Jumat, 31 Januari 2014

Happy Lunar New Year!

Happy year of the horse! Hope everyone got to taste some rice cake soup today. For your enjoyment, below is the Google doodle that was seen in Korea for the lunar new year celebrations.Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.c...

Kamis, 30 Januari 2014

The Korean on NPR, and "East Sea/Sea of Japan"

The Korean appeared on NPR's Kojo Nnamdi show to discuss the pending bill on Sea of Japan/East Sea for Virginia's textbooks. You can listen to the show here. (Click "Listen" on the top left.)A note on the Sea of Japan/East Sea issue: personally, I am agnostic about this issue. At the end of the day, I don't think it matters all that much no matter what the outcome. If we are dealing with issues of...

Rabu, 29 Januari 2014

The Right and Wrong Questions to Ask About Plastic Surgery in Korea

Dear Korean,I read about the incredibly high percentage of young girls going for a plastic surgery. I asked to my friends, and they told me in Korea, beauty means looking western for women. This is quite funny because I personally think, and as me many people here, that Asian women are really beautiful and have that mysterious look we find so appealing. So the question is: do they know they don’t...

Senin, 20 Januari 2014

50 Most Influential K-pop Artists: 11. Lee Hyori

[Series Index]11.  Lee Hyori [이효리]Years of Activity: 1998-present (1998-2002 as a member of Fin.K.L.; 2003-present as solo)Discography (Fin.K.L.):Fine Killing Liberty (1998)White (1999)Now (2001)영원 [Eternity] (2002)Discography (solo):Stylish (2003)Dark Angel (2006)It's Hyorish (2008)H-Logic (2010)Monochrome (2013)Representative Song:  Miss Korea from MonochromeMiss Korea유리거울 속 저 예쁜 아가씨The...

Minggu, 12 Januari 2014

Enough with Amy Chua Bashing

Amy Chua, of the "Tiger Mother" fame, is in the news again. Many readers emailed me to ask what I thought of her new, forthcoming book, which apparently attempts to find the success factors of various ethnic and cultural groups in the United States. Short answer: I will reserve my full judgment until after I read the book, but my initial impression is not positive, as it sounds more like a hare-brained...

Selasa, 07 Januari 2014

Military Draft Quandry: Update

Before the Korean writes anything about Korean citizenship, military draft, etc., the usual caveat must come first: The Korean is not an immigration attorney of Korea. This post is for broad informational purposes only. Do NOT ask him about your specific situation, because he cannot possibly give a competent answer that fits your situation. Immigration law and conscription law of Korea are complicated...

Sabtu, 04 Januari 2014

SXSW 2014 - Here We Come!

About a month ago, the Korean asked if anyone would be willing to come with him to SXSW 2014. Several of you replied to say yes. So now, the pass is purchased, flight ticket is bought, hotel is reserved: SXSW 2014, here we come!It is not too late to join the party. If you are interested in hanging out with the Korean this March in Austin, please do not hesitate to shoot an email to the Korean. Hope...

Jumat, 03 Januari 2014

Tonal Vestige in Korean Language

Dear Korean,In your recent post about the meaning of Korean names, you wrote:Note: the Chinese language does a much better job at distinguishing these characters because the Chinese language is tonal. Centuries ago, Korean language used to be tonal as well--which probably helped navigating the Sino-Korean words. But today,...