Korea's Problem is Modernity

I recently finished reading Daniel Tudor's Korea: the Impossible Country. (My review of the book is available at Reading Korea.) My reaction was mostly positive:  it was an excellent overview of contemporary Korea, providing a clear-eyed look at achievements and flaws of today's Korean society. As I wrote in my review,...

Happy Chuseok!

The Korean wishes everyone happy chuseok. Hopefully, nobody is being stuck in a traffic like this one:Chuseok traffic, circa 1993(source)Enjoy your time with friends and family, and enjoy the full moon.Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.c...

Get Down, Get Down to the Floor

Dear Korean, Why do Koreans sometimes sleep on the floor? I mean they just put a mattress on the floor and that's it. But sometimes, they sleep in a regular bed. Why is that? GabrielaWhat's "regular" to you may not be "regular" everywhere in the world.Until recently--that is, until approximately 30 years ago--the "regular"...

Introducing Reading Korea

Dear readers,Here is an exciting bit of announcement: the Korean is beginning a new blog, called Reading Korea.In the seven years that the Korean has run Ask a Korean!, a constant issue has been that readers ask a question that asks for too much, such as: "What should I know about Korean culture?" The Korean's standard answer has been: "I can't write a book for you." While that answer is true, it...

Ask a Korean! Wiki: Language Courses for Children?

Dear Korean,I would love to go to Korea with my kids and spend about a month in the summer with them occasionally seeing relatives, but mostly I would like them to learn about the culture and language. They are half Korean and sadly speak no Korean but I'm hoping I could change that. Their ages range from 7-12 so a hefty program at Yonsei (which I did as a high schooler many years ago) would not...