I'm a third-generation Zainichi Korean starting to document my community with a Hasselblad.

What topics would you like to read articles about? I've started writing articles on Substack. I'm trying to write articles that are as political as possible, connecting the present with historical context.

Happy to answer anything about our lives, situations, emotions, etc!

I want to ask about the words аргубя/оргубя, тягубя/чегубя (argubya/orgubya, tyagubya/chegubya) and their etymology and how do you write them in hangul.

Basically, these are words that koreans in Kazakstan (probably in other countries too) use to describe mixed koreans, like 50% korean and 25% korean.

But I cannot find any etymology of these words or equivalents dictionaries. Can you please help me?

I don’t know if this falls under personal or language. I was wondering if there’s a way to know how to write my name in hanmoon? I know there are potential spelling differences. both of my parents are dead, so I can’t ask them (I should have when I was a kid). it’s not urgent or necessary, just something I’d like to know.

born in raised in USA, so I doubt any records in Korea.

Hi there, me and my partner are moving to Korea soon, we are both 30 and were wondering which area to move in to?

What I’m trying to find out is the best neighbourhoods to live in that aren’t too young or too touristy but somewhere everyone generally recommends living in?

I am currently staying with my friend, her husband, and their son in Korea for a week. We are in our 40s. For me, it is more of a "normal life" experience than a go-go-go touristy situation. For example, we might go to a cafe while her son is in school or go shopping. Her husband is a doctor who owns a medical clinic and she is currently a stay at home mom.

I have only been able to get my credit card out fast enough to pay once, though often it's not really a possibility for me to pay because they are using their apps. They have been paying for everything, including me getting a free checkup and treatment at her husband's clinic.

In the past when I have met with Korean friends, they have paid for most things the first day, but then let me pay more starting on the second day. These friends were more often low wage workers.

I feel like I should offer to reimburse my friend, but I don't have a lot of cash on me and would need help getting to the ATM. I'm also fairly certain that once I offer, she will decline, and I'm not entirely sure if I should keep pushing or how many times I should insist before I give up. I don't know how much things have been costing, so I don't know how much to offer. I also am not sure how comfortable they are financially/how much of a financial burden it is to have me around.

One possible way to reimburse her that I've thought of is making sure that i pay when we go to Costco (She doesnt have a membership. I do.) But I dont know what, if anything, she'll want and if that will even things out. (And if you happen to be the American friend going with us and recognize me, please keep your mouth shut and/or DM me with the answer)

Please share your thoughts!! I don't want to be rude at all.

I recently tried McCol (맥콜) and noticed a similar bittersweet, herbal profile to Moxie (a regional soda that is almost exclusively found in Maine, USA).

I realize Moxie is an obscure drink even within the US (let alone Korea) but I’m quite curious if anyone here has tried both, do you think they taste similar or is it just me?

Ok… quick backstory. Met a Korean guy online about 2 1/2 weeks ago, we’ve been in pretty much constant contact and had a handful of videocalls, he was quickly expressing his affection towards me and within the past few days he’s been dropping several “사랑해”— I know that it carries less weight as it does for me as a native English speaker, so on my part, I have not said it back since it doesn’t feel right yet.

However, I have a few doubts:
1. Is he going to become insecure if I don’t say it back? I am considering it since technically I’d just be engaging in a cultural exchange of endearment rather than professing my undying love to him.
2. Is it normal for someone to say this to someone they haven’t actually met in person? It’s my first experience with a Korean man as well as my first experience with online dating….

Help please🙏

Every time I see a Korean celebrity post content from a gym, that gym has no windows and looks like it's underground. Is that common in Seoul? Or are there lots of above-ground gyms with huge windows too?

I can't find it in any webtoon reddit community despite some users being interested.

I searched in the official manwha apps too but found nothing.

If someone knows this synopsis or can post it in a korean community to help me find,I will be really really grateful♡

I would post it myself but I don't know any and I doubt I would succeed in having access either.

Fl was married or engaged and her husband had and mistress glorified the affair.The mistress was not necessarily bad,but very naive and when fl went back in time,she used it against her.

She broke up the engagement and helped the girl become a noble lady and get engaged to the ex fiance.But neither his family or society accepted her.That was fl plan for revenge.She knew their relationship was doomed.

I think fl had white hair,mistress blonde hair and ml black hair.I think ml was imperial family too.

I was working on translating a song, and I am stuck trying to figure out the best/most poetic way to translate this lyric: "죽도록** *네게* *미쳤나* *보다"*. I tried using Papago and another translation site, and I got really literal translations that feel too plain to use in a song. Normally, I am able to use my own Korean language knowledge to the best of my abilities to figure something out, but I'm out of my depth here lolol 😭

Lyrics before that one are:

미쳐 미쳐 미쳤나 보다, 너에게 미쳐나 보다

The song is 미쳐 미쳐 by 피철인 (aka 디노 from Seventeen), but it hasn't been released officially yet :)

Thank you!!

—— edit ———

thank you so much everyone for the translation help!! the song came out today so i was able to post my lyric video too!!

here are the links if you are interested in watching it :))

미쳐 미쳐 instagram

미쳐 미쳐 tiktok

[edit: fixed the typo 미챴나 to 미쳤나]

Is anybody going to the game and can take 3 people along?

I’m a foreigner and can’t buy any tickets for the game and really want to go, I understood that you could buy 4 tickets, is anybody available to do this, it would mean a lot. I would obviously pay for it

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1C6h5wE54j/

I saw this on Facebook and tried to look up on Google but couldn't find any information on it. It's supposedly located in Busan according to the video of this Pokemon City

Recently started attending this new church in Korea town America. Seems like all the kids (college to new grads) there are trying to determine each other's ages through roundabout questions. At lunch, one girl straight up asked everyone point blank how old they are. Is this common among Korean (American) (youth) (of a certain generation)?

Since kpop has become very popular here in the West, I often come across certain points of criticism with regard to kpop idols doing aegyo by other Westerners. Many of these critics interpret this as what they refer to "pedo-baiting", meaning kpop idols do aegyo with the intend to appeal to men who are attracted to underaged girls. In feminist circles, I even heard the claim that aegyo allegedly is a soft-power to control women and to reinforce what they call "the patriarchy".

Frankly, I have a hard time believing this. Although I must admit that as someone who grew up in the West, aegyo seems quite strange to me, I'm nevertheless under the impression that these people make the mistake of judging an aspect of a foreign culture by the standards of their own culture and can't make themselves free of looking at it through a Western lens.

Can somebody who is familiar with Korean culture please explain to me what's really going on with aegyo in kpop from a Korean perspective?

I am going on a summer exchange program at JBNU and wanted to know how the university is for Life Science/Biotechnology. What to expect going there in terms of social life, travel, food, etc.

Thanks in advance!

I’ve been watching Korean tv shows on Netflix for a while and somehow I ended up watching couple of school themed ones. So cannot help but wonder is bullying that bad in Korean schools? Or is it just exaggeration?

What beer do you recommend to tourists visiting Korea?

Hello hello! I am from the US. I would like to visit South Korea (no timetable on this, just a bucket list thing), but I am visibly autistic. I know there's quite a bit of stigma around mental/physical illness there. I don't have big meltdowns like you see on TV, but sometimes I do cry when I'm overstimulated, and I stim a lot (usually just squeezing my hands or flicking my fingers). I sometimes can't talk, but I currently have a speaking app on my phone that can talk for me during these times. Would it be common for someone to try to take advantage of someone like me there? I'm pretty street smart in the US, and can figure out when I'm in trouble (usually a bit later than normal people, but I get there still), but I've never left the country. I have been trying to learn Korean because the language sounds beautiful, and I will hopefully be able to at least understand a lot of stuff by the time I actually go there if I do. I have heard that South Korea is a very safe place to travel, but that kind of thought usually just fits for normal people, not people like me. I guess my main concerns are if I would be likely to be not served in a restaurant or would it be common to deal with people following me in the street as I travel. That's what my mom's worried about, is me being seen as weird and someone trying to hurt me because of it. If this kind of question is offensive, I apologize, please educate me, I don't mean to be insensitive. Thank you for your thoughts, I appreciate everything.

Hi everyone!

I'm a recent high school graduate from Italy and I'm planning to study in Korea. My long-term goal is to complete my bachelor's degree there.

At the moment I'm trying to decide which university would be the best fit for me. I'm mainly interested in Business Administration, International Business, Marketing, Finance, and I'm also open to Industrial Engineering or Telecommunications if they offer good opportunities.

My current plan is to start with a Korean language program at the same university and then continue with my undergraduate degree.

I'll be visiting Korea from late September to late October, and I'm planning to visit several campuses before making my final decision.

For those of you who studied (or are studying) in Korea:

Which universities would you recommend for these majors?

Which ones have the best Korean language institutes?

How important is campus life and the surrounding area when choosing a university?

If you could choose again, would you pick the same university?

Is there anything you wish you had known before applying?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your personal experiences. Thank you!

Hey!

I am based in London and have visited Korea a few times , everytime I am there I see people running with UV face masks and I never get around to buying them.

does anyone know where I can buy good quality ones that Koreans reach for , that can be shipped to the UK?

Or any specific brands that come to mind?

Thank you so much !!

Why does it seem like they’ve been claiming election fraud ever since the unified local elections???

And why are they rejecting the former party leader who was elected in the by-election for the National Assembly???

My son has a rare syndrome; he is cognitively disabled, and won’t go through puberty. He is 17 but appears more like a ten year old, and acts around 4 years old. He can walk and talk (though not clearly). He is an experienced traveller (throughout Canada/US/Mexico, Central America, southern Africa and the UK), and adaptable, friendly, bubbly. We enjoy ocean swimming and hot springs. We have family friends in Seoul who we’ll visit, then travel around to hot springs and Jeju. I don’t speak Korean beyond a few phrases. I’m looking for clear advice about what to expect in terms of Koreans’ reactions to disabled ppl, particularly foreign children. I’ll prep us up to best anticipate and integrate to avoid ppl being uncomfortable while maintaining my son’s wellbeing. Thank you!

I’m (25F) currently on LDR with my bf (22M), got together when I was an exchange student but recently left korea and came back to my country.

Initially, everything was good even when we talked about LDR in the future (though, it was very vague). Today, he asked me in dept about when will we be able to settle down together and our future plans.

For some context, i’m an aspiring 승무원 and my initial plan was to pass training and start flying, and the airline that i’m applying for goes to Seoul multiple times a week. (edit: i do know my flights are assigned and not guaranteed) I did tell him that and he was okay with it. But only today I told him that it might take me another 8 years to save before I can quit my job and settle down in Korea. (I’m okay to relocate anywhere just to add on!)

He said “I might not be able to endure for 8 years” because 1. He doesn’t want to waste his 20s without being able to meet his partner as often 2. That is toooooo long. But I mean — If I have to settle down in another country (staying with him or not) I have to save alot of money because I don’t even know what job I can continue to work in Korea after quitting my 승무원 job.

Also, he is still in university and plans to take his masters. He also mentioned something about 전세 rental apartment which i’m not really clear about. Even to pay the 전세 보증금(?) I still have to have a huge sum saved..

I don’t want to break up with him (and he doesn’t want to either), and we’ve to find solutions for this ㅠㅠ Does anyone have and ideas/recommendations/advice or just anything to contribute to our whole issue? Anything will be appreciated ☹️ Thank you!

Edit: Thank you all for your inputs! I read through all of them and had a proper talk with my boyfriend after sorting out my thoughts and we agreed on 5 years. It is long but we’re both planning to fly to each other regardless and meet at least once a month if possible.

For me; my priority is saving money for our future. I don’t know if i’m able to find a job that pays well in korea so I’d prefer to save up and then relocate to korea. 5 years should be sufficient.

For him; he needs 5 more years to finish his studies (3 years university + 2 years masters), so we settled on 5 years :)

As an American-born Korean, I received a lot of pajamas from Korea growing up in the 90s, and even today, I'm constantly encountering people to say to stock up on pajamas when going to Korea or to bring some back for them. But I honestly don't see the hype.

Personally, at home I prefer to wear a loose fit tee or tank (usually 100% cotton) and lounge shorts during the warmer months or a hoodie and sweats during the winter.

What is it about pajamas from Korea that makes people yearn for them so much?

An argument I heard about why the governments efforts to clamp down on working hours fails is because promotions and whatnot depend on the rapport and relationships one makes after-hours drinking / "hoesik". And you can't force a boss to invite or not invite someone to these outings. Nor can you force lockstep promotions either.

It does make sense to me, but I want to ask Koreans in general about if there is actually any practical way to stop, or at least reduce, the brutal work hours situation. I know some improvement exists in the past few years?