Culture
Popular South Korean Drinking Games
One aspect of South Korean culture becomes very apparent after a few days in the country: the drinking culture is pretty developed. Alcohol made in South Korea is cheaply available in most convenient stores, and drinking establishments are open late at night/until early morning. South Koreans use alcohol to socialize and have developed many drinking games to do so. These games are especially popular among college students and in the army.
All the South Korean drinking games in this article play clockwise or counter-clockwise; just agree with other players before starting.
안녕클레오파트라 – Annyeong Cleopatra (Hello Cleopatra)
This simpler game consists of taking turns repeating the same song with a higher pitch than the previous player.
KPOP group Wanna One demonstrate the game 안녕클레오파트라 (Hello Cleopatra) in the video below.
노래방 - Korean Karaoke (and its complicated remote)
Some of the etiquette rules governing 노래방:
- Do not queue several songs at once, but let other people queue their own songs.
- Avoid looking at your phone frequently, as it is considered rude.
- If you see that you do not know a song as much as you thought, skip it (press 취소 followed by 시작 on the remote)
One of the barriers of entry to 노래방 for foreigners is probably the seemingly overly complicated remote. Learn the various features of the remote prior to going to 노래방 so that you can make the most of your time there! Check the picture (divided by zone) and the corresponding vocabulary below. You can also download this information and print it to take it with you to your next 노래방 session! If you live too far from a karaoke place, you can also buy a Korean karaoke machine for home use.
Washer & Dryer
Doing the laundry in Korea can be a daunting task, especially if not too familiar with its related words (drying, pre-wash, etc.) Similar to the 노래방 remote post, here is a breakdown of the common words written on washers and dryers (usually the same unit in Korea), and a photo example of how it looks like on a commercial machine.
South Korean LGBT Films: A Comprehensive List
Korean cinema has seen a rapid rise in LGBT-centered movies and short films in the last decade, but information in English about them is scant as best. The lists below attempt to fill this gap by classifying LGBT Korean movies produced over the year. These lists exclude dramas and movies that do not have main LGBT protagonists.
If a movie is missing from the list, please leave a comment here or on Facebook so that KoniKorean can add it to the list.
Coronavirus Korean Vocabulary and Resources
As the Coronavirus progresses in South Korea, this article lists vocabulary and resources in English and Korean to stay on top of the infection if you are currently in South Korea. This page will get updated as more information is available.
What to do. According to the CDC of Korea, for the general population (translated by KoniKorean):
- Wash your hands meticulously with soap under running water.
- When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with your sleeve.
- Do not touch your eyes, mouth, and nose with unwashed hands.
- Wear a mask when visiting a medical institution
- Refrain from visiting places with many people
Korea-inspired Christmas Gift Ideas (2019)
Want to gift your friends or close ones some Korean-inspired gifts this Christmas? KoniKorean has compiled a list of South Korea-inspired gift ideas for Christmas 2019 based on current trends in Korea and popular Korean items overseas.List of Korean Movies in the Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Film Festival (Festival de Cannes) is one of the most prominent film festivals in the world, with its top award (Palme d'Or) being considered as many as the holy grail of cinema. South Korean cinema has increasingly produced many cinematographic gems that have been competing for the Palme d'Or over the last two decades, with 기생충 (Parasite) by 봉준호 (Bong Joon-ho) ultimately being the first Korean movie winning the Palme d'Or of the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. Despite the growing popularity of South Korean movies, it is still challenging to find comprehensive lists about recent Korean movies that have been entered in prestigious film festivals.
Food Guide to Gwangjang Market (광장시장)
광장시장 (Gwangjang market) is a prime location in Seoul for eating various Korean foods. Do not expect to find strict hygiene standards or to seat on a nice chair; you will, however, be surprised by the food offerings in the market. From 육회 (shredded raw beef) to 빈대떡 (mungbean pancake), 광장시장 does not disappoint. This post lists the most popular foods to eat in 광장시장 Gwangjang market, as well as some tips to have the best experience while navigating the numerous stalls and restaurants.
Top 3 Emblematic Foods of 광장시장
육회 (肉膾) Yukhoe or Shredded Raw Meat
육회 is one of the three emblematic foods of 광장시장. 육회, as sold in this market, is shredded raw beef served with an egg yolk on top of Korean pear. The dish comes with salted sesame oil; dip the meat in it to enhance the flavor even more. Because 육회 has to be extremely fresh and is easily contaminated if improperly handled, prefer eating it at the restaurants of the market rather than the food stalls in the middle of the alleys. At least one restaurant, 부촌육회, is in the Seoul Michelin guide; I, however, prefer 창신육회 for the more authentic experience (poor seating but cheaper and almost as good). Most restaurants in 광장시장 also offer 육사시미 (beef sashimi) and 육회낙지탕탕이 (live octopus 낙지탕탕이 mixed with shredded raw beef, see 아재입맛 for a picture and of 낙지탕탕이), but I advise against ordering these items as they are pricier than 육회, unless you are confident enough and trust the restaurant. Pair 육회 with 막걸리.
Ahjussi Taste: Best Traditional Korean Foods (아저씨 입맛)
Some of the best Korean foods are also the oldest. People who love traditional foods that usually have a strong flavor or repulsing appearance are said to have an 아저씨/아재 입맛, or ahjussi taste. Learn about some of these traditional foods in this article.Trains in South Korea
Trains are probably the fastest and most comfortable means of transportation in South Korea. Most of the time they are faster than buses are they cannot get stuck in traffic, and they are also faster than planes in that train stations are usually in downtown areas rather than in suburbs. There are also plenty of train options for traveling within a city or a metropolitan area, such as subways and suburban trains. For tourists however riding trains in South Korea can be overwhelming given the number of train services available, the different operators, and the different booking processes. This post summarizes all you need to know to book and ride trains in South Korea.
Intercity Train Services
There are several types of intercity train service in Korea. From fastest to slowest (and most expensive to cheapest): KTX & SRT, ITX & 새마을, 누리로 & 무궁화. Most services (except the SRT) are run by Korail (코레일), a public company.
The different train services run by Korail (all but SRT) and SR (SRT) (adapted from https://flytoazuresky.tistory.com/602?category=669623)