Gye ttong (dog turd) and other humble names in Korean dramas
It's sometimes possible to tell the class of a character in a Korean historical drama just by looking at their name.
View ArticleThe First Generation of Modern Korean Calligraphers
There's a great exhibition on at the MMCA in Seoul highlighting noteworthy Korean calligraphers and artists. But if you can't make it to Seoul that's not a problem, because you can see it all on youtube!
View ArticleWearing a Mask in Korea: A Diary
Although mask-wearing isn't new here, I'd never seen absolutely EVERYONE wearing one - until this year.
View Articleuses for the adzuki bean: a jimjil heat pack!
there are LOTS of products on the market designed to simulate the positive health benefits of the heat from a sauna!
View ArticleModern Gosa, Korean shamanic ritual with ‘pig’s head’
Recently, we were invited to the opening of a new business. So the question was would there be a traditional Gosa ceremony?
View ArticleThe Sudden Death of the Mayor of Seoul
Mayor Park Won Soon had a stellar CV. He had been Mayor of Seoul since 2011 getting reelected twice. But his public funeral was controversial.
View Article23 Korean Master Calligraphers of 20th Century
A fabulous exhibition at the Seoul Museum of Calligraphy Art (Seoul Arts Centre) is showcasing the work of 23 Korean Master Calligraphers of the 20th century.
View ArticleConfucian Values Taught Through Traditional Stories
I thought I'd share this curious story that I found in a book of Korean traditional stories for language learners. Many of the stories highlight Shamanic beliefs or Confucian values. This quirky tale...
View ArticleKorean Yen-nal ‘Old Fashioned’ Makgeolli Packaging Design
The design of the label for this 'old fashioned' makgeolli says so much with just one simple hanja (Chinese character)! The hanja represents the concept of 'old.'
View ArticleSamgyetang instant noodle soup only in summer
In summer when it's tradition to eat samgyetang chicken and ginseng soup, you can also find this limited edition of samgyetang noodle soup on the shop shelves!
View ArticleBook Review: Understanding Korean Literature
So what are the unique points about Korean literature? How does it fit into the context of Korean history? What are some major works that I should read?
View ArticleModern medical checkups and traditional juk: rice porridge
The diet in Korea has changed a lot, but there's one dish that has stood the test of time: juk (rice porridge)
View ArticleThe iconic story of scholar Han Seok Bong and his mum
Han Seok Bong became one of the most famous calligraphers in the Joseon period. This story tells us how he got there.
View ArticleForbidden Dream (2019) Korean Film review
Forbidden Dream is the story of the fruitful but ill-fated relationship between two heavyweight historical figures: King Sejong the Great (r.1418–1450) (Han Suk-kyu) and his famous scientist Jang...
View ArticlePicking Korean chilli peppers to make Gochugaru
my parents-in-law grow enough chillies to keep us going for the year! So this weekend we went to Gangwon-do to help them pick the chillies.
View ArticleKorean Idiom about Envy: ‘When my cousin buys land…’
I like this brilliantly honest Korean idiom about envy which accepts a rather unbecoming part about human nature
View ArticleHangul Day
On hangul day read all about hangul: the Hangul Museum, Hangul calligraphy, hangul typography, and King Sejong in film and drama.
View ArticleKorean zombie film review: #Alive (2020)
I can’t say no to a Korean zombie film. And #Alive (#살아있다) was the most popular film on Netflix when it was released in September 2020.
View ArticleWhere is the home of renowned artist Shin Saimdang?
Shin Saimdang (1504-1551) is one of the most famous women in Korean history. And she was the model of Confucian values in the Joseon period. So it's not surprising that her family home is suitably...
View ArticleIs Peninsula (2020) as good as Train to Busan?
The Korean zombie film Peninsula (2020) is out on Netflix. It's the sequel to Train to Busan (2016) (also directed by Yeon Sang-ho). My expectations were high, but then I read the reviews which weren’t...
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