An important Korean ceremony is the celebration of a baby‘s first birthday, known as doljanchi. The ceremony is held to bless the child with a prosperous and healthy life. The highlight of this ceremony is where a variety of objects are placed in front of the baby and the baby is encouraged to grab one or two items. Each of the items represents a different future for the child in terms of career...

Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related. -- Ed There is no state religion in South Korea and over half of Koreans profess no religion. But among those who are religious, the two largest groups are Christianity and Buddhism. According to a census conducted in 2015, 19.7 percent of the country’s population consider themselves Prot...

When greeted by a foreigner, some Koreans may respond with just a smile. Westerners prefer to exchange verbal greetings. In noisy places, they may simply nod or wave. Therefore, Westerners may feel slighted by receiving only a smile in return. However, you may see some Koreans try to express themselves with gestures rather than verbal communication. By Min Byoung-chul Min Byoung-chul is an endo...

Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related. -- Ed. The Dangun myth tells the story of how the first Korean kingdom Gojoseon was founded in 2233 BC. A long, long time ago, a heavenly prince named Hwanung descended on the Korean Peninsula to rule over humans. A tiger and a bear, envious of people living so happily and peacefully toget...

Sports Complex Station serves as gateway to arenas for sports, concerts with global acts, other large events

Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related. -- Ed. Mountain hiking is one of the most popular hobbies among Korean people, partly because mountains are accessible from anywhere in the country. South Korea is home to thousands of mountains, known for their rugged slopes, leafy forests and scenic beauty. In fact, over 60 percent of ...

There is a custom in Korea of helping others in return for their help, called “pumasi,” which is derived from the “jeong” aspect of Korean culture. Long ago, when one farmer had a difficult task to accomplish, such as building a new rice paddy, rather than facing the task by himself, his neighbors would come and help. They would work together to build the new rice paddy, with each neighbor know...

Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related. -- Ed. Answer: (b) Throughout its 5,000-year history, S. Korea has had no shortage of heroes. But only one claims the title of “Seong-woong,” roughly translated as “a sacred hero.” Adm. Yi Sun-shin (1545-1598) of the Joseon era is considered among history‘s greatest war heroes. Revered f...

Tipping workers is rare in Korea and therefore, you‘re not obliged to provide a tip after you take a taxi or eat at a restaurant. You won’t, however, offend anyone by leaving a small token of appreciation for their exceptional service. Koreans traveling abroad might, however, forget to tip, but this is merely because they are not used to doing so in Korea. By Min Byoung-chul Min Byoung-chul is...

Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related. -- Ed. Girls born in Korea in 2020 are expected to live 86.5 years, six years longer than boys. The latest available data puts the average life expectancy at 83.5 years for both sexes in Korea, second only after Japan among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Developme...

If you are a K-drama maniac, you might be wondering why Koreans eat seaweed soup on their birthdays. Most cultures have cakes or some other special dish (usually a pastry). But in Korea, it’s seaweed soup. Seaweed is traditionally served to women during postnatal care. The seaweed is a great source of iodine and iron, and its detoxifying characteristics make it an ideal food for postnatal recove...

The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories — a newly launched Korea Herald series exploring subway stations and their surrounding areas across the city. – Ed. The plan includes modernization work, such as providing parking for visitors, and maintenance of signboards and electrical facilities. It also includes measures to strengthen public hygiene and minimize odors. On top of the city-led pr...

Answer: (a) “개 (gae)” might be one of the most versatile words in the Korean language. The most common meaning of the word is a dog, but it can also be used to mean all the other options listed above. In recent years, however, teenagers have used the word more often and in a far broader context as an amplifier to increase the intensity of something both positive and negative. It works like “ver...

What meanings do you place on numbers? You‘re probably familiar with the most famous ’lucky seven.‘ Or the famously-avoided number 13. In Korea, the same is done with the number four. The Korean word for four is pronounced ’sa,‘ which has the same pronunciation as the Korean word for ’death.‘ Though it’s less prevalent nowadays, Korean buildings, especially some old ones, still do not have a f...

Answer: (a) “Inssa” refers to those who are very social and active throughout all manners of social activities, whether it be making friends or taking initiatives at work, school or in whatever group they may be part of. It is derived from the English word insider. Its antonym is “assa,” from outsider, and it refers to a person who is not accepted as a member of a particular group and feels iso...