Ask a Korean! News: Super Bowl 2009

So far in AAK! history, there has been two Super Bowls, and two Super Bowl picks by the Korean. The Korean is 2-0 in those picks.What is the big deal, you say? The big deal is that last year, when everyone, EVERYONE was picking New England, the Korean dared to pick the Giants based on the scoreboard that he saw in a dream. And the Korean was right, as he always is.Can he keep the streak going? The...

Ask a Korean! Wiki: Visiting Korea

Dear Korean, I will be visiting Korea in a few weeks. Are there any must see places in Seoul and the rest of the Korea in general? Is it safe? Do you have any other tips and advice in general? KrianneAnother chance for you the readers to answer some questions. Off the top of his head, the Korean thought of the following places to visit in Seoul: The palaces (there are several),...

Ask a Korean! News: Racism Starts Early

The Korean meant to write about this article, but Korea Beat beat beat beat the Korean to the punch on an essentially same article from a different newspaper. That means the Korean does not have to translate the article! Below is the translation:A study has found that five in ten elementary and middle school students think they can be friends with the children of multicultural families.That finding...

Korean Last Name Series: Gyeongju Son

Dear Korean,My mother's last name is Son and her immediate family lives in Kyeungju, Korea. I don't know which sub-clan she comes from. What is the folklore around the "very first" Son?OkashiikanojyoDear Okashiikanojyo,Because the Korean already wrote a lot on Korean last names, often the Korean would receive questions regarding specific last names such as yours. So far the Korean has been answering...

Ask a Korean! News: Don't Let the American Bedbugs Bite

Hilarious article from today's Dong-A Ilbo:"Bedbug Returns" -- Traced Back to America?Larvae Found in Buildings Formerly Occupied by a Korean AmericanIn December 2007, a Korean-American woman in her 30s visited the Foreigner Clinic at Severance Hospital in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. The woman complained of itchiness all over her...

Ask a Korean! News: New York Times Finally Catches Up with Ask a Korean!

New York Times had an interesting article about how Americans talk about race, and how it is changing now that we will (in just four days!) have a black president.The most interesting part of the article was the idea of "strategic colorblindness": the idea that white people "can be so uncomfortable talking about race that they think the most sensitive approach is to avoid the subject entirely[.]"...

Depression Among Koreans

Dear Korean, What is the prevalence of depression among Koreans? White Hispanic ChicaDear White Hispanic Chica,THANK YOU for asking a question that takes less than 10 minutes to find an answer for. It has been so long.According to this article at Herald Business News, in 2007 Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (a quasi-governmental body, because Korea is miles ahead of the U.S. in providing...

What? A Korean American wrote a play about the contemporary black experience? Get out of town.In all seriousness, however, this play sounds gre...

Tragedy: the Korean's favorite Korean restaurant in Manhattan, J Marc in Tribeca, went out of business. Very s...

Ask a Korean! Wiki: Korean Fashion

Dear Korean,Where or what websites can I visit that can provide me with the best and the latest in Korean fashion? And where can I pay for it in British Pounds and have it shipped over?Natalie H.The Korean is stumped here -- he does not buy clothes online, and he most certainly does not follow Korean fashion. Any takers? Please do not limit your suggestions places that may accept British Pounds --...

The Korean is not touching this topic with a 10-foot stick -- he is only going to carefully place this link to the recent New York Times article here, and back away slowly.Ex-Prostitutes Say South Korea and U.S. Enabled Sex Trade Near Bases...

FAN DEATH IS REAL

Dear Korean,Last year when I was in Korea I learned about the phenomenon “Fan Death”, which quite astonished me. How could a simple fan kill a man while he's asleep in a room with windows closed? In other words, why must the window be open when you're running a fan the whole night?Donghun Dear Korean,Do you have any idea where...

Based on implicit association test, Korean college students were found to be significantly more racist than non-Korean college students.In other news, water is w...

Ask a Korean! News: Ongoing with Conversation with Mr. Jeff Meyers

The Korean continues to have online correspondences with noted troll Jeff Meyers from Australia, who apparently hates Koreans very much. On top of trolling around with dumb comments all over the AAK!, Mr. Meyers also sent the following email. (Being that he is clearly a troll, Mr. Meyers no longer gets any anonymity protection from the Korean.)----------------------------------------------------------------------------Title:...

Two interesting New York Times articles about Korea and Korean-Americans:Economic downturn negatively affects plastic surgeons.Description of a Korean-style hagwon in New Yo...