Joseph Lee's Posts (43)
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Wrapping up the semester, my partner and I have been focusing on articulating ideas presented in shows using Korean, forcing me to analyze and explore ideas (within the context of the show) using Korean. Whereas before I had been improving my comprehension by watching shows, now I took it a step further and tried to assess the contents using Korean. This was interesting, as it seemed redundant to repeat the plot/pretense of what my language partner and I had just watched, but it was fun as we would end up discussing hypotheticals or interesting parts of the show, which helped me expand my usage of vocabulary and overall ease of speech.
Some shows we have watched was the second season of Physical 100, as mentioned on my previous language journal, but as we were watching, we also talked about what we would do in that scenario, discussed which contestant/team would be more likely to win in a certain competition, etc. We also would look up certain contestants, who had their own respective youtube channels, and we would go into rabbit hole of content to watch. We did all this speaking Korean, and it really helped my practicing of speaking/comprehension.
My plan is to continue to do this after the classes, and although I may not have someone to do this with, it'd be a good practice to monologue internally.
Korean media has continued to be the medium for my learning, and my language partner and I have delved into various shows these past weeks. Like I stated on my previous language journal, we have omitted many shows/movies as they don't seem particularly helpful in terms of language, and rather focused on the ones that do, such as: reality shows (real-life conversation and grammar), historic shows (information on past grammar/vocabulary), and genre-focused shows (such as revolving around hospitals or detectives, niche jargon used).
One of the shows that my partner and I have watched is Physical 100: 2, the second season of a show where a hundred contestants compete against each other in physical activities, with one ultimate winner. The show itself is not short - 9 episodes ranging ~70 minutes each, and not only is it exciting to watch these contestants compete with one another, it is actually quite interesting to watch as a medium for learning as well. There is no outside narrator - the show focuses on the competitors, and we can hear their discussions as well as their thoughts/opinions. This meant I could often hear vocabulary that I had not encountered before - words related to physical activities. For example, I had not known the term for cardio/aerobic exercise, which is 유산소, or the term for pull-up (I thought it was a loan word and therefore also "pullup" in Korean) 턱걸이. It was also fun to see many recognizable celebrities on the show who were also competing.
My partner and I have also watched other new shows as well (more so on our own times), such as Queen of tears. Overall, watching these shows not only provides a meaningful exercise in comprehension, but also an entertaining way to learn and improve my Korean understanding.
A law was passed recently to allow the police to release mugshots/pictures of perpetrators/individuals charged with crime - bringing about both positive and negative effects. Unlike America, where mugshot records are publicly available, in Korea, these mugshots have been blurred/censored in media, sometimes even only referring to the person as their last name, such as Mr. Kim or Ms. Park. By doing so, the government protects the identity of the perpetrator as one of their given rights, but this has raised many concerns. What happens when said perpetrator escapes or is released, only to commit another crime? How can the public population be aware of such criminal identities if they don't have any information about the criminal?
Of course, these are extreme scenarios. Certain procedures mean information about the suspect can be released to the public/press, given the right conditions. However, the laws upholding the privacy of the criminal have often hindered the release of information to the public, resulting in minimal effects. There have been numerous serial crimes in the past couple decades in which controversy had sparked from the lack of disclosures on suspects to the public, raising extreme concerns. There are and has been a subset of people who remain advocates for the privacy of the perpetrator, of course to a certain extent, as this issue has to do with violating one's human rights.
I believe this issue is heavily intertwined with the culture in Korea, or Asian countries in general. Crime rates in Eastern Asia are especially low in comparison to the West - laws inhibiting guns, stricter drug controls, etc. definitely contribute to this, but a greater inhibiting factor is social perception and culture. Perhaps a reason Korea can afford to protect the identity of their perpetrators is the lower crime rates, but what ends up happening in such suppressive cultures is the emergence of extreme ciminals. Korea is a heavily collectivist culture, compared to the West which is heavily individualistic. A collectivist culture places emphasis on the connections between an individual and their family, and their society as a whole. The group is much more important as a whole, rather than one's individualistic gains/needs. This, combined with your common negative social perception of crime, is quite the repressor, as committing a crime is much more consequential to your family, friends, community, etc., in terms of identity, shame, etc. Committing a crime isn't doesn't just bring about legal repercussions, it also paints you as a shameful entity of society.
With the new law, people hope that the public remains safer thanks to better divulgement of information. The bill itself was passed unanimously, voted in 215-0 in favor of passing. This says a lot about the previous practice, and while this has sparked the debate between privacy and transparency, hopefully it creates a positive outcome.
One thing I've noticed about our major cities is the presence of cafes, or the lack thereof. Chance is, there will probably be a cafe around the corner or down the block, whether it be a franchise, chain store, or a small-independent cafe. But the presence of these cafes are arguably lacking, relative to Europe and Korea. Many of European cities' infrastructure is designed to be more human-friendly (bike-friendly, better walkability, etc), perhaps allowing better interconnection between cafes and their surroundings. There exists a significant social aspect of the cafe culture as well, highlighting it as a place of leisure and relaxation. In America, I think the mentality is to grab and go - get your caffeine and dip. In fact, a lot of our cafes are kind of designed more around the retail aspect, having an extensive menu and numerous other products like mugs, and less on the cafe-space aspect, offering limited space in relation to the cafes of Korea.
In Korea, you'll find a cafe quite literally around the corner. In fact, you'll find a bunch of them, whether it be 24/7 study cafes, pc cafes, board-game cafe, music-space cafes, pet cafes, or just your normal cafe - some side by side, some on top of others, even some underground. Even amongst these normal cafes, there are clear distinctions, with some being chain stores, and some being extensively (or minimally) decorated for social media. But most importantly, unlike the states, the presence of these cafes are highlighted as they act as focal meeting areas, study spots, date locations, or just a place to socialize. I'm not saying we as Americans don't have this - we do, but I think the idea of cafes as a social/leisure place is more actualized in Korea.
As for why, there are multiple reasons. Korea is a relatively small country with a decent population - major cities lack common areas for people to use for socialization/leisure, and these cafes offer the people a third space. Social media has a very large presence in the younger generations, and these cafes offer decorative spaces for pictures, taking advantage of such incentives. Finally, these cafes are the perfect study spot - food and beverage in the proximity, within the city, and often spacious. As mentioned earlier, there are cafes solely focused towards studying, being open 24/7. I actually was at one of these a few times, and not only is it packed at night, but it is dead-quiet. I think the strong presence of study cafes must have to do with the study/educational culture of Korea.
There has been a term has been popularized in Korea in recent times - "카공족" (cagongjok). It essentially means "cafe study tribe", and as you can guess, it refers to the people who often study at cafes. But the reason why such an innocent act as received a name is because these people will quite literally study or work at the cafe extensively for 6+ hours, almost "living" in these cafes. While long usage of cafes is not inherently wrong, it can often hurt the cafe's profitability as the customer will probably only buy a couple of things, and then take up space. What makes these situations worse is that some people will bring their entire work/study setup, taking up an entire table that could be used by more people. A image below, something I found funny, is a setup a cafe-owner took a picture of, where a customer brought their printer. But all in all, this shows the extreme presence of cafe culture in Korea.
Since my last language journal, I have continued to use Korean media as the medium for my learning. With my language partner, I have selected certain pieces of media best fit for education, whether it be podcasts, talk shows, or dramas. For example, I've noticed over the past few weeks that talk shows are the best for improving practical comprehension, as a lot of these shows revolve around current psychosocial culture, and the vocabulary/flow/grammar used is best representative of the Korean used by the average Korean person. However, within these talk shows, there are many genres and topics, one being a talk show that uses a mixture of English and Korean for the sake of comedy and international outreach. Another talk show is one that revolves around the guest's fridge, and a substantial portion is dedicated to discussing about the contents of that fridge. These examples are some of the talk shows I've omitted, as I didn't think they would contribute much to my learning. Rather, I have chosen talk shows that really are centered on inquisitive and/or casual discussions between the host and guest.
One example of this is Yoo Quiz, a show where 2 renown hosts ask their guests, which range from celebrities to normal people, and just chat with them. Whilst this sounds incredibly dry on paper, the carefully selected host personalities (lighthearted and upbeat) as well as the casual environment of the show (there is no set location) allows for a relaxed, entertaining, and informative discussion. Watching this show has been really helpful as the scope of guests is quite wide - I've heard all sorts of jargon, dialects, and sayings.
Another show I've been watching is 나영석의 나불나불 (Nattering with Nah) on youtube, where a famous producer whom I am a fan just films his extremely casual conversations with his guests, whom are all actual friends/connections of his, and not on the show for the sake of the show. Whether it be set during a meal at a restaurant or at home, this show feels extremely casual, allowing me to better comprehend true dialogue excluding formal and specialized language.
I have done this "selection" of sort amongst different media to cater to my learning needs, and so far it has been great. Watching these with my partner allows me to ask her clarifying questions, and it is both informative and fun.
Just recently, there was a wave of news regarding an altercation amongst the Korea national football team. There were many allegations and the issue was resolved, but the altercation occurred as some of the younger members on the team wanted to leave their team dinner early, contrast to the older members’ approval. This difference in opinion was clearly seen as disrespectful, as a conflict broke out. While there was much more to the context, this conflict was a clear example of the importance of seniority in Korean culture.
In Korea, seniority is of great significance because of its deep-rooted cultural values and hierarchical social structure. Confucian principles have long influenced Korean society, emphasizing respect for elders and hierarchical relationships. This cultural heritage has spread to various aspects of Korean life, including the workplace. In companies, organisations, and especially sports-teams, seniority is a basic principle governing the processes of interaction and decision-making. Seniority reflects not only age but also experience and wisdom, which are highly valued qualities. Respect for elders and those with more experience is deeply rooted in Korean culture, and seniority is a tangible expression of that respect. In addition, seniority is seen to promote stability and order in organizations by providing a clear framework for authority and decision-making. It assumably ensures that those who have invested time and effort in their duties are properly recognized and rewarded, which contributes to a sense of loyalty and commitment among employees. In addition, seniority-based systems promote continuity and longevity within organisations, as individuals are motivated to remain with their employer for a long time in order to advance their positions and status. Overall, seniority is the cornerstone of Korean culture, fostering harmony, stability and respect in the workplace and society at large.
As to whether or not this practice is maintainable or even practical, that is a whole another conversation. A lot of traditions/beliefs, including those of Confucian principles, are fading away each generation, and often times the concept of seniority can hamper progression and innovation. After all, one’s position should be determined majorly by their competency, but there are many gives and takes to this approach.
This month has been an immersive journey into the field of Korean media, focusing mainly on dramas, movies, and YouTube content to improve my language skills with my language partner. I've carefully selected a diverse selection of Korean dramas, from romantic comedies to gripping thrillers, each offering unique linguistic nuances and cultural/thematic insights. By spending time watching dramas every week with my partner and in my own time, I immersed myself in the languag and absorbed new vocabulary, phrases, and familiar expressions. I aimed to slowly stave off from reading the subtitles, as that often didn’t help my learning.
In addition to drama, I explored a large number of Korean films on my own time, from timeless classics to current hits. These films not only provided entertainment, but also served as linguistic and cultural tools for teaching, offering authentic dialogue and rich storytelling. Additionally, I immersed myself in the dynamic world of Korean content on YouTube, from language learning channels to lifestyle vlogs and cooking shows. Immersing myself in these videos allows me to observe natural speech patterns, gestures, and cultural practices and has deepened my understanding of the Korean language and way of life.
This practice has made me feel more confident in my ability to understand and communicate in the language, and has brought me linguistic growth, but also a deeper appreciation of the rich cultural tapestry woven into every narrative and conversation.
Webtoons (웹툰, wɛbtˈuːn) are a form of graphics novels, akin to comics and mangas, but specified to Korea. Whilst the popularity of Webtoons have expanded overseas in the past years, another form of webtoons are emerging - Instatoons (인스타툰, ɪnstætˈuːn). A majority of these webtoons are uploaded on a handful of accredited platforms - e.g. Naver, Kakako, but of course, these are monitored for licensing and monetization. This makes sense, but sometimes the consumer wants easy-to-access material coupled with good user interface and less commitment. On the flipside, authors may want to release their work with less liability, not having to worry about publishers or platform logistics. The solution for both sides are the mentioned Instatoons, where some authors have begun releasing short webtoons on Instagram. The barrier for reading such toons is low; users can alternate from their daily Instagram actions to reading webtoons. As these are often short (Instagram only offers 10 slides), these webtoons are short-term/story content, which parallels with the small dopamine hits reels apps give nowadays. According to the article I read on Instatoons, the social interface of Instagram also helps with the popularity of Instatoons: sharability, comments, clear connections between authors.
I've linked the article on this phenomena - interesting read. An example of an account that does Instatoon is @tyeodya.
Over the past few years, there has been a major shift from television to youtube viewership in South Korea - television broadcast still retains a huge audience, and yet these same people have begun to also consume youtube videos. These aren't just random youtube videos, though - these are talk shows, garnering millions of views per video - considering Korea's population is only ~50 million, this is a wild feat in comparison to the States.
Whether the talk show is comedic, focused on drinking, centered around a guest's fridge, or just a calm and intimate gathering, these shows clearly appeal a lot to the audience. They key is to invite relevant guests that the audience will enjoy (usually actors and artists). A key reason behind the big upstart on youtube was Covid - although many more people remained at home, entertainment shows were harder to shoot with its hundreds of staff members + stricter laws. One of the people that really jumpstarted this trend was Na Yeong-seok, a very famous PD in Korea, producing countless big-hit shows. After he started creating shows on youtube with fresh concepts, he quickly gained popularity on that platform.
These shows are fun to watch, and highly recommended to those who are trying to learn Korean. Attached are some screenshots of these shows (Psick Show, 차린건 쥐뿔도 없지만, 나불나불 나영석, 덱스 냉터뷰), with some links to the channels.
https://www.youtube.com/@PsickUniv
https://www.youtube.com/@ch117
As the semester approaches its end, my language partner and I are continuing to work on Korean writing, albeit it being more of a deload month. I've continued the same practicum with a far lesser intensity, choosing a topic in our meeting from some news platform or media, writing a very short summary/analysis in Korean, then reviewing/critiquing it in our next meeting. Last month, we also focused on the differences between written and spoken Korean, figuring out the grammatical differences and usage of different words. This month, we’ve also reviewed this, as theres still a lot to learn, but not as much. With finals coming up, we’ve also started to watch Korean media - although this isn’t as practical practice to me, I found it to be a good way to still interact with Korean in someway in the midst of the busy season.
I've also been discussing with my partner on what we would do next semester, as I'm still not sure what I want to improve or focus on next semester. Some ideas that have come up are focusing on Korean history, and old Korean words/terminology, or spontaneous practices in which I’m forced to learn about/use a certain list of vocabulary in a given time frame.
My language partner and I have been diving into the differences between spoken and written Korean. Just like English, most people don't speak in the format of written Korean, as written language tends to be extensive, formal, and awkward. However, in Korean the form of the words alter slightly depending on it being spoken or written, so I need to put more attention into the details when writing a phrase/word that I'm accustomed to speaking one way. I've noticed the difference a lot more when reading news article and such, as they are far more formal than the average piece of writing. After reading an article, I talk to my partner about it, summarizing the article, but also in the process of doing so I'm able to hear myself and my partner, discerning the differences between spoken and written Korean. Other times, I do the reverse - talk and record a few sentences/paragraphs to my partner, then try to write it down in its more formal counterpart.
Overall, I think this practice has helped me improve my writing more than I initially thought it would, which is great. I'm going to continue this with my partner and keep my eyes open for new practices.
Surrounded by the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and the Japan Sea, South Korea holds a lot of cultural systems based on its peninsular nature. One of these systems are the Haenyeos - Hae (Sea) + Nyeo (Women), or a group of Korean divers in the area of Jeju Island, south of Korea. These Haenyeos harvest a variety of sea life - ranging from shellfish to seaweed, things that are not as accessible via ferries, nor easily harvestable by machine/automation. Although the occupation is shared by both men and women - over time it has become quite female dominated. There are some historical and scientific reasons for this, but now it is mostly cultural. But these Haenyeos dive without oxygen tanks - they dive for minutes off of just their breath, and they do this for hours (5+) a day. As a result, they are very fit, and many of these Haenyeos are actually very old - some even in their 80s.
This practice and group of people have recently been listed as a FAO agricultural heritage system - their practice in Korea is almost iconic. They're not wholly relevant, yet many citizens will know of these people, and many Korean dramas also feature Haenyeos. Reading about this was really interesting, and it really shines the light on one of Korea's many subcommunities/subcultures.
Following up on my previous language learning journal, the main focus my meetings with my language partner have been on my writing. We've selected a few topics/articles to be the focus of several papers, and I came across an issue off the start - writing on a computer vs writing on paper. The idea is to be coherent with my writing skills, but both physical and digital mediums are important to practice on. We decided on paper, as it forces you to rely solely on memory, perhaps later I will focus on typing. So far, all my writing practices have been on paper, which also has forced my Korean handwriting to improve(?).
As to the actual quality/effectiveness of the writing itself, it has definitely helped a lot. There are obviously a lot of room for improvement, but some of the more common words/conjugations that I had issues with spelling before are now a given, and most of the struggles I face are the introduction of new vocabulary. Another issue I'm still working on is the grammatical structure in the written aspect - while some parts are intuitive, I find that written Korean is a lot more different that spoken Korean - this is something I'm going to dive into more throughout the semester.
Hangeul Day is on October 9th - a commemorative day to celebrate the introduction of hangeul(한글) in Korea, the language that Koreans use today. However, I wanted to shift focus onto a couple of cultural artifacts - “Hunminjeongeum Haerye” and "Hunminjeongeum Eonhae". When King Sejong developed hangeul, he, along with other scholars, published the “Hunminjeongeum Haerye” that went indepth to explain the principles of the Hangeul language system. This “Haerye” would further help other scholars to study the language and properly use it, boosting the linguistic application of Hangeul. One issue - it was in Hanja - chinese characters. Even though Korea had just gotten its own language, many scholars and nobles were acclimated to their original writing/language system - a system that was heavily dependent on Chinese. Eventually, it was translated into Hangeul as the “Eonhae” version.
These two documents are no doubt critical to Korea’s cultural history - and to linguists, these are as good as sacred texts. However, “Haerye” was lost throughout history, and the Japanese colonization destroyed a lot of the references to these documents. It was in 1940 when a wealthy art collector named Jeon Hyeong-pil would pay the price of numerous houses for “Haerye”, and for the first time in history, “Haerye” and “Eonhae” has been reprinted as a pair this past week. These reprints mimic the ancient documents - using the same materials and keeping the same look to the originals.
It was cool to learn about these Korean linguistic treasures - it gives me a better sense of appreciation for Hangeul and its history.
For the first few meetings of the semester, my language partner and I have discussed what my goals for this semester were, and have gotten started on our curriculum. While in the previous semesters we focused more on improvement for speech and vocabulary, we've realized that improvement cannot always happen. Rather, I want to steadily practice dialogue in Korean, maintaining my speech proficiency at the minimum. This is the basis of our meetings - improving/maintaining/practicing speech/dialogue. However, my writing is also another goal for this semester. I improved my Korean writing quite a bit last semester, but it has a long way to go. While I don't expect to be writing essays in Korean easily, I'd like to try writing a coherent paper.
To get started on these goals, my partner and I discussed the optimal way to go about our plan. While we continue to talk in Korean and choose topics to talk about - for writing I started to write about a recent event from the news, or summarizing a Korean article. This forces me to use words that may be niche to that specific news, and if I am stuck, I can read the article again and use the vocab in the article. I tried not to do this too much - it felt like cheating, but I would always try to learn the words that I would take from the article.
Going forward, I'm excited to see how my writing improves - if it does, I'll probably stick to this plan, plus a few more ideas. If not, then I'd definitely have to switch things up.
A couple weeks ago, 2 long swords were added to Korea's national treasures - (past) properties of Admiral Yi Sun-sin (이순신). These swords, albeit having a more ceremonial purpose, are thought to have been forged in 1594 due to the inscriptions, but are in extremely good condition. Although ancient relics may become national treasures due to their age and physical value, that probably isn't just the case for these swords. There are at least 3 more national treasures related to Yi Sun-sin, indicating his importance.
Most Koreans will know who Yi Sun-sin is, at least by name. In terms of renown, it is like how most (hopefully) Americans will know George Washington, at least by name. For context, Korea was known as the Joseon dynasty beginning in the 14th century, when the earlier dynasty was overthrew. This is where most of Korea's historical culture resides, as the dynasty continued before the Japanese colonization in the 19th-20th centuries, until it would become the 2 Koreas. Amidst the 16th century, Japan and Korea, which had okay relations till then, started having numerous conflicts, and Japan, who had finally unified as 1 state after a 120 year period, begin to invade Korea. This is where Admiral Yi Sun-sin's renown would begin, as he led naval forces and won numerous battles against the invasion. The Battle of Myeongnyang is the most famous, where he led 13 warships against an invasion of 133 ships, and was able to fend off the invasion. Yi Sun-sin is one of the reasons why modern day Korea exists, else perhaps modern day Korea would be a part of Japan. Yi Sun-sin is also famously correlated with the Turtle ships, a ship design seen in many Korean textbooks and motifs, which were decisive in his battles.
It was cool to stumble upon the news of his swords being designated as national treasures, and learning about Korean history gives language learning a much deeper connection. I've attached pictures of the swords, the admiral, and his turtle ships for anyone to see.
Wrapping this semester up, my partner and I discussed what we did and what I'd like to achieve in the future. Using my writings as a basis, we went over what I had improved on and what I needed more improvement on. With the final writings, I made sure to focus on quality over quantity, and chose political news as topics to ensure the formality/complexity of syntax. By writing on political news, I definitely found my writing ability improving, at least when I reverted back to simpler topics. I focused less on the writing amount and more on making less mistakes, and I think that definitely helped me improve. Although my partner and I still engaged in conversations for speaking proficiency practice, writing was definitely the main focus here. With conversations, I think we have reached a plateau, and if I wanted to really improve, it'd have to be in a very rigorous environment, as I think the spoken conversations between my language partner and I are pretty comprehensive and insightful as it is. Looking forward, I'd have to think of an aspect of my learning I'd improve on, but until then, I will continuously practice my writing ability.
