Insights into Korean daily life, language tips, traditional customs, and modern cultural trends including music.
When I was a child, I often went to our neighborhood public bathhouse, or mokyoktang, with my father. After soaking in the hot water, he would pull out a rough green Italy towel and scrub my back until my skin turned pink. It could sting a little, but there was always something to look forward … Read more
On a sweltering summer day, standing in front of an open refrigerator and wondering what to cook for dinner is a familiar routine. When my appetite fades in the summer heat, something hidden in the back of the refrigerator often comes to the rescue: well-aged kimchi, or mukeunji, left from the previous winter. Fresh kimchi … Read more
Bamseom is a small island in the Han River, almost directly beneath Seogang Bridge in Seoul. Today it is uninhabited and protected as an important urban wetland, but to me it has never been just one of the islands in the river. My father was born on Bamseom, and generations of my family lived there … Read more
Videos of international artists performing in South Korea sometimes go viral for an unusual reason: the audience seems to know every word. Thousands of people may sing an English-language chorus together, or continue a song almost immediately when the artist turns the microphone toward the crowd. In Korea, this kind of collective singing is commonly … Read more
If you want to understand Korean history and cultural heritage in one place, the National Museum of Korea is one of the best places to start in Seoul. Its permanent galleries cover everything from prehistoric Korea and the ancient kingdoms to Goryeo, Joseon, and the Korean Empire, while other sections introduce painting, ceramics, Buddhist art, … Read more
Korean art can be found far beyond Korea. Museums in New York, London, Paris, Tokyo, and many other cities hold Goryeo Buddhist paintings, Joseon white porcelain, ceramics, sculpture, textiles, archaeological objects, and everyday items from different periods of Korean history. Some of these objects left Korea more than a century ago, while others entered foreign … Read more
If you spend a winter in Korea, one of the first things you may notice indoors is the floor. Even in a modern apartment with beds, sofas, and dining tables, sitting or lying directly on a warm floor still feels completely natural to many Koreans. That warmth has a long history, but the heating system … Read more
When you visit an old Buddhist temple in South Korea, there is a good chance that getting there involves a mountain road, a forest trail, or at least a noticeable climb. Some of Korea’s best-known historic temples sit far from dense city centers, surrounded by trees and mountains. This sometimes leads to a simple explanation: … Read more
South Korean cinema is now associated with international awards, global streaming hits, and directors whose names are familiar far beyond Korea. But Korean film history also has another side: expensive projects that disappointed audiences, star-driven movies that failed to sell tickets, and films that became famous for reasons their creators probably never intended. Some of … Read more
If you watch Korean dramas regularly, you have probably seen the phrase “based on a webtoon” many times. The genres can be completely different. A workplace drama, zombie series, school-action story, romance, medical drama, or fantasy may all have started as digital comics. Sweet Home, All of Us Are Dead, Hellbound, and many other Korean … Read more