Here is a quick look back at the most popular AAK! posts of 2013, by the number of page view.
Most Viewed Posts of 2013 (All-Time Posts)
1. Culturalism, Gladwell, and Airplane Crashes
2. Lose Weight with Korean Diet
3. The Ultimate Korean Looks List
4. Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Korean Men
5. Fan Death is Real
Incredibly, the dog meat post dropped out of the top five list, supplanted by yet-another eternal Korean curiosity that is fan death. Apparently, the ladies around the world decided that they learned enough about Korean men, and decided to lose weight instead.
Most Viewed Posts of 2013 (Written in 2013)
1. Culturalism, Gladwell, and Airplane Crashes
2. How do Koreans Feel About the Chinese?
3. Malcolm Gladwell's Response to the Culturalism Post
4. Ten Most Influential Korean Movies
5. Here are Some Korean Slang Terms
The Korean's friend put it the best: "If you're going against Malcolm Gladwell, you'd better bring some elephant guns." By that measure, 2013 might be the year the Korean went on elephant hunting--but instead of blood and death, there was only a lively clash of opinions. It was a memorable experience.
The Korean wishes everyone a warm and happy end of the year. As always, thank you for reading this humble blog. See you next year.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Best of the Worst 2013
It is yet another installation of AAK!'s year-end tradition: the worst emails of the year 2013! This year has been another reaffirmation of the eternal truth that, on the Internet, the supply of stupidity is infinite. Despite seeing the examples of dumb questions from 2008, 2009, 2010 (in Parts I, II, and III), 2011 and 2012, people simply do not learn.
As usual, these are all real emails that the Korean really received. Other than redacting personal information, not a single thing about the email is changed or modified in any way. The Korean's comments and thoughts on the emails are highlighted in blue.
re: question
Kiseung had an initiation of the" Chignon",the putting up of hair.
What was the significance of that…?
Why a burial mound?
I'm sorry, who's Kiseung? And what does "chignon" mean in ancient Korean?
re: (no subject)
I DON'T GET WHY I ASIAN'S DON'T LIKE BLACK GIRL I MEAN IM REALLY DIFFERENT FROM OTHER BLACK GIRL. I DON'T HANG OUT WITH A LOT OF BLACK PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO LOUD RUDE AND GHETTO I REALLY DONT LIKE PEOPLE LIKE THAT I USAALY HANG WITH SPANISH AND I HAVE ABOUT 10 ASIAN FRIEND BUT THEY ARE CHINESE AND VIETNAMESE AND 1 KOREAN BUT SHE IS MIXED WITH BLACK I MEAN IM NOT FULLY BLACK BECAUSE MY MOM IS BLACK AND VIETNAMESE IM JAMAICAN AND VIETNAMESE.MY FAMILY DON'T REALLY GET ALONG WITH BLACK THAT MUCH IM INTO KOREAN MOSTLY AND JAPANESE I LOVE K-DRAMA AND THE CULTURE. I SPEAK IT A LITTLE BECAUSE ON MY FREE TIMES I ONLY WATCH THE DRAMAS OH AND THE GUYS ARE REALLY CUTE BUT IM NOT BEING RUDE BUT THE GIRLS ARE HARD TO TRUST I LEARNED FROM EXPERIENCES GUESS DRAMAS SRE RIGHT BUT YEAH
Right. But, yeah. Right. Right.
re: question for a korean
I was just curious if a korean and an american have children. considering when whites and blacks have children they are called maloto or millato or something so what would a korean white baby be called just curious as i live with one as a roomate.
They would be called, "Please just shut the fuck up."
re: (no subject)
I've been living here for several years now, grew up in Europe, but this country has the highest percentage of dumb, selfish, egocentric people I've ever experienced. Just hard work and discipline doesn't cut it. Moral, ethics and sincerity are equally important.
So, your question is...?
More stupidity, after the jump.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com. But no stupid questions please. I just can't take it anymore.
re: Love
Dear Korean,
I'm in love with a Korean man I met online who was in the US on business trip. I've known him for some time now and when he travels back and forth to the US we keep in contact through email, Skype, and meet up if he's in my state. He's an aircraft mechanic. He wants to move to the US but, his English still is not perfect though it is improving greatly now. Do you know how I can help him to stay in the US longer than his passport allows? If not able to give suggestions on that can you tell me something's I should know about maybe Korean etiquette or any other useful information about dating a Korean?
Thank you,
Jennifer [NAME REDACTED]
PS: I found you by googling Korean penis size as we were intimate recently and he is very very very small; which doesn't bother me because he fits a lot better in my mouth. (I have a bit of an oral fixation.)
Sorry if my English and grammar isn't very perfect at times. I am hard of hearing and mainly use sign language to communicate and it's in French grammar. :D
Sent from my iPhone
Somewhere in the world, a deaf woman met a Korean aircraft mechanic via online dating, and now schemes of immigration fraud. All the Korean wants for Christmas is not having to hear about another man's penis size.
re: DogHQ needs your expertise
Hi,
I thought you might be interested to check out DogHQ http://doghq.co
It's a question and answers online community about dogs — health, behaviour, training.
You can answer questions, vote for the best answers, comment and edit the answers.
As an expert you can benefit from an additional exposure and referrals from your profile.
Your clients may find a lot of their questions answered on the DogHQ http://doghq.co as well.
Please let me know what do you think.
Thanks!
Michael
DogHQ Admin
Does DogHQ have a section on new and innovative recipes for dog meat?
re: Korean women
I was told that when dating a Korean woman, they either crushed your opinion or your balls. Now what I assume the person meant by that was either you have no say or you're single, but I don't think Korean women would be that mean can you please shed some light on this situation? All help is greatly appreciated.
Ok, who was talking to this guy? The Korean needs to speak with you first.
re: Could you describe Korea's culture please?
[There was nothing in the body of the email.]
This question needs to be broader and more vague to be answered properly.
re: Korean Love, Korean Drama
Dear Korean,
The Korean will let you in on a secret, Karolina. EVERYTHING YOU SEE ON KOREAN TELEVISION IS COMPLETELY TRUE. Like, 100%. They just tie the cameras on the street lamps and let them roll.
re: (no subject)
Why do korean man despite black women so. I luv korean man so much especially kim sang bum ,he is ma favrite actor .bt e prblm is just tht l'm black. Its nt ma fault tht l ws created lyk this, if l culd change ma self l culd hve done tht a long tym ago .so can't u accept blacks e way they are. This is appliyin 2 all korean out there nd pliz koment or rply.
I... I don't know. I'm too afraid to say anything.
re: North Korea AHHH!!!
Dear Fellow Korean.
North Koreans will definitely test you on your Korean ability before they decide to send you to concentration camp. In fact, North Korean gulags are full of Korean Americans like yourselves, who never listened to your parents' plea to pay attention at your Saturday Korean school.
re: Can you read and write Korean?
Hi! Just wondering if you can read and write in Korean?
No, I'm an idiot. I lived in Korea through high school and never learned to read and write. Korean educational system failed me completely.
re: How is the following written in Korean using two vertical lines
I am wanting to have the following as a tattoo using two vertical lines. Also please verify the translation.
You should just get that tattoo. You can't read it anyway, so why does it matter?
re: ask a Korean
Hello, I am 16 years old now. Please look at the attached photo (I am
the one in the leftside). Would you mind to tell me, am I pretty /
average/ugly based on Korean standard ? Just freely to tell me the
truth, I'll never mind hehe. And, please just reply it here. Thanks!
:)
[Photo attached.]
The Korean thinks he will reply to you here, in public, for everyone to see. Here is the reply: stop being dumb.
re: Well, I need a lttle bit of help with my Korean Name
Dear Korean,
I was trying to find my korean name, but it as bit difficult for me sine I don't know a lot of korean... I know it means "God is full of blessings and indicates a person who only matures after much struggle for balance between reason and heart. She's seen as someone who doesn't knows what she wants, but when she decides she dedicates with body and soul to achieve her ideals."
But now I don't know how I'm gonna find my name, can you help me ?
Can I see your driver's license, Ms. "God of full of blessings and indicates a person who only matures after much struggle for balance between reason and heart. She's seen as someone who doesn't knows what she wants, but when she decides she dedicates with body and soul to achieve her ideals"?
re: Wax for Koreans?
Hello! Im having so many doubts about how do Koreans wax or what kind of process women in Korea do to have the beautiful skin. I've seen they have such a nice armpits, what's the secret of this? Also korean idols look incredibly flawless with their nice armpits. I've tried cold wax, one of those american products but I don't think is that useful like how Koreans use it, I'm very intrigued by this, and it would be nice if you can help me. Thank you"
Sent from my iPad
Why is it a surprise that people on television look good?
re: Im confused....
Hey Korean guy,
So basically I like Korean guys a lot more than white guys or any other race. I am mixed white and Hispanic and I started liking Korean guys while dating my first bf (he was Korean) I thought he was really .... not attractive.. at first, but later I saw him as really cute. I have no clue how it happened, but it did. But only two of my friends know I like Korean guys because to be honest I'm embarrassed. It's Not of the fact that I like them but the fact that some other girls who like Korean guys are like CRAZY about them, and their culture, and even try to act Korean. Idk I find that annoying. ..but I like Korean culture.. and I want to look Korean... but I dislike those type of girls who do that, especially if their really really white and look nothing like an Asian; I'm just being honest about my own feelings. Also for or some reason people look down on amwf relationships either as the guy has a white girl fetish or the girl has a Asian fetish. I hate the word fetish and never want anyone to call me that. Also I don't want to date a guy just because he's Asian. But I feel like more Asian guys like me because I have dark hair and pale skin and have some of "ideal" Asian features. But I hear all the time Asian guys like white girls but usually only date Asian girls. Also a lot of the Asian guys at my school know I dated an Asian guy so maybe they look at me more because of that reason. I know your not all knowing but really I would just like your opinion in all this mess in my head. I have some Korean friends but they all stick together most of the time and I don't want to hang out with them in a group and seem like a wanna be Asian girl. I only tend to make friends with the Asian people in my classes, its like I just gravitate towards them. If there's no one Asian in my class I don't really try to make friends. Even my Korean friends don't know I want to be Korean and only one knows I like Asian guys. Its because I act clueless when they bring stuff up about Korea. (I don't listen to k pop though) but I think I just like the perception of innocence and cuteness in Korean culture, I've only watched about two Korean dramas and I really loved how the relationships were so cute and innocent. I know that's probably not how its like in Korea all the time, but I like the idea. Also some Korean women looks so beautiful and mysterious yet also cute and I want to look that way too. Basically I never tell anyone this and I just need a second opinion on my weird problem, Also someone to get me to calm myself down :p
Sincerely, really confused...
The Korean never, ever wants to hear from another Asian man whining about how he can't get girls as long as these people exist.
re: Korean emotions
Asians, for the most part, pride themselves for not showing emotion, or letting others know what they are thinking. Why are Koreans so free in expressing outbursts of anger and hurt in public?
Maybe what you think you know about Asians is completely wrong.
re: Hello!
Hi there! I'm from Australia and I've been highly thinking about moving to Korea to try to become well known or famous.
Is this possible? Aron from Nu'est was American, I believe and moved to Korea to Stufy music and became famous.
Please give me a lot of detailed information on becoming famous and Arons big change ^^
Thank you
Becoming is famous is easy. More difficult is controlling what you become famous for.
re: (no subject)
1) I will reach ICN at 1030 pm on 27 September via the airline Scoot. May I know what is the cheapest way to get my way to Ibis Ambassador Seoul Gangnam Hotel?2) For the City Tour Bus around Seoul (City Circulation Course), may I know how much the 2 day pass cost? And is it possible to purchase it from the bus driver in the designated bus stops of the course, or only from Gwanghwamun bus stop?3) There is 3 type of courses for the City Tour Bus during the day, namely Traditional Market Course, City Circulation Course and the Cheongyecheon/ Palace course. Is it possible to switch around these courses using any of the 1 day pass, or I have to purchase all 3 type of passes?4) From http://english.seoul.go.
Seriously, just fuck you.
re: find person
can you please help me to find a person,her names JI AE from gongdandong gyeongsangbukdo gumi city, i think she is now 25 years old... near home plus and we work in ProSMtek co ltd. last 2007....thank you...
Sure, I am actually standing next to every single Korean person in the world. Let me turn my head and yell "Ji Ae!!"
re: Song title
There was a hit pop song in 1977, soft and melodious, that I cannot remember. It I heard the name, I’d recognize it.
I mean, just come on man. Really?
re: Traditional Gift basket for a Korean household
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
As usual, these are all real emails that the Korean really received. Other than redacting personal information, not a single thing about the email is changed or modified in any way. The Korean's comments and thoughts on the emails are highlighted in blue.
--------------------------------------------
re: question
Kiseung had an initiation of the" Chignon",the putting up of hair.
What was the significance of that…?
Why a burial mound?
I'm sorry, who's Kiseung? And what does "chignon" mean in ancient Korean?
re: (no subject)
I DON'T GET WHY I ASIAN'S DON'T LIKE BLACK GIRL I MEAN IM REALLY DIFFERENT FROM OTHER BLACK GIRL. I DON'T HANG OUT WITH A LOT OF BLACK PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO LOUD RUDE AND GHETTO I REALLY DONT LIKE PEOPLE LIKE THAT I USAALY HANG WITH SPANISH AND I HAVE ABOUT 10 ASIAN FRIEND BUT THEY ARE CHINESE AND VIETNAMESE AND 1 KOREAN BUT SHE IS MIXED WITH BLACK I MEAN IM NOT FULLY BLACK BECAUSE MY MOM IS BLACK AND VIETNAMESE IM JAMAICAN AND VIETNAMESE.MY FAMILY DON'T REALLY GET ALONG WITH BLACK THAT MUCH IM INTO KOREAN MOSTLY AND JAPANESE I LOVE K-DRAMA AND THE CULTURE. I SPEAK IT A LITTLE BECAUSE ON MY FREE TIMES I ONLY WATCH THE DRAMAS OH AND THE GUYS ARE REALLY CUTE BUT IM NOT BEING RUDE BUT THE GIRLS ARE HARD TO TRUST I LEARNED FROM EXPERIENCES GUESS DRAMAS SRE RIGHT BUT YEAH
Right. But, yeah. Right. Right.
re: question for a korean
I was just curious if a korean and an american have children. considering when whites and blacks have children they are called maloto or millato or something so what would a korean white baby be called just curious as i live with one as a roomate.
They would be called, "Please just shut the fuck up."
re: (no subject)
I've been living here for several years now, grew up in Europe, but this country has the highest percentage of dumb, selfish, egocentric people I've ever experienced. Just hard work and discipline doesn't cut it. Moral, ethics and sincerity are equally important.
Regards,
Glad to be a non-korean
So, your question is...?
More stupidity, after the jump.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com. But no stupid questions please. I just can't take it anymore.
re: Love
Dear Korean,
I'm in love with a Korean man I met online who was in the US on business trip. I've known him for some time now and when he travels back and forth to the US we keep in contact through email, Skype, and meet up if he's in my state. He's an aircraft mechanic. He wants to move to the US but, his English still is not perfect though it is improving greatly now. Do you know how I can help him to stay in the US longer than his passport allows? If not able to give suggestions on that can you tell me something's I should know about maybe Korean etiquette or any other useful information about dating a Korean?
Thank you,
Jennifer [NAME REDACTED]
PS: I found you by googling Korean penis size as we were intimate recently and he is very very very small; which doesn't bother me because he fits a lot better in my mouth. (I have a bit of an oral fixation.)
Sorry if my English and grammar isn't very perfect at times. I am hard of hearing and mainly use sign language to communicate and it's in French grammar. :D
Sent from my iPhone
Somewhere in the world, a deaf woman met a Korean aircraft mechanic via online dating, and now schemes of immigration fraud. All the Korean wants for Christmas is not having to hear about another man's penis size.
re: DogHQ needs your expertise
Hi,
I thought you might be interested to check out DogHQ http://doghq.co
It's a question and answers online community about dogs — health, behaviour, training.
You can answer questions, vote for the best answers, comment and edit the answers.
As an expert you can benefit from an additional exposure and referrals from your profile.
Your clients may find a lot of their questions answered on the DogHQ http://doghq.co as well.
Please let me know what do you think.
Thanks!
Michael
DogHQ Admin
Does DogHQ have a section on new and innovative recipes for dog meat?
re: Korean women
I was told that when dating a Korean woman, they either crushed your opinion or your balls. Now what I assume the person meant by that was either you have no say or you're single, but I don't think Korean women would be that mean can you please shed some light on this situation? All help is greatly appreciated.
Ok, who was talking to this guy? The Korean needs to speak with you first.
re: Could you describe Korea's culture please?
[There was nothing in the body of the email.]
This question needs to be broader and more vague to be answered properly.
re: Korean Love, Korean Drama
Dear Korean,
I'm a girl from Poland. I became interested in Korea few years ago and since that moment more and more I fall in love with this country. And that's what I'm curious about - Korean love - do they take it THAT seriously like in Korean Dramas? Is it true that a man can do anything to get a woman he's fallen for? Or is it a bit exaggerated and there's no different between Korean love and love in Europe? I know that Korean Dramas are only TV shows, but they are also beautiful ways of showing love - delicate and artistic - not like in Hollywood films.
Thank you in advance,
Karolina.
Karolina.
The Korean will let you in on a secret, Karolina. EVERYTHING YOU SEE ON KOREAN TELEVISION IS COMPLETELY TRUE. Like, 100%. They just tie the cameras on the street lamps and let them roll.
re: (no subject)
Why do korean man despite black women so. I luv korean man so much especially kim sang bum ,he is ma favrite actor .bt e prblm is just tht l'm black. Its nt ma fault tht l ws created lyk this, if l culd change ma self l culd hve done tht a long tym ago .so can't u accept blacks e way they are. This is appliyin 2 all korean out there nd pliz koment or rply.
I... I don't know. I'm too afraid to say anything.
re: North Korea AHHH!!!
Dear Fellow Korean.
Hello, I am a high schooler in Seattle.
Now, I'll be going to Seoul over summer break and what worries me most is North Korea right now.
What will happen if the war starts when I'm over there? Will I be able to come back to the States or will I be stuck in Korea until the war's over?
Which leads to...
So, let's say that I'm stuck in Korea and the war has started.
I can't speak Korean very fluently, though I can understand it. I can read most Korean but I suck at writing.
What will happen to me?
Will the North Koreans hate on me or send me somewhere to a concentration camp or something?
I'm sorry to load you with all these questions but I'm really scared for what's going to happen.
I (like everyone else) have family there and I have my future planned out and I don't want this to come as a surprise to me.
Please let me know if you can offer any help!
Thanks!
North Koreans will definitely test you on your Korean ability before they decide to send you to concentration camp. In fact, North Korean gulags are full of Korean Americans like yourselves, who never listened to your parents' plea to pay attention at your Saturday Korean school.
re: Can you read and write Korean?
Hi! Just wondering if you can read and write in Korean?
No, I'm an idiot. I lived in Korea through high school and never learned to read and write. Korean educational system failed me completely.
re: How is the following written in Korean using two vertical lines
I am wanting to have the following as a tattoo using two vertical lines. Also please verify the translation.
일단 아시아계가 백인을 가지 않을 거 야
Once you go Asian, you won't go Caucasian
First line: Once you go Asan
Second line: you won't go Caucasian
Thank you!
Nichole
Sent from my iPad
Sent from my iPad
You should just get that tattoo. You can't read it anyway, so why does it matter?
re: ask a Korean
Hello, I am 16 years old now. Please look at the attached photo (I am
the one in the leftside). Would you mind to tell me, am I pretty /
average/ugly based on Korean standard ? Just freely to tell me the
truth, I'll never mind hehe. And, please just reply it here. Thanks!
:)
[Photo attached.]
The Korean thinks he will reply to you here, in public, for everyone to see. Here is the reply: stop being dumb.
re: Well, I need a lttle bit of help with my Korean Name
Dear Korean,
But now I don't know how I'm gonna find my name, can you help me ?
Can I see your driver's license, Ms. "God of full of blessings and indicates a person who only matures after much struggle for balance between reason and heart. She's seen as someone who doesn't knows what she wants, but when she decides she dedicates with body and soul to achieve her ideals"?
re: Wax for Koreans?
Hello! Im having so many doubts about how do Koreans wax or what kind of process women in Korea do to have the beautiful skin. I've seen they have such a nice armpits, what's the secret of this? Also korean idols look incredibly flawless with their nice armpits. I've tried cold wax, one of those american products but I don't think is that useful like how Koreans use it, I'm very intrigued by this, and it would be nice if you can help me. Thank you"
Sent from my iPad
Why is it a surprise that people on television look good?
re: Im confused....
Hey Korean guy,
So basically I like Korean guys a lot more than white guys or any other race. I am mixed white and Hispanic and I started liking Korean guys while dating my first bf (he was Korean) I thought he was really .... not attractive.. at first, but later I saw him as really cute. I have no clue how it happened, but it did. But only two of my friends know I like Korean guys because to be honest I'm embarrassed. It's Not of the fact that I like them but the fact that some other girls who like Korean guys are like CRAZY about them, and their culture, and even try to act Korean. Idk I find that annoying. ..but I like Korean culture.. and I want to look Korean... but I dislike those type of girls who do that, especially if their really really white and look nothing like an Asian; I'm just being honest about my own feelings. Also for or some reason people look down on amwf relationships either as the guy has a white girl fetish or the girl has a Asian fetish. I hate the word fetish and never want anyone to call me that. Also I don't want to date a guy just because he's Asian. But I feel like more Asian guys like me because I have dark hair and pale skin and have some of "ideal" Asian features. But I hear all the time Asian guys like white girls but usually only date Asian girls. Also a lot of the Asian guys at my school know I dated an Asian guy so maybe they look at me more because of that reason. I know your not all knowing but really I would just like your opinion in all this mess in my head. I have some Korean friends but they all stick together most of the time and I don't want to hang out with them in a group and seem like a wanna be Asian girl. I only tend to make friends with the Asian people in my classes, its like I just gravitate towards them. If there's no one Asian in my class I don't really try to make friends. Even my Korean friends don't know I want to be Korean and only one knows I like Asian guys. Its because I act clueless when they bring stuff up about Korea. (I don't listen to k pop though) but I think I just like the perception of innocence and cuteness in Korean culture, I've only watched about two Korean dramas and I really loved how the relationships were so cute and innocent. I know that's probably not how its like in Korea all the time, but I like the idea. Also some Korean women looks so beautiful and mysterious yet also cute and I want to look that way too. Basically I never tell anyone this and I just need a second opinion on my weird problem, Also someone to get me to calm myself down :p
Sincerely, really confused...
The Korean never, ever wants to hear from another Asian man whining about how he can't get girls as long as these people exist.
re: Korean emotions
Asians, for the most part, pride themselves for not showing emotion, or letting others know what they are thinking. Why are Koreans so free in expressing outbursts of anger and hurt in public?
Maybe what you think you know about Asians is completely wrong.
re: Hello!
Hi there! I'm from Australia and I've been highly thinking about moving to Korea to try to become well known or famous.
Is this possible? Aron from Nu'est was American, I believe and moved to Korea to Stufy music and became famous.
Please give me a lot of detailed information on becoming famous and Arons big change ^^
Thank you
Becoming is famous is easy. More difficult is controlling what you become famous for.
re: (no subject)
1) I will reach ICN at 1030 pm on 27 September via the airline Scoot. May I know what is the cheapest way to get my way to Ibis Ambassador Seoul Gangnam Hotel?2) For the City Tour Bus around Seoul (City Circulation Course), may I know how much the 2 day pass cost? And is it possible to purchase it from the bus driver in the designated bus stops of the course, or only from Gwanghwamun bus stop?3) There is 3 type of courses for the City Tour Bus during the day, namely Traditional Market Course, City Circulation Course and the Cheongyecheon/ Palace course. Is it possible to switch around these courses using any of the 1 day pass, or I have to purchase all 3 type of passes?4) From http://english.seoul.go.
Seriously, just fuck you.
re: find person
can you please help me to find a person,her names JI AE from gongdandong gyeongsangbukdo gumi city, i think she is now 25 years old... near home plus and we work in ProSMtek co ltd. last 2007....thank you...
Sure, I am actually standing next to every single Korean person in the world. Let me turn my head and yell "Ji Ae!!"
re: Song title
There was a hit pop song in 1977, soft and melodious, that I cannot remember. It I heard the name, I’d recognize it.
I mean, just come on man. Really?
---------------------------------------------------------
If you managed to read this far, your brain probably melted. Here is the worst email of the year, which will blow away the last remaining bits of your senses.
::DRUMROLL::The Worst AAK! Email of the 2013!!!::DRUMROLL::
re: Traditional Gift basket for a Korean household
Okay, I feel helpless with this. Here is the situation, my daugter is seeing a Korean, his family is Korean (mother is from Pusan?) and his father is military. This past weekend the family came to see my daughter - a 5 hour drive. We in turn will be going to see them. I would like to put together a gift basket, but am not sure of what to give. I have scoured the web sites and these are what I came across as items to put into a gift basket. My son-in-law(to be) says to not bring anything - although his parents dislike that he has become too "Americanized" I feel since they have a traditional Korean home, I would bring a basket with some or all of these items:
Korean Tea - ginseng, yuja, persimmon
Asian Pears
Soju for father in law
Sriracha and other hot sauces (mini bottles)
Segmented servign dishes
Rice
Chopsticks
Lychee
Bok Choy
See, I am at a complete loss. I am learning the bow, when and how to bow to whom (elders), and am attempting to learn han'gul. I do not want to go without a gift, so please, I know you do not answer all of your e-mails, but I am hoping that you response to this one. I see them in 2 weeks.
Thank you in advance for any and all help!
Racist gift basket! This is straight out of a stand-up comic routine, except this email was written sincerely--which makes this email doubly awesome. Congratulations, you well-meaning lady who wants to pack lychee and bok choy for Koreans! You win the Worst Email of 2013.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Thoughts on Jang Seong-taek's Execution
Dear Korean,
Now that Kim Jong Un has executed his own uncle-in-law, what do you think is in North Korea's future? What does Joo Seong-Ha think?
The Second Generation Vietnamese-American College Student
For those who do not follow North Korea-related news, this happened: Kim Jong-un, the fresh-faced third-generation dictator of North Korea, had his uncle-in-law executed. Jang Seong-taek, who joined the Kim family by marrying Kim Jong-Il's sister Kim Gyeong-hee, was widely seen as North Korea's No. 2 in power. No more--Jang was arrested in the middle of the Labor Party meeting, was "tried" plotting the overthrow of Kim Jong-Un before a military tribunal, and was executed within days of his arrest. Currently, it is believed that Jang's cohorts are meeting a similar fate of getting arrested and summarily executed.
Obviously, this is a huge deal. There are two North Korea-stories that can possibly be bigger: death of Kim Jong-Un, or North Korea's collapse. Naturally, Mr. Joo Seong-ha has been pushing out copious amount of writing. Although Mr. Joo's writings on topic are far too much to translate, they center around a single theme: North Korea is in serious disarray and may collapse soon. In particular, Joo points to the military tribunal's judgment over Jang, and notes how much North Korea is admitting its failure.
The judgment claims that Jang sought the help of the military to overthrow Kim Jong-Un; Jang thought the military may have been willing to assist him as North Korea's economic devastation gets worse. It also claims that Jang planted a number of followers in the high ranks of the North Korean regime. Even suggesting these would have been unthinkable under Kim Jong-Il--an indication, according to Mr. Joo, of how deep the rot in North Korean leadership class has reached.
Jang's execution also pushes the situation closer to my personal opinion regarding North Korea, formed upon Kim Jong-Il's death: North Korea will fall suddenly, unpredictably and uncontrollably. This may appear unlikely, but my opinion is that it is the most likely possibility when other options are considered. The personality cult that lends legitimacy to Kim Jong-Un's rule is barely holding on. North Korea's economy lies in ruin, and there is a vast chasm between North Korea's current situation and any meaningful, Chinese-style reform that may nurse North Korea toward stability. Yet, even as a long shot, reform would have been the only way forward for North Korea's long-term survival.
It would be outrageous to call Jang Seong-taek, who was as barbaric of a ruler as anyone in the North Korean regime, a reformer of any sort. However, any reform that would save North Korea would probably have come through Jang. He did have a sophisticated understanding of how the world works, and how North Korea is seen internationally. Jang visited South Korea in 2002, and was instrumental toward establishing the special economic zone in Rason. But North Korea now disavows Jang's attempts at reform; the military tribunal specifically noted in its judgment that Jang was "selling the nation" by establishing the special economic zone. With that pronouncement, North Korea banged shut another door when it could least afford to do so.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Now that Kim Jong Un has executed his own uncle-in-law, what do you think is in North Korea's future? What does Joo Seong-Ha think?
The Second Generation Vietnamese-American College Student
For those who do not follow North Korea-related news, this happened: Kim Jong-un, the fresh-faced third-generation dictator of North Korea, had his uncle-in-law executed. Jang Seong-taek, who joined the Kim family by marrying Kim Jong-Il's sister Kim Gyeong-hee, was widely seen as North Korea's No. 2 in power. No more--Jang was arrested in the middle of the Labor Party meeting, was "tried" plotting the overthrow of Kim Jong-Un before a military tribunal, and was executed within days of his arrest. Currently, it is believed that Jang's cohorts are meeting a similar fate of getting arrested and summarily executed.
Obviously, this is a huge deal. There are two North Korea-stories that can possibly be bigger: death of Kim Jong-Un, or North Korea's collapse. Naturally, Mr. Joo Seong-ha has been pushing out copious amount of writing. Although Mr. Joo's writings on topic are far too much to translate, they center around a single theme: North Korea is in serious disarray and may collapse soon. In particular, Joo points to the military tribunal's judgment over Jang, and notes how much North Korea is admitting its failure.
The judgment claims that Jang sought the help of the military to overthrow Kim Jong-Un; Jang thought the military may have been willing to assist him as North Korea's economic devastation gets worse. It also claims that Jang planted a number of followers in the high ranks of the North Korean regime. Even suggesting these would have been unthinkable under Kim Jong-Il--an indication, according to Mr. Joo, of how deep the rot in North Korean leadership class has reached.
Jang's execution also pushes the situation closer to my personal opinion regarding North Korea, formed upon Kim Jong-Il's death: North Korea will fall suddenly, unpredictably and uncontrollably. This may appear unlikely, but my opinion is that it is the most likely possibility when other options are considered. The personality cult that lends legitimacy to Kim Jong-Un's rule is barely holding on. North Korea's economy lies in ruin, and there is a vast chasm between North Korea's current situation and any meaningful, Chinese-style reform that may nurse North Korea toward stability. Yet, even as a long shot, reform would have been the only way forward for North Korea's long-term survival.
It would be outrageous to call Jang Seong-taek, who was as barbaric of a ruler as anyone in the North Korean regime, a reformer of any sort. However, any reform that would save North Korea would probably have come through Jang. He did have a sophisticated understanding of how the world works, and how North Korea is seen internationally. Jang visited South Korea in 2002, and was instrumental toward establishing the special economic zone in Rason. But North Korea now disavows Jang's attempts at reform; the military tribunal specifically noted in its judgment that Jang was "selling the nation" by establishing the special economic zone. With that pronouncement, North Korea banged shut another door when it could least afford to do so.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Asiana Crash and Culturalism, Again
The NTSB recently held a hearing regarding the crash-landing of Asiana Flight 214 at the San Francisco Airport earlier this year, in which a testifying expert said that Korean culture may have contributed to the crash. This, again, is giving rise to the discussion about the correlation between Korean culture and airline crashes. For example, as they did previously, CNN put out a vignette that wondered whether Korean culture caused the plane to crash.
Because of my previous post about the culturalism surrounding the discussion regarding Flight 214, many people think that I was arguing Korean culture had no role whatsoever in the crash of Flight 214. That idea is a misread of the post. The main point of the post was not that culture does not exist, or culture plays no role in airplane crashes. Although part of the reason why the post turned out to be well-read was because it argued against Malcolm Gladwell's claim that culture was the primary determinant of airplane crashes, the gravamen of the post was not even about Mr. Gladwell's argument. The main point of the post was to raise a question about how we talk about culture.
Did Korean culture actually play a factor in the Asiana crash? Perhaps. I am in no position to question the expert, seeing that I am not an expert in flight safety. (Most of us are not.) Nor do I begrudge the fact that the expert probed whether a national culture impacted airline safety. It is important to ensure that flights are safe, and it would be irresponsible for the person in charge of the investigation to not examine all potential factors for the crash. If a well-supported research, backed by solid evidence, states that culture plays a role in airline safety, wonderful. That knowledge will make our flights safer.
But again, the point was not about whether or not culture plays a role in airline safety. The point was about culturalism. That is to say: why does this curiosity about the correlation between culture and plane crashes arise selectively? Why is it that, in the 2009 Air France crash, there was no discussion at all about the role of French culture in plane crashes? Why was there no discussion about American culture when a Southwest flight crash-landed in New York, mere weeks after the Asiana crash? (Is there anyone who sincerely believes that, in the upcoming NTSB hearing about the Southwest flight crash, there will be an expert discussing the American culture's contribution to the crash?) If national culture is such an important concept that must be examined to promote airline safety, why does the discussion about cultural factors never happen when a European or an American plane crashes?
The honest answer to these questions must inevitably involve the concept of bias, for culturalism is a form of bias. I am not willing to equate culturalism and racism, because the two terms do not overlap completely. For example, culturalism is evident in the manner in which the rest of America discusses the Deep South, in a way that racism is not. But as I wrote previously, culturalism and racism are related, as they are two streams from the same source--the desire to reduce an identifiable group of people to some kind of indelible essence.
This is why Europeans and Americans get a pass from the culturalist desire. It is not that Europeans and Americans do not have a culture that impacts their behavior; they clearly do. It is that Europeans and Americans are always afforded the luxury of being treated as individuals who are not slaves to their cultures. The same luxury is rarely afforded to South Americans, Middle Easterners, Africans and Asians. This is why Robert Mugabe's dictatorship is discussed as if it is a result of Africa's cultural pathology, while Vladimir Putin's dictatorship does not invite the same discussion about European culture. This is why, in the minds of the public, the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster had to be related to the Japanese culture, while the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster provoked zero discussion about the British culture.
People who are beholden to culturalism often fancy themselves to be an intrepid seeker of truth, undeterred by political correctness in search of greater knowledge. But for those people, the opposite is true: the culturalist impulse, rather than illuminating the truth, distorts and obscures it. For a speaker with culturalist tendencies, the desire to find some connection between culture and events becomes so strong that he elides the true facts for the sake of good story. The listener with culturalist mindset accepts that faulty narrative without raising questions, even though the story has obvious, glaring holes.
In the previous post, I critiqued Malcolm Gladwell's "Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes" to illustrate this culturalistic distortion. To draw the line connecting Korean culture and Korean Air Line's spotty safety record in the late 1990s, Gladwell engaged in a series of legerdemain. Gladwell ascribes several of KAL crashes to pilot errors, when those flights were actually victimized by terrorist attacks. Gladwell discusses at length the crash of KAL Flight 801 in 1997, and the inefficiency of Korean language to convey urgent messages in an emergency situation--except the pilots of Flight 801 were speaking in English. Gladwell quotes the black box transcript to claim that the co-pilot did not speak up clearly enough about the bad weather condition, but the part of the transcript that Gladwell failed to quote shows that the co-pilot in fact spoke up clearly, and the pilot acknowledged the poor weather.
The overall story that Gladwell thusly constructed is something that strains credulity: that Korean pilots are willing to die and kill hundreds of their passengers for the sake of keeping manners. Exposing the shoddy groundwork upon which Gladwell built this story was not difficult--after all, a nobody like myself, an anonymous blogger with a full time job, could do it. But the ease of this task only serves to highlight the gullibility that culturalism fosters. It is shocking that so many people--millions of people who bought Outliers and made Gladwell the most influential non-fiction writer of the last decade--simply accepted Gladwell's extremely unlikely story without asking themselves, "Seriously? I'm supposed to believe this?"
Let me make this clear one more time, because too many people, perhaps following their culturalist impulse, chase this idea as if it is a shiny object. This discussion is not about whether or not culture impacts plane crashes. For all we know, Korean culture really may have contributed to the Asiana crash. But that changes nothing about the way in which we discuss culture and plane crashes. CNN will continue running stories about Korean culture whenever a Korean plane crashes, while never raising questions about American culture when an American plane crashes. That is the discrepancy that I want you to think about.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Because of my previous post about the culturalism surrounding the discussion regarding Flight 214, many people think that I was arguing Korean culture had no role whatsoever in the crash of Flight 214. That idea is a misread of the post. The main point of the post was not that culture does not exist, or culture plays no role in airplane crashes. Although part of the reason why the post turned out to be well-read was because it argued against Malcolm Gladwell's claim that culture was the primary determinant of airplane crashes, the gravamen of the post was not even about Mr. Gladwell's argument. The main point of the post was to raise a question about how we talk about culture.
Did Korean culture actually play a factor in the Asiana crash? Perhaps. I am in no position to question the expert, seeing that I am not an expert in flight safety. (Most of us are not.) Nor do I begrudge the fact that the expert probed whether a national culture impacted airline safety. It is important to ensure that flights are safe, and it would be irresponsible for the person in charge of the investigation to not examine all potential factors for the crash. If a well-supported research, backed by solid evidence, states that culture plays a role in airline safety, wonderful. That knowledge will make our flights safer.
But again, the point was not about whether or not culture plays a role in airline safety. The point was about culturalism. That is to say: why does this curiosity about the correlation between culture and plane crashes arise selectively? Why is it that, in the 2009 Air France crash, there was no discussion at all about the role of French culture in plane crashes? Why was there no discussion about American culture when a Southwest flight crash-landed in New York, mere weeks after the Asiana crash? (Is there anyone who sincerely believes that, in the upcoming NTSB hearing about the Southwest flight crash, there will be an expert discussing the American culture's contribution to the crash?) If national culture is such an important concept that must be examined to promote airline safety, why does the discussion about cultural factors never happen when a European or an American plane crashes?
The honest answer to these questions must inevitably involve the concept of bias, for culturalism is a form of bias. I am not willing to equate culturalism and racism, because the two terms do not overlap completely. For example, culturalism is evident in the manner in which the rest of America discusses the Deep South, in a way that racism is not. But as I wrote previously, culturalism and racism are related, as they are two streams from the same source--the desire to reduce an identifiable group of people to some kind of indelible essence.
This is why Europeans and Americans get a pass from the culturalist desire. It is not that Europeans and Americans do not have a culture that impacts their behavior; they clearly do. It is that Europeans and Americans are always afforded the luxury of being treated as individuals who are not slaves to their cultures. The same luxury is rarely afforded to South Americans, Middle Easterners, Africans and Asians. This is why Robert Mugabe's dictatorship is discussed as if it is a result of Africa's cultural pathology, while Vladimir Putin's dictatorship does not invite the same discussion about European culture. This is why, in the minds of the public, the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster had to be related to the Japanese culture, while the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster provoked zero discussion about the British culture.
People who are beholden to culturalism often fancy themselves to be an intrepid seeker of truth, undeterred by political correctness in search of greater knowledge. But for those people, the opposite is true: the culturalist impulse, rather than illuminating the truth, distorts and obscures it. For a speaker with culturalist tendencies, the desire to find some connection between culture and events becomes so strong that he elides the true facts for the sake of good story. The listener with culturalist mindset accepts that faulty narrative without raising questions, even though the story has obvious, glaring holes.
In the previous post, I critiqued Malcolm Gladwell's "Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes" to illustrate this culturalistic distortion. To draw the line connecting Korean culture and Korean Air Line's spotty safety record in the late 1990s, Gladwell engaged in a series of legerdemain. Gladwell ascribes several of KAL crashes to pilot errors, when those flights were actually victimized by terrorist attacks. Gladwell discusses at length the crash of KAL Flight 801 in 1997, and the inefficiency of Korean language to convey urgent messages in an emergency situation--except the pilots of Flight 801 were speaking in English. Gladwell quotes the black box transcript to claim that the co-pilot did not speak up clearly enough about the bad weather condition, but the part of the transcript that Gladwell failed to quote shows that the co-pilot in fact spoke up clearly, and the pilot acknowledged the poor weather.
The overall story that Gladwell thusly constructed is something that strains credulity: that Korean pilots are willing to die and kill hundreds of their passengers for the sake of keeping manners. Exposing the shoddy groundwork upon which Gladwell built this story was not difficult--after all, a nobody like myself, an anonymous blogger with a full time job, could do it. But the ease of this task only serves to highlight the gullibility that culturalism fosters. It is shocking that so many people--millions of people who bought Outliers and made Gladwell the most influential non-fiction writer of the last decade--simply accepted Gladwell's extremely unlikely story without asking themselves, "Seriously? I'm supposed to believe this?"
Let me make this clear one more time, because too many people, perhaps following their culturalist impulse, chase this idea as if it is a shiny object. This discussion is not about whether or not culture impacts plane crashes. For all we know, Korean culture really may have contributed to the Asiana crash. But that changes nothing about the way in which we discuss culture and plane crashes. CNN will continue running stories about Korean culture whenever a Korean plane crashes, while never raising questions about American culture when an American plane crashes. That is the discrepancy that I want you to think about.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
What Does My Korean Name Mean?
[Series Index]
Dear Korean,
My question concerns my Korean name. The story I have been told all my life is that I was found on a street corner by a policeman in Seoul and subsequently placed in an orphanage. I was given a name and a date of birth, one of which stuck with me (the birth date), while the other (the name) was abandoned faster than a politician’s promise when I was adopted by a military family from the United States. I was adopted during a time when the philosophy was to assimilate foreign children into their new culture as quickly and as thoroughly as possible. For most of my life, it never even occurred to me that my Korean name might mean anything other than “Jane Doe.”
Recently, I was told that my name means “fate” or “destiny,” but upon a Google search, I found other meanings. I am wondering if you would be willing to set the matter straight. The romanization I was given is: Park Sook-Myung.
Rebekah M.
Believe it or not, this is one of the most common types of question that the Korean would receive: Korean Americans, usually adoptees, asking about the meaning of their Korean name. Although the Korean previously dealt with this issue several times, it wouldn't hurt to go over this one more time and have a post that is more explicitly focused on the name meanings.
Here is the short answer to Rebekah: there is no way to know the meaning of your name unless we know the Chinese characters behind your name.
Let's first get a sense of Korean language generally. Remember this important point: (classical) Chinese is to Korean is Latin is to English. Just like many English words have a Latin origin, many Korean words have a Chinese origin. Those words are called Sino-Korean. As is the case with English, Korean words that are on the more sophisticated side tend to be Sino-Korean.
For example, the word "boxer" originates from Middle English; the word "pugilist," which means the same but is usually used in a higher-level discourse, originates from Latin. Similarly, for example, Koreans may use the pure Korean word 아기 ("baby") to refer to a young child, in an everyday conversation. But in legal documents, Koreans are more likely to use the Sino-Korean word 영아 ("infant"). Because 아기 is a pure Korean word, one cannot write this word using Chinese characters. But because 영아 is a Sino-Korean word, one can write this word using Chinese characters, like so: 嬰兒.
Importantly, most Korean names are Sino-Korean, which means they use Chinese characters. To be sure, some babies are given purely Korean names, such as 하늘 (Haneul, "sky") or 나래 (Narae, "wings"). But these names tend to be the minority: depending on the year, between 3 and 9 percent of the babies are given purely Korean names. In all other instances, Korean names are Sino-Korean words. This means that, for most Korean names, one cannot know their meaning unless one also knows the Chinese characters behind them. This becomes even truer because a single Korean syllable does not correspond one-on-one to a single Chinese character. Instead, it is very common for a dozen different Chinese characters to have the same sound in Korean.
For example, let's take the syllables "sook" (숙) and "myung" (명) from Rebehak's name. Here are just some of the Chinese characters that are pronounced as "sook" in Sino-Korean: 淑 (to be clear); 宿 (to sleep); 肅 (to be somber); 熟 (to be cooked); 叔 (uncle); 夙 (early); 琡 (jade); 菽 (bean). Similarly, here are the Chinese characters that are pronounced as "myung" in Sino-Korean: 明 (bright); 命 (life); 名 (name); 鳴 (to cry); 銘 (to engrave); 冥 (to be dark); 螟 (inchworm); 皿 (dish; vessel); 酩 (to be drunk).
(Note: the Chinese language does a much better job at distinguishing these characters because the Chinese language is tonal. Centuries ago, Korean language used to be tonal as well--which probably helped navigating the Sino-Korean words. But today, Korean language only has the tiniest vestiges of tones, most of which are unnoticed even by Koreans themselves.)
Because there are so many possibilities, it is nearly pointless to ask: "my Korean name is 'Sook-Myung.' What does 'Sook-Myung' mean?" Unless one actually knows the Chinese character behind "sook" and "myung", it is not possible to say what the name means exactly. It can mean anywhere between "clear and bright," "dark jade" and "drunk bean." Like Rebehak pointed out, "Sook-Myung" can mean "destiny," if one wrote the word with these Chinese characters: 宿命.
It is possible to make an educated guess. It is very unlikely for the name "Sook-Myung" to mean "destiny," if only because Koreans customarily do not use the characters 宿命 to name a child. There are certain sets of Chinese characters that Koreans commonly use for a name--which the Korean covered in this post. Based on the commonly used characters, one can somewhat narrow down the possibilities. If the Korean was forced to guess the Chinese characters behind "Sook-Myung," he would have guessed this: 淑明, i.e. "clean and bright" or "demure and wise." (These are the same characters used in Sookmyung Women's University in Seoul.)
But even this guess is inexact, because there are also multiple commonly used Chinese characters that share the same sound. For example, the common Chinese characters for the syllable "yoon" in a Korean name can be 潤 (rich), 允 (truth) or 胤 (first-born). So the bottom line remains the same: to know what a Korean name means, one has to know the Chinese characters used for that name.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Dear Korean,
My question concerns my Korean name. The story I have been told all my life is that I was found on a street corner by a policeman in Seoul and subsequently placed in an orphanage. I was given a name and a date of birth, one of which stuck with me (the birth date), while the other (the name) was abandoned faster than a politician’s promise when I was adopted by a military family from the United States. I was adopted during a time when the philosophy was to assimilate foreign children into their new culture as quickly and as thoroughly as possible. For most of my life, it never even occurred to me that my Korean name might mean anything other than “Jane Doe.”
Recently, I was told that my name means “fate” or “destiny,” but upon a Google search, I found other meanings. I am wondering if you would be willing to set the matter straight. The romanization I was given is: Park Sook-Myung.
Rebekah M.
Believe it or not, this is one of the most common types of question that the Korean would receive: Korean Americans, usually adoptees, asking about the meaning of their Korean name. Although the Korean previously dealt with this issue several times, it wouldn't hurt to go over this one more time and have a post that is more explicitly focused on the name meanings.
Here is the short answer to Rebekah: there is no way to know the meaning of your name unless we know the Chinese characters behind your name.
Let's first get a sense of Korean language generally. Remember this important point: (classical) Chinese is to Korean is Latin is to English. Just like many English words have a Latin origin, many Korean words have a Chinese origin. Those words are called Sino-Korean. As is the case with English, Korean words that are on the more sophisticated side tend to be Sino-Korean.
For example, the word "boxer" originates from Middle English; the word "pugilist," which means the same but is usually used in a higher-level discourse, originates from Latin. Similarly, for example, Koreans may use the pure Korean word 아기 ("baby") to refer to a young child, in an everyday conversation. But in legal documents, Koreans are more likely to use the Sino-Korean word 영아 ("infant"). Because 아기 is a pure Korean word, one cannot write this word using Chinese characters. But because 영아 is a Sino-Korean word, one can write this word using Chinese characters, like so: 嬰兒.
Importantly, most Korean names are Sino-Korean, which means they use Chinese characters. To be sure, some babies are given purely Korean names, such as 하늘 (Haneul, "sky") or 나래 (Narae, "wings"). But these names tend to be the minority: depending on the year, between 3 and 9 percent of the babies are given purely Korean names. In all other instances, Korean names are Sino-Korean words. This means that, for most Korean names, one cannot know their meaning unless one also knows the Chinese characters behind them. This becomes even truer because a single Korean syllable does not correspond one-on-one to a single Chinese character. Instead, it is very common for a dozen different Chinese characters to have the same sound in Korean.
For example, let's take the syllables "sook" (숙) and "myung" (명) from Rebehak's name. Here are just some of the Chinese characters that are pronounced as "sook" in Sino-Korean: 淑 (to be clear); 宿 (to sleep); 肅 (to be somber); 熟 (to be cooked); 叔 (uncle); 夙 (early); 琡 (jade); 菽 (bean). Similarly, here are the Chinese characters that are pronounced as "myung" in Sino-Korean: 明 (bright); 命 (life); 名 (name); 鳴 (to cry); 銘 (to engrave); 冥 (to be dark); 螟 (inchworm); 皿 (dish; vessel); 酩 (to be drunk).
(Note: the Chinese language does a much better job at distinguishing these characters because the Chinese language is tonal. Centuries ago, Korean language used to be tonal as well--which probably helped navigating the Sino-Korean words. But today, Korean language only has the tiniest vestiges of tones, most of which are unnoticed even by Koreans themselves.)
Because there are so many possibilities, it is nearly pointless to ask: "my Korean name is 'Sook-Myung.' What does 'Sook-Myung' mean?" Unless one actually knows the Chinese character behind "sook" and "myung", it is not possible to say what the name means exactly. It can mean anywhere between "clear and bright," "dark jade" and "drunk bean." Like Rebehak pointed out, "Sook-Myung" can mean "destiny," if one wrote the word with these Chinese characters: 宿命.
It is possible to make an educated guess. It is very unlikely for the name "Sook-Myung" to mean "destiny," if only because Koreans customarily do not use the characters 宿命 to name a child. There are certain sets of Chinese characters that Koreans commonly use for a name--which the Korean covered in this post. Based on the commonly used characters, one can somewhat narrow down the possibilities. If the Korean was forced to guess the Chinese characters behind "Sook-Myung," he would have guessed this: 淑明, i.e. "clean and bright" or "demure and wise." (These are the same characters used in Sookmyung Women's University in Seoul.)
But even this guess is inexact, because there are also multiple commonly used Chinese characters that share the same sound. For example, the common Chinese characters for the syllable "yoon" in a Korean name can be 潤 (rich), 允 (truth) or 胤 (first-born). So the bottom line remains the same: to know what a Korean name means, one has to know the Chinese characters used for that name.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
North Korea 2014 Calendar from NK News is Here
If blogs could be friends, Ask a Korean! would be hanging out with NK News all the time, watching KBO baseball and knocking back some Taedonggang beer (as seen in the Economist.) And when the holiday season rolls around, the two blogs would exchange gifts.
Unfortunately, blogs can't be friends. So you, the Ask a Korean! reader, can receive the gift from NK News instead! NK News unveiled a gorgeous 2014 North Korea calendar, showcasing a glimpse in the life in North Korea. And just for Ask a Korean! readers, NK News provided a special discount code: at the check out, enter the coupon code "askakorean" to receive $5 off.
The proceeds will support NK News, one of the best English language blogs about North Korea. With your help, the awesome features like Ask a North Korean can continue. Happy shopping!
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Unfortunately, blogs can't be friends. So you, the Ask a Korean! reader, can receive the gift from NK News instead! NK News unveiled a gorgeous 2014 North Korea calendar, showcasing a glimpse in the life in North Korea. And just for Ask a Korean! readers, NK News provided a special discount code: at the check out, enter the coupon code "askakorean" to receive $5 off.
The proceeds will support NK News, one of the best English language blogs about North Korea. With your help, the awesome features like Ask a North Korean can continue. Happy shopping!
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Who's Coming to SXSW 2014?
What is the future of international K-pop?
The early stages of K-pop's foray into the international arena was dominated by idol groups, backed by strategic, long-term corporate planning and funds. The dominance was such that the term "K-pop" mistakenly come to be equated to "idol pop," despite the fact that "K-pop" plainly stands for "Korean pop music." Ignorance of the deep history and the broad range of Korean pop music, and focusing only on the internationally visible part of it, caused many prognosticators to make their prediction only on the continued viability of idol groups outside of Korea.
Then Gangnam Style came along and changed everything. From the domestic perspective, Gangnam Style is not a major break from the history of Korean pop music. PSY was a known quantity in Korea for more than a decade; his music, though evolved over time, retained the same character throughout his career. But internationally, Gangnam Style broke new ground for K-pop. That a goofy song, almost entirely in Korean, sung by a chubby rapper doing a funny dance, would be one of the greatest worldwide pop culture phenomena, is the last thing that those who only focused on idol pop could have expected.
The lesson: the next phase of K-pop will not be the continuation of Korean pop music that is internationally visible today. Rather, it will be a sudden explosion of K-pop's as-yet unexplored potential--vibrant and dynamic within Korea, but not yet widely available outside of Korea. In short, it will be the international introduction to Korea's indie scene, with its highly sophisticated line-up of hip hop and modern rock standing ready to make their marks.
Which brings us to South by Southwest (SXSW) 2014. SXSW is a pop music conference held in Austin, Texas since 1987. Almost since its beginning, it has been a reliable gauge on the worldwide trend in pop music. More to the point--SXSW 2014 will bring more Korean indie musicians to America than any other occasion before. The lineup so far includes 13 Korean artists, including such luminaries as Crying Nut, Nell, Jambinai and Kiha & the Faces, as well as the up-and-coming bands like Glen Check and Idiotape. If you want to see the future of international K-pop, there is no better place to be.
Now, the question is...
Normally, the Korean would simply travel with the Korean Wife in blissful anonymity, and all will be well. But SXSW 2014, which happens March 11-16, unfortunately conflicts with the Korean Wife's own performance schedule. (Sadly, SXSW 2014 was not interested in opera and classical music.)
So: who's coming with me? The Korean will be honest: SXSW is a huge, week-long event with more than 30,000 attendees. Travel will not be cheap, and neither is the ticket. Right now, the "Music Badge" is $725--ultimately a deal considering the number of artists making an appearance, but a steep amount nonetheless. As of now, the Korean is not even certain that he can make this trip next year given the constraints of time and budget; but it will make his decision a lot easier if he knew he would meet some cool people along the way.
Consider this as a public gauging-of-interest. Who wants to come to Austin, attend SXSW 2014, witness the future of K-pop, and hang out with the writer of this humble blog? If you are interested, please do NOT leave a comment--instead, SEND AN EMAIL directly to the Korean, with a short introduction of yourself. If it looks like we will have a party going, the Korean will update further.
The website for SXSW 2014 is here. The preview for Korean talents appearing at SXSW 2014 can be found here at koreanindie.com. Let's make this happen.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
The early stages of K-pop's foray into the international arena was dominated by idol groups, backed by strategic, long-term corporate planning and funds. The dominance was such that the term "K-pop" mistakenly come to be equated to "idol pop," despite the fact that "K-pop" plainly stands for "Korean pop music." Ignorance of the deep history and the broad range of Korean pop music, and focusing only on the internationally visible part of it, caused many prognosticators to make their prediction only on the continued viability of idol groups outside of Korea.
Then Gangnam Style came along and changed everything. From the domestic perspective, Gangnam Style is not a major break from the history of Korean pop music. PSY was a known quantity in Korea for more than a decade; his music, though evolved over time, retained the same character throughout his career. But internationally, Gangnam Style broke new ground for K-pop. That a goofy song, almost entirely in Korean, sung by a chubby rapper doing a funny dance, would be one of the greatest worldwide pop culture phenomena, is the last thing that those who only focused on idol pop could have expected.
The lesson: the next phase of K-pop will not be the continuation of Korean pop music that is internationally visible today. Rather, it will be a sudden explosion of K-pop's as-yet unexplored potential--vibrant and dynamic within Korea, but not yet widely available outside of Korea. In short, it will be the international introduction to Korea's indie scene, with its highly sophisticated line-up of hip hop and modern rock standing ready to make their marks.
Which brings us to South by Southwest (SXSW) 2014. SXSW is a pop music conference held in Austin, Texas since 1987. Almost since its beginning, it has been a reliable gauge on the worldwide trend in pop music. More to the point--SXSW 2014 will bring more Korean indie musicians to America than any other occasion before. The lineup so far includes 13 Korean artists, including such luminaries as Crying Nut, Nell, Jambinai and Kiha & the Faces, as well as the up-and-coming bands like Glen Check and Idiotape. If you want to see the future of international K-pop, there is no better place to be.
Now, the question is...
Normally, the Korean would simply travel with the Korean Wife in blissful anonymity, and all will be well. But SXSW 2014, which happens March 11-16, unfortunately conflicts with the Korean Wife's own performance schedule. (Sadly, SXSW 2014 was not interested in opera and classical music.)
So: who's coming with me? The Korean will be honest: SXSW is a huge, week-long event with more than 30,000 attendees. Travel will not be cheap, and neither is the ticket. Right now, the "Music Badge" is $725--ultimately a deal considering the number of artists making an appearance, but a steep amount nonetheless. As of now, the Korean is not even certain that he can make this trip next year given the constraints of time and budget; but it will make his decision a lot easier if he knew he would meet some cool people along the way.
Consider this as a public gauging-of-interest. Who wants to come to Austin, attend SXSW 2014, witness the future of K-pop, and hang out with the writer of this humble blog? If you are interested, please do NOT leave a comment--instead, SEND AN EMAIL directly to the Korean, with a short introduction of yourself. If it looks like we will have a party going, the Korean will update further.
The website for SXSW 2014 is here. The preview for Korean talents appearing at SXSW 2014 can be found here at koreanindie.com. Let's make this happen.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
TK's Favorite Figures in American History
Dear Korean,
This past week has included the anniversary of the assassination of JFK and also Lincoln's famous speech at Gettysburg. Both men are admired/respected and shaped our nation for the better. I wondered who in American history the Korean admired/respected (not necessarily political figures) and why.
A History Buff
Here is a light little post to work off the Thanksgiving turkey. :)
Because the Korean is an attorney, he spent his college and law school years admiring America's great jurists. After several phases involving John Marshall, William Douglas, Clarence Darrow and Earl Warren, he is now set on his favorite jurist of all time: Justice Robert H. Jackson.
Justice Jackson is widely regarded as the best writer of Supreme Court's history. By the Korean's estimation, the judge certain deserves the reputation. Justice Jackson's majority opinion in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, 319 U.S. 624 (1943), may be the greatest Supreme Court opinion of all time, if one judged Supreme Court opinions simply by literary merit. In Barnette, Justice Jackson ruled that Jehovah's Witnesses need not participate in their school's flag salute. Justice Jackson's best line is still quoted often to this day: "If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion, or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein."
Justice Jackson was not simply a gifted writer. He was a fine jurist who understood both the power of the law and its limitations, which allowed him to exercise the Supreme Court's authority in the most effective manner: moving toward progressive ideals, employing conservative methods.
Honorable Mentions: In addition to the people named earlier, the Korean is also quite fond of Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Thurgood Marshall, Malcolm X, Sandra Day O'Connor, and many others that he must be missing right now.
Got a question or comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Justice Jackson was not simply a gifted writer. He was a fine jurist who understood both the power of the law and its limitations, which allowed him to exercise the Supreme Court's authority in the most effective manner: moving toward progressive ideals, employing conservative methods.
Honorable Mentions: In addition to the people named earlier, the Korean is also quite fond of Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Thurgood Marshall, Malcolm X, Sandra Day O'Connor, and many others that he must be missing right now.
Got a question or comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
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