KoreanClass101.com Blog

소녀시대, or Girls Generation, is a girlgroup that it seems you either love, or hate. They are often compared to the Wonder Girls (another love-or-hate situation, apparently), a comparison that I think is unfair - to both groups. Their music style is vastly different, as is their image. The plans their companies have in store for them is also incredibly different, and while on the surface pop is pop, if you look deeper then you will see that they are in fact being geared towards certain specific goals and niches. JYP has his sights set on America for his 5 member girlgroup, while SM Entertainment is quite content to keep their 9 girls doing their thing at home. One thing both groups do have in common though, is their fair share of fans and... Show more

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!

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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