KoreanClass101.com Blog

After way too long, 아웃사이더 or Outsider is back! He debuted in 2004 with the EP Come Outside, releasing the Speed Star single in 2006, and then his first album Soliloquist in October of 2007. It's been a long wait since then, but now he's back, with his second album MAESTRO. Outsider is a hiphop artist, and one of the things he's best known for is his ultrafast speed rapping. I love it. I have no idea how anyone can possibly rap that fast. His first album featured other hiphop artists such as my personal favourites MC Sniper, 배치기 and Simon Dominic, as well as Mr.room9, BK and 샛별. His second album was a little different from his first, a bit less nittygritty hiphop and with slightly more pop and dance influence. I love pure hiphop but I... Show more

South Korean money. Who doesn't like a little green in their wallets? How about some yellow? Yeah, some cold. hard. yellow. That's what the inside of Korean wallets will look like come late June. Plenty of people are happy about this. Of course, some were concerned over the choice of the historical figure that will appear on the face on the bill. Yet, no one seems to mind these bills... A 100 000 원 bill was almost approved, too (to replace those goofy "money order" notes). I guess it was too much to ask, right? Hey I'm not complaining, though. I'm happy that we have the 50 000 원 bill  at least. Before that, the largest bill commonly available was the 10 000 원. Not exactly convenient in large quantities. Yet the 10 000... Show more

Friendship. Man I'm getting deep. Friendship is no joke with Koreans. Actually, that brings up a good point. Take a moment and analyze what the term means to you. Seriously. What is a friend to you? Someone you can tell everything? Someone you can spend time with? Someone you can drink with? Someone you love? Even the term '친구' has different connotations in Korean. It involves so much more than just a smile and a commonality. Friendship takes a commitment. Friendship takes regular upkeep. Friendship is hardcore. But first let's take a look at friendship in an American context. In the English language, the term "friend" is used quite lightly. I'm meeting some friends for lunch can mean any number of things. You're a good friend... Show more

Love KoreanClass101? You HAVE to Check Out ChineseClass101.com! 50% Off Subscriptions for LIFE to the First 101 Signups! Innovative Language Learning LLC, the company that brought you KoreanClass101.com, is proud to announce the newest member of our language family, ChineseClass101.com!  Have you been hankering to add another language in addition to Korean to your linguistic repertoire? Have you ever wanted to learn Chinese for business, travel or personal fulfillment? If so, now is the perfect time to learn Chinese!  ChineseClass101.com has all the same features as KoreanClass101.com to help you master both oral and written aspects of the language! The best part:  If you are one of the first 101 people to... Show more

외기러기. Lonely goose fathers. (part one can be located here) So we've already covered the topic of the students who go overseas but what about the families left behind? First and foremost, like the first discussion, this topic is quite broad and includes any number of scenarios. Also, the situation differs when the student studies abroad by themselves versus coming over with a family member or two. Having said that, here's a oft linked piece from the New York Times that introduces the topic nicely. It's warm and fuzzy. High temperature fuzziness aside, we typically think of the father left in Korea while the mother and children study abroad (if thinking about school-aged 유학생). These fathers continue to work in Korea while sending... Show more