화투, 고스톱, Go Stop, 花鬪, 花札, Hanafuda, Sakura, Higobana, Koi-Koi Whatever you know it by, this game is not for the weak minded. Think poker with about 20x the rules. This game is known in several different countries by different names but the basic rules of the game are the same. I liken the rules to Monopoly - there's house rules, official rules, regional rules, etc. I usually end up playing 화투 differently each time, it seems. Go-Stop is usually played during 설날 and 추석 but certainly makes it into a regular game night in Korea. There's a certainty that every night of the week someone in Korea/Japan/Hawaii/Your mom's house/etc is playing the game. The history of the game originates in Japan where gambling with traditional four... Show more

A friend showed me this a couple of days ago and I thought it was pretty cool, and wanted to share it with you guys. It's a mash-up of some of the biggest songs of last year. And at the MBC Music Festival at the end of December, there was a JYP and 비 special dance performance that I thought was awesome. Check it out!

Korean age. I love this topic. It's fitting too, because a few days ago everyone just got a year older. Plus that Brad Pitt movie made me think about crazy age systems. But before I get into this, I'll have to apologize for beating a dead horse. This topic has been covered in countless blogs, forums, and usually tops a beginner's guide to Korean culture. Of course, the good people here at KC101 covered this topic in Culture Class #4. So, why is it so hard to understand sometimes? And more importantly why break the mold? Why does Korea differ in how age is recorded? First off, I'd like to volunteer a piece of something personal. I am discalculic. I don't get along with numbers. So, even the "normal" western system provides plenty... Show more

Merry Christmas, everyone!

태극기.  Not the brilliant movie made back in 2004, but the national flag of South Korea. The name comes from the 태국 circle found in the middle of the flag. Take note of the yin-yang circle and how it flows counterclockwise and is horizontally aligned; as opposed to the vertically aligned clockwise Taoist symbol. Koreans have a unique interpretation of the symbol, in particular. However, one unifying theme between the Chinese and Korean symbol is "balance". Below is a specific breakdown and interpretation of symbols: Below is a collection of previous versions of the flag. Note the eight trigrams instead of the modern four. I guess even back then Koreans were cutting corners in the name of efficiency (joking!). It is interesting to... Show more