numbers on the laptop power brick? Sometimes the “stepped down” current can also spike those other numbers after prolonged use. Worried about charging your DS? Don’t be. Transformers are safe, just remember that they are not a good idea for devices like TVs, laptops, or other long-term use appliances.

Some big name hotels and boarding houses geared for foreigners (like university dorm rooms) will likely have a few transformers to check out.

I wonder if anyone has any “shocking” stories to tell (sorry - I couldn’t help that one)

Thoughts?

Hi. 현우 here : )  Haha. You do see these pictures?  Yes, that’s me in my military suit. Haha.

So why am I wearing my military suit (=군복) again? Well I had to attend the annual reserved army training (예비군 훈련) this past Thursday, and I took a couple of photos before taking the uniform off.

I’m sure many of you already have some knowledge about the Korean military system, but to briefly mention what it works like, every *healthy* man in this country has to serve the army for roughly 2 years (now it’s getting shorter and shorter), and after the service is over, they have to attend the annual trainings for the next 5~6 years. It’s *very* difficult to find somone who doesn’t have any sweet memory at all from his military service, and even the tedious and long military service can have its enjoyable moments at times but it doesn’t seem to be the case for this 예비군 훈련(reserved army training), HAHA - everybody hates it, and that includes me as well. I guess this is because you’re working, or studying at school, or doing whatever that is NOT related to the army in any way, and you’re called once a year to wear that unfashionable miltary suit and those uncomfortable/heavy military boots and go to the training center(훈련장) on a regular working day

A day at the 예비군 training camp isn’t exactly filled with meaningful tasks, in other words it’s extremely boring but tiring at the same time, but whenever I have these 예비군 trainings, it brings back my memories of the time when I was actually in the army (which was from 2001 to 2003), so I get to call up or send text messages to some of my friends from the military service - which is also how I know that a friend of mine just took his 예비군 training when I hear from him all of a sudden.

안녕하세요!

Ah~ I feel like my recent wait for the things that were going to be released ended in a bit of an anticlimax.

Boyband 東方神起 made their comeback with their 주문 -MIROTIC- MV, which you can watch here. I like the MV itself, but the song … well, I don’t hate it, but it’s really not what I was expecting from them. It does have a slightly more mature and sexy edge to it but it could have been so much more impressive.

R&B artist M also made a comeback with the release of his album, M RIZING, yesterday and the MV for 남자를 믿지마, featuring Big Tone. You can see the MV here! M RIZING was a bit of a disappointment for me. M composed a lot of the songs for his previous album, which I was really excited about, but sadly for this album he only composed two of them. He said in an interview that this album was made to “appeal to the masses” - it really does sound like that, and I really wish it didn’t! It isn’t a bad album, it just wasn’t the huge amounts of awesome that I’d been hoping so much for these past months! I’m also not really digging the Brave Brothers right now, who have been composing quite a few popular songs - problem is that all these songs they’ve written all kind of sound the same. Each new song they write sounds almost like a remix or a compliation of their older ones! The songs are definitely catchy, and a few of them I really love, but I think if I hear another Brave Brothers‘ song in the next couple of months, I might just pray for temporary deafness.

I’m not a fan of them, but girlgroup Wonder Girls released their latest song Nobody, which you can watch here. Not as catchy as Tell Me or So Hot!, but it was kinda cute. JYP makes an appearance in this too.

Rockstar 서태지 released the MV T’IKT’AK! I really like some of 서태지’s stuff, so I was really excited over his comeback in July with his 8th ATOMOS PART MOAI single. T’IKT’AK is a really cool song, and so is the MV, which you can see here.

A couple of days ago female R&B artist 손담비 released her latest mini album, and the MV for the title song, 미쳤어, which you can watch here. I really love this song, it’s catchy and 손담비 is super sexy. The rest of the mini album was a bit of a disappointment for me though, I wasn’t too into the rest of the songs.

Now I’m just hoping that the next thing I’m holding my breath for, which is hiphop group Epik High’s mini album LOVESCREAM will meet my expectations! It should be out in a couple of days, I’m excited! Epik High are one of my favourite artists.

And for anyone who’s tired of the standard pop/R&B/hiphop, then how about this: about a week ago, KoME posted an interview we had with the dub band I&I DJANGDAN, and since I’d never heard of them before I decided to check them out. Reggae is totally not my thing at all XD;; never has been, probably never will be! But if you do like reggae, or just want to try out something different, you might want to give I&I DJANGDAN a go. You can find some of their videos here, I think these are live performances of the songs from their first EP, Culture Tree.

Full Immersion.

We’re talking 99% Korean input here and that’s 100% scary.

It’s no joke - Americans are among the few countries that typically prefer an assisted-approach to language learning. Meaning we generally like to use L1 (our first language - English) to help explicitly learn L2 (the target language - in KC101’s case - Korean). Most people who support this teaching model claim that the stress levels of the students are decidedly lower and that learning can take place in a comfortable L1-rich environment. Koreans are not the only ones who prefer full immersion (the exclusive use of L2 in the classroom) but since we are all students of Korean, let’s focus on that for the moment being. However, I eagerly wait to hear from fellow KC101 students about other countries and their approach to language learning!

Koreans adopt the immersion teaching model out of the thinking that it just works - when you are surrounded by a language, you have an opportunity to learn it. When you have a rich amount of input (i.e. listening) mixed with opportunities to have meaningful output (i.e. speaking) hey! You got yourself a language! Score!

But what about the ones who don’t get past the learning curve? What about culture shock? What about adaptability? What about learning preferences? What about learning differences? What about exceptional learners? What about everything?

No dice. With full immersion, you get it or you don’t. You are either motivated to learn or you aren’t. You either want to speak Korean or you don’t. You either make meaning from the input or you don’t. It’s like Yoda said “Do or do not; there is no try”. Hey, we’ve all heard of this method - it’s the sink or swim model!(Note: the next paragraph is best read with three servings of sarcasm and one gallon of Hatorade to wash it down).

Yea! Sink or swim! What an awesome way to feel unique and special, isn’t it? Man, I love hearing about my friends who “couldn’t hack it”! Or how about the ones who do “make it” but never studied? Oh, I love hearing about those too. Man it sure is cheap too - full immersion doesn’t require an interpreter - cause I understand everything! Sure am glad I spent a month’s salary on that plane ticket and left all my friends and family and life as I know it to live in a strange new environment where up is down and I am finally a minority. Sweet! Oh this is awesome! Gosh, I love waking up all alone in the morning and staring at myself in mirror wondering if today will be the today that I don’t feel like an idiot. Carpe Diem FTW! (Wow - that there’s enough sarcasm to last me a week)

Of course there are obvious pluses to learning a language in an immersion setting. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always work for everyone. Some are either unable or unwilling to leave their home life to live abroad. Some cannot get over the feeling of helplessness. In the states, you are your own person - independent and free. But in Korea, you are an imbecile - a foreigner who gets by either by the color of your skin or the sound of your accent. Even still, you are dependent on public transportation and privacy is a privilege that most don’t get. All that “me” time? Gone.

And of course, even though immersion does indeed provide a chance to “speed up” the learning process, we oftentimes are let down by our expectations set by other learners and (of course) movies. Anyone remember Dances with Wolves? Didn’t it take him like a week to be fluent in Sioux? What a jerk.

Perhaps it is fair to point out the cultural expectations of students and how that plays a role in this debate. Typically, American students are expected to “do their best” (which is of course subjective) and become socially competent. Shyness is considered somewhat undesirable while self-confidence is nurtured. We like our students to be well-rounded individuals who can balance responsibilities at home, part-time work, and satisfactory academic achievement. We also instill at a young age that individuality and uniqueness are celebrated and worthwhile. We also like to focus on the process over the product.

Korean students have different expectations. Responsibilities at home take a much smaller role (sometimes non-existent) while their academic workload practically doubles. It is quite common to go to school in the morning, study in the afternoon, go to a 학원 in the evening, and study some more at night. Performance is more important than the process in which you studied or applied yourself. Shyness is oftentimes equated to humbleness while self-confidence can be interpreted as arrogance. Fitting in is a subtle yet powerful undertone that can motivate many outside thinkers to think “inside the box” early on in their academic career.

Having pointed out some of the macro-level differences, immersion-type classrooms seem like not that big of deal now. Seems that life as a Korean student is pretty stressful with quite a lot of responsibilities. Throw in that homogeneity is the norm in Korea and you have a recipe for comparing apples to oranges: immersion in the West is taken in a different context than the East. Here’s a little illustration to how I see two common occurrences in schools.

It’s not that all American students are outgoing, it’s just that doing outgoing things such as initiating conversation, being brash when asking for a date, putting yourself out there - all things are more common in the states and aren’t nearly as stressful as an environment where you can’t understand what’s being said. It’s not a hard and fast rule, but I typically see more tears coming from my American friends in an immersion setting than say, a Korean classmate.

And yet, there’s hordes of foreigners coming to Korea to teach at countless numbers of jobs that require only a college diploma in any field and citizenship from an English speaking country. These thrill seekers and educators alike come to teach in various environments with the full English immersion model being the most common in the schools and academies.

I’d like to tell you a question a love to ask my classmates when learning Korean “Hey, How much did you just get?” (meaning, how much of what he/she said did you understand?) Then I measure it in percentages. When I attended a newcomer’s orientation at 이화여대, I couldn’t help but score myself just at the 30% mark. That’s 30% of the conversation I understood. Here and there I picked up a word or two - maybe a verb ending or a suffix or whatnot. It’s fun to see what your friends got out of it, too. “Oh so what was she saying about this?” or “Did you catch what she said about tomorrow?” It’s funny to see how one person caught one part of the conversation while another caught the part you missed.

To wrap things up, either way, immersion definitely is one of many ways to successfully learn a language. It certainly isn’t the only or “best” method as there simply is no convincing research evidence that points to one method as the best (although plenty of edutainers will swear by their method). However, it is enough to say that certain methods work with a certain amount of success. Immersion does work in Korea; however, it’s not the only way to learn English. Hey, look at the approach that KC101 takes - it works too - given the right attitude, work ethic, and setting, KC101 can teach you some serious Korean. Having said that, if you get a chance to learn Korean in an immersion environment, I say take it - just bring a box of tissues for the tears - you’ll have plenty to shed over the stress

Thoughts?