KoreanClass101.com Blog

Woah. Did I just go there? It's true. I know it's a sensitive subject. I may not be able to do this delicate matter complete justice but I do want to resume dialogue about this matter. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way. However, like always, I pledge to be open-minded and sensitive. But, I will have to at least recognize some differences between American and Korean ideas of healthy body types. Please take this entry as my own opinion sprinkled with a generous serving of sarcasm. Eat up. It's good for you. It's safe to conclude that neither country has a single, uniform opinion about what a healthy body looks like. For some, it's being dangerous skinny enough to shop for summertime bikinis in the toddler section. For... Show more

I mentioned pop-rock group FT 아일랜드 (FT Island) back in January (check out that post if you want to know a little bit more about them!), when it was announced that guitarist 원빈 (Wonbin) was leaving them and that his spot would be filled by 승현 (Seunghyun). I was curious to see how things would go with the new member, as well as being quite sad, since I'd followed FT Island since they were preparing to debut and 원빈 had always been there. It was definitely going to be a change. But it's turned out to be a change that I really, really like. 승현 fits in with the rest of the group really well, and he even looks like he belongs there. The change also didn't see FT Island's music changing in any ways that it wasn't already - I feel that it... Show more

Tipping and VAT (부가세). In America, it's what we do. We tip. It's a short discussion at the end of a meal, but just like the credits at the end of movie, who really sticks around and pays attention? Leave the tip and be on your way. Who cares? Answer: anyone who's waited tables before. The tip makes or breaks a server's day. A generous tip will make your shift 20x more tolerable and a dinky tip will leave you wondering why you even try to be nice let alone flirt with that girl who was clearly not your type. What was I talking about? Oh yeah the analogy. So, if we follow the movie theater comparison, then Koreans hit the road as soon as the guy gets the girl and doesn't so much as stick around to see who directed the flick. In short,... Show more

Constitution Day in South Korea takes place on July 17th each year. It celebrates the exact day that the Korean Constitution was put in effect since 1948. The decision to make this day the chosen day for this holiday came three years after the defeat of Japan in World War II as well as after the elections and when the members of the national assembly were selected. Soon after all of this took place including the announcement of Constitution Day, on August 18th, the First Republic of Korea was formally launched. The laws on public holidays in South Korea was agreed upon in October 1948 and that is the same time that July 17th became the designated holiday for Constitution Day in South Korea. The main attraction during... Show more

Korean Flight Attendants I hate traveling. Driving is lame. Airports make me nervous. Airplanes provide an expensive and ultimately unsatisfying napping experience. But on a Korean company's airplane, you will find little to complain about (other than the fourteen hour flight). Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the fine men and women that make up the flight attendants of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines. Let's talk about the flight attendants. They are young, let me tell you. Younger than their average Western counterpart. I don't have numbers to prove it (which is usually a bad sign, but hey) but think about it. American flight attendants are working a job. They represent a fairly broad age demographic - some young, some old.... Show more