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Recently I watched a TV series that showed a lot of scenes of Korean wizards doing things and worshiping gods. I know a lot of Asian countries believe in Buddhism and Taoism, but I was curious if Korea has its own god, so I did some research on the Korean pantheon, which is often referred to as the Korean mythology, is an intricate hierarchy of deities, goddesses, and spirits that the Korean people have venerated for many years and continue to do so now. The pantheon of Korea is firmly ingrained in the history and culture of the nation, and it represents the norms, values, and beliefs that are prevalent throughout Korean society. The gods, goddesses, and spirits that make up the Korean pantheon may be broken down into these three primary classifications. Every god or goddess is said to possess their own special set of qualities, powers, and myths. Hwanung, the god of heaven and the creator of Korean civilization, is one of the most well-known deities in the Korean pantheon. Dangun, the fabled builder of the first Korean kingdom, and Gwan-eum, the goddess of mercy and compassion, are also among the most well-known deities in the Korean pantheon.

The Korean pantheon also contains a variety of spirits and otherworldly animals, such as the dokkaebi(도깨비), which is a form of goblin; the kumiho(구미호), which is a nine-tailed fox, and the jangseung, which is a wooden totem pole that is used to ward off evil spirits. Shamanism, Buddhism, and Confucianism are just a few of the cultural and theological traditions that have had an impact on the Korean pantheon over the course of its history. The practice of shamanism is an age-old custom that may be found in certain regions of Korea even in modern times. The practice of shamanism is predicated on the ideas that everything in the natural world is endowed with spiritual energy and that many different types of spirits have the ability to have influence over human events.

Buddhism was first brought to Korea in the fourth century and immediately had a huge effect on the nation's culture as well as its religious practices. A great number of Buddhist deities, such as Gwan-eum, were included in the pantheon of Korean religion. In addition, Confucianism, which places an emphasis on social harmony and moral principles, had a part in the development of the Korean pantheon. The Korean pantheon has also been shaped by historical developments and political shifts over the country's history. During the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), Confucianism became the dominant ideology, and many of the ancient shamanistic and Buddhist ideas were suppressed. This occurred because Confucianism was seen as superior to the other ideologies. However, a significant amount of the Korean pantheon has been passed down through the ages and continues to play an essential role in the culture and identity of the Korean people today.

The Korean pantheon has served as inspiration for a large number of poems, paintings, and sculptures, among other forms of literary and artistic expression. The tales of the Korean gods have been told from one generation to the next for centuries, and a good number of these tales have made their way into the folklore of the country. In recent years, as part of a larger push to recover and appreciate ancient Korean culture, there has been a resurgence in interest in the Korean pantheon. This has resulted in the creation of new cultural events and festivals that put the spotlight on the exceptional cultural legacy of the country.

It was the first Korean class this semester. I carried on with my studies of Korean with Vivian. At the beginning of the first lesson, we spoke about the strategy that we are going to use to learn Korean this semester. Both of us had the idea that the primary focus of this semester would be on honing my conversational abilities in Korean rather than on learning the grammatical rules that are specific to Korean. Without a doubt, we will keep referring back to the Topik 1 vocabulary list in order to expand our vocabularies. Every time we get together for class, we will continue to deepen our dialogues further. The greatest option would be to have the class entirely in Korean, much like the other language programs offered at the University of Rochester. Because I did German in my freshman year, and because I was able to adjust to that method of class very well, I am extremely eager to attempt that mode. Therefore, I believe that having the entire class in Korean will significantly boost our effectiveness. The vocabulary words and grammatical rules that we acquired in each lesson are going to be put to use in conversation, and they will also be written down for future reference. 

The Topik 1 vocabulary list is not going to be the only resource that we use.  In order to enhance my reading abilities in Korean, I plan to read Korean newspapers and online news sources. Not only can I enhance my reading abilities by reading the articles that Korean people often read, but I can also gain insight into what is trending in South Korea and how the Korean written language is evolving over time. In the beginning, Vivian and I decided that K-pop and entertainment would be a good article topic for this semester. We think that a person's interests are the single most important factor in their level of motivation to learn. Another objective that we spoke about was getting rid of the need for subtitles when watching Korean dramas and television shows. In order to accomplish this objective, the task that we are going to carry out is going to involve selecting a few reality shows and learning the lines that are included in the various listening practice issues. 

Vivian and I had intended to study and accomplish all of the aforementioned things by the end of this semester. It is my hope that the majority of our gatherings will be held in Korean. I feel that if I accomplish this, I will be able to make significant headway in my study of the Korean language. Along with going over our objectives and preparations for the next semester, Vivian and I also had a great time learning about the new year in Korean culture. Because the beginning of the Chinese new year occurred during the past weekend, I thought it would be a good idea to study the beginning of the Korean new year. Learning about the cuisine that people in Korea consume and the traditions that they observe throughout their new year was a very interesting experience. The enormous amount of food that Korean people had to prepare for their new year, either to celebrate with their families and friends or for the sake of worship and to get blessings, left an impression on me. Additionally, there were a number of parallels between the practices that are observed throughout the New Year in China and Korea. As a result, I had no trouble comprehending the rationale behind the reasons why Koreans partake in particular kinds of activities or prepare particular kinds of cuisine during their new year. My first piece devoted to culture will include a more in-depth discussion of the new year celebrations in Korea. 

I have still not found a learning partner; so my priority right now is to look for an Afaan Oromo language partner. The pursuit does seem promising because we discovered a platform called ‘Teacher On’ where I am able to see possible Afaan Oromo teachers available in Ethiopia. However, until I begin my communications with a native speaker on a regular basis I am interacting with the language through various medians independently. To expand my word bank, something I believe to be immensely important when learning a new language, I am studying a very useful Afaan Oromo book. This resource provides a structured approach to learning and helps me to track my progress. Additionally, I really like this book because rather than just singular words it also includes common phrases that are used in my target language. Because these phrases are relevant to everyday conversations I am also able to use them through speaking rather than just ‘studying’ in my conversations with my father or cousins in Ethiopia. In parallel, a strategy that was helpful was using flashcards to memorize vocabulary. I created my own flashcards with words and phrases that I wanted to learn and used them to practice memorization and recall. Until I find a language partner I hope to interact with the language in one way or another every day; listening to music and trying to find vocab in the lyrics that I know, reading basic things, speaking using what little I know, identifying things in my life using Oromo vocabulary, etc. This is been quite effective so far and has resulted in me finding a level of comfort in interacting with the language that I did not have before, interestingly despite evidently interacting with it before. Interestingly one of the resources that I have been using to more effectively listen to the language being used rather than just the language taking a back seat is Orthodox gospel songs in the Oromo language. Orthodox gospel songs are slower, the lyrics are more enunciated and repetitive, and because there obviously isn't a music video the videos on Youtube are displays of the lyrics, thereby allowing me to listen more intentionally, read the lyrics and see how words are pronounced and what words are being said, etc. This is all far more difficult to do when just listening to normal music in the language, especially the task of hearing distinct words because, without knowledge of the language, so many of the words seem jumbled together.  

During the meeting, Vivian and I watched a youtube video about teaching British high school students to read Korean in a day. Through the video I got to know the origin of the Korean alphabet and some interesting tricks in memorizing the Korean alphabet. I also searched for more information after the meeting. 

King Sejong the Great devised the Korean alphabet, typically referred to as Hangul, as a distinctive writing system in the 15th century. Hangul is a phonetic writing system with 24 letters that communicate sounds, in contrast to other Asian writing systems like Chinese or Japanese, which rely on complicated symbols. Other Asian writing systems include Chinese and Japanese. Because of this, it is much easier to learn and apply, which is one of the reasons why it is still used as Korea's official writing system today. The development of Hangul, which made it possible for the general population to become more literate, is considered to be one of Korea's most significant cultural achievements. Only scholars and nobles could grasp the difficult Chinese characters employed at the time, hence they were the only ones who could read and write before Hangul. On the other hand, the Korean writing system known as Hangul was designed to be straightforward in both its acquisition and its use in order to promote increased education and literacy across the country.

But there was significant controversy concerning the creation of Hangul. At the time, Chinese characters were viewed as a signal of great culture, and many academics resisted the introduction of a new, inferior writing system. Some even went so far as to set fire to newly printed books featuring Hangul printing. King Sejong and his adherents persevered in the face of these challenges, and ultimately, Hangul was generally accepted as the country of Korea's official writing system.

Hangul is currently a crucial component of Korean society, being taught in schools and used often. It appears in sources like newspapers, novels, television series, and even Korean fashion and design. In actuality, a number of Korean fashion designers incorporate Hangul in their designs, integrating it into patterns, logos, and even clothes. The visual attraction of Hangul is one of its special traits. The letters are created to be easily recognizable and visually stunning, and they are usually compared to little works of art. The simple and beautiful letterforms are supposed to have drawn inspiration from the human body's curves and lines.

The method that Hangul represents Korean language and culture is another unique element of the alphabet. For instance, the letter forms are patterned by the lip and tongue motions needed to enunciate the sounds they stand for. This underlines the relationship between language and identity and reflects the centrality of speech and communication in Korean culture.