Dear Korean,
How long does it generally take an English-speaking person to fluently learn Korean?
Elissa
Given that everyone has different aptitudes with language, the Korean is not sure if there can be such thing as a "general" timetable for an Anglophone to become fluent in Korean. But it might not be a bad idea to take a straw poll, just to see the range.
So readers, go right at it. Are you learning Korean? How fluent are you? (Be very specific here so that your comment can be useful. Can you read and write? Can you carry small conversations? Can you have a conversation about complex and abstract subjects? Can you read a newspaper? Can you write at a professional level? Etc.) How long did you take for you to get to your level? Did you take classes, live in Korea, live with a Korean spouse, etc?
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Thursday, September 01, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
IMF Bailout of Korea During East Asian Financial Crisis (Part IV)
[Series Index]
The earlier parts of the series, written by Wangkon936, discussed the international forces that led to the East Asian Financial Crisis and the IMF bailout of Korea. This part, by the Korean, will discuss the social impact of the East Asian Financial Crisis on Korea.
Domestic Economic Impact
The impact of East Asian Financial Crisis on Korea was simply devastating. It is faster to count the large Korean corporations that did not file for bankruptcy. (Here is a decent list of the companies that died versus the companies that survived.) Every day there was a new large company going under. Even those who managed to survive had to face the scalpel of Korean government, as ordered by IMF. On June 18, 1998 alone, Ministry of Finance ordered 55 large companies to shut down. The coup d'grace -- almost in its literal sense, given that the French word signifies the "blow of mercy" that finally kills off the tortured prisoner -- was the disappearance of Daewoo in 1999, at the time the second largest company in Korea. At the time, Daewoo's automobile division was every bit as good as Hyundai's; its electronics, every bit as good as Samsung's and LG's; its shipbuilding, among the world's best along with other Korean shipbuilders. No matter -- Korean government had to show serious resolve that no company was too big to fail, and Daewoo disappeared into history.
One dead big company does not simply mean the employees of that company lost their jobs. A bankruptcy of a big company causes massive ripple effects, causing cascading bankruptcy to other smaller companies that depend on the big company. This is particularly true in Korea, whose economy revolved around a handful of huge conglomerates. (For example, Samsung makes everything from shoes to cars.) Even the companies that managed to stay alive had to undergo massive layoffs -- something that never happened in Korea. Unemployment rate skyrocketed. Previous to East Asian Financial Crisis, the unemployment rate of Korea was 2 percent. By the end of 1998, unemployment rate was 6.8 percent, creating the unprecedented number of 1.6 million jobless people in Korea. Property value plummeted also, with house prices dropping 12.4 percent in 1998.
(More after the jump)
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
The earlier parts of the series, written by Wangkon936, discussed the international forces that led to the East Asian Financial Crisis and the IMF bailout of Korea. This part, by the Korean, will discuss the social impact of the East Asian Financial Crisis on Korea.
Domestic Economic Impact
The impact of East Asian Financial Crisis on Korea was simply devastating. It is faster to count the large Korean corporations that did not file for bankruptcy. (Here is a decent list of the companies that died versus the companies that survived.) Every day there was a new large company going under. Even those who managed to survive had to face the scalpel of Korean government, as ordered by IMF. On June 18, 1998 alone, Ministry of Finance ordered 55 large companies to shut down. The coup d'grace -- almost in its literal sense, given that the French word signifies the "blow of mercy" that finally kills off the tortured prisoner -- was the disappearance of Daewoo in 1999, at the time the second largest company in Korea. At the time, Daewoo's automobile division was every bit as good as Hyundai's; its electronics, every bit as good as Samsung's and LG's; its shipbuilding, among the world's best along with other Korean shipbuilders. No matter -- Korean government had to show serious resolve that no company was too big to fail, and Daewoo disappeared into history.
One dead big company does not simply mean the employees of that company lost their jobs. A bankruptcy of a big company causes massive ripple effects, causing cascading bankruptcy to other smaller companies that depend on the big company. This is particularly true in Korea, whose economy revolved around a handful of huge conglomerates. (For example, Samsung makes everything from shoes to cars.) Even the companies that managed to stay alive had to undergo massive layoffs -- something that never happened in Korea. Unemployment rate skyrocketed. Previous to East Asian Financial Crisis, the unemployment rate of Korea was 2 percent. By the end of 1998, unemployment rate was 6.8 percent, creating the unprecedented number of 1.6 million jobless people in Korea. Property value plummeted also, with house prices dropping 12.4 percent in 1998.
(More after the jump)
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Monday, August 29, 2011
How do You Grow Hair Quickly?
Dear Korean,
I've been an English teacher working here in Korea for 7 months. The other day I was casually remarking to a friend of mine about how quickly my hair grows and that it's almost a nuisance getting it cut every 3 weeks. She then said there's a Korean myth about people whose hair grows quickly but she wouldn't tell me exactly what it is. Do you know what she's talking about or is she just making it up?
T
She is not just making it up. In fact, she is being rather polite by not telling you.
Here is the myth in Korea about quickly growing hair -- thinking about sex all the time makes one's hair grow faster. Although not explicitly stated, this applies mostly to men.
I've been an English teacher working here in Korea for 7 months. The other day I was casually remarking to a friend of mine about how quickly my hair grows and that it's almost a nuisance getting it cut every 3 weeks. She then said there's a Korean myth about people whose hair grows quickly but she wouldn't tell me exactly what it is. Do you know what she's talking about or is she just making it up?
T
She is not just making it up. In fact, she is being rather polite by not telling you.
Here is the myth in Korea about quickly growing hair -- thinking about sex all the time makes one's hair grow faster. Although not explicitly stated, this applies mostly to men.
Instead of Nogaine, maybe just watch a lot of porn?
(source)
But how could it be possible that thinking about sex leads to hair growth? The only theory that has even a whiff of plausibility is that thinking about sex leads to increased level of testosterone, which leads to hair growth. At any rate, Koreans generally recognize this as a myth -- just something funny to say. If anyone tried to make a serious case for the myth, Koreans would also point out the countervailing myth: i.e., baldness is a sign of male sexual prowess.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Ask a Korean! News: Making Batteries with Koreans
New York Times had a very interesting article about a new governmental project to promote lithium-ion battery manufacturing in Michigan, which also had a great deal to do with Korea. A few excerpts (all emphases added by the Korean):
(More after the jump)
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Over the last two years, the federal government has doled out nearly $2.5 billion in stimulus dollars to roughly 30 companies involved in advanced battery technology. ... By almost any account, the White House has fallen woefully short on job creation during the past two and a half years. But galvanized by the potential double payoff of skilled, blue-collar jobs and a dynamic clean-energy industry — the administration has tried to buck the tide with lithium-ion batteries. It had to start almost from scratch. In 2009, the U.S. made less than 2 percent of the world’s lithium-ion batteries. By 2015, the Department of Energy projects that, thanks mostly to the government’s recent largess, the United States will have the capacity to produce 40 percent of them. Whichever country figures out how to lead in the production of lithium-ion batteries will be well positioned to capture “a large piece of the world’s future economic prosperity,” says Arun Majumdar, the head of the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). The batteries, he stressed, are essential to the future of the global-transportation business and to a variety of clean-energy industries.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Philosophy of Plastic Surgery
New York Times had a very interesting column about a possibility of philosophy behind plastic surgery, with Brazil as an example. The Korean recommends reading the whole article, as it is a terrific column with a lot to chew on. Here are some excerpts:
Much of the "plastic surgery philosophy" discussed in the article is applicable to Korea, the world's leader in plastic surgery. As the Korean discussed previously, the most important philosophy to understand modern Korean society is not Confucianism or any Eastern philosophy, but what might be termed "survivalism" -- the ruthless mindset required to ensure the survival over the next person in the continuously harsh conditions under war and poverty. Everything Koreans do, they do with a tinge of desperation, because war and poverty are really that scary.
As the article correctly notes, beauty promises near-magical attainment of recognition, wealth and power, especially when opportunities for women are limited in other areas. Korea, more so than Brazil, is a rising economy in which people have the money to change the unfair circumstances in which they are born. So Koreans do everything they can do better their stations -- they desperately throw their children into more education, and they spend gobs of money in plastic surgery. If you ever wondered why there is so much plastic surgery in Korea, this is why.
-EDIT 8/27/2011- Sure enough, the Economist has an article that explains exactly how much beneficial it is to be more attractive:
The line of beauty [The Economist]
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
A ‘Necessary Vanity’ [New York Times]I assumed that the popularity of cosmetic surgery in a developing nation was one more example of Brazil’s gaping inequalities. But Pitanguy had long maintained that plastic surgery was not only for the rich: “The poor have the right to be beautiful, too,” he has said. ... Pitanguy’s remark raises yet another issue: Is beauty a right, which, like education or health care, should be realized with the help of public institutions and expertise?
...
[Pitanguy] argues that the real object of healing is not the body, but the mind. A plastic surgeon is a “psychologist with a scalpel in his hand.” This idea led Pitanguy to argue for the “union” of cosmetic and reconstructive procedures. In both types of surgery beauty and mental healing subtly mingle, he claims, and both benefit health. ... We might ask: if you’re psychologically suffering, why not have psychological treatment? One doctor had this response: “What is the difference between a plastic surgeon and a psychoanalyst? The psychoanalyst knows everything but changes nothing. The plastic surgeon knows nothing but changes everything.”
...
Beauty is unfair: the attractive enjoy privileges and powers gained without merit. As such it can offend egalitarian values. Yet while attractiveness is a quality “awarded” to those who don’t morally deserve it, it can also grant power to those excluded from other systems of privilege. It is a kind of “double negative”: a form of power that is unfairly distributed but which can disturb other unfair hierarchies. For this reason it may have democratic appeal. In poor urban areas beauty often has a similar importance for girls as soccer (or basketball) does for boys: it promises an almost magical attainment of recognition, wealth or power.
In Brazil’s favelas many dreams for social mobility center on the body. N.G.O.’s offer free lessons in fashion modeling. Marriage is often seen as an out-of-reach luxury; seduction a means of escaping poverty. Powerful attractions that cross class lines are a favorite theme in telenovelas. And working class women face long lines at public hospitals to have cosmetic surgery. These social facts stem from the lack of other opportunities for many women. Yet, they also reflect an accurate, not deluded, perception of the role of physical attractiveness in consumer capitalism.
For many consumers attractiveness is essential to economic and sexual competition, social visibility, and mental well being. This “value” of appearance may be especially clear for those excluded from other means of social ascent. For the poor beauty is often a form of capital that can be exchanged for other benefits, however small, transient, or unconducive to collective change.
Much of the "plastic surgery philosophy" discussed in the article is applicable to Korea, the world's leader in plastic surgery. As the Korean discussed previously, the most important philosophy to understand modern Korean society is not Confucianism or any Eastern philosophy, but what might be termed "survivalism" -- the ruthless mindset required to ensure the survival over the next person in the continuously harsh conditions under war and poverty. Everything Koreans do, they do with a tinge of desperation, because war and poverty are really that scary.
As the article correctly notes, beauty promises near-magical attainment of recognition, wealth and power, especially when opportunities for women are limited in other areas. Korea, more so than Brazil, is a rising economy in which people have the money to change the unfair circumstances in which they are born. So Koreans do everything they can do better their stations -- they desperately throw their children into more education, and they spend gobs of money in plastic surgery. If you ever wondered why there is so much plastic surgery in Korea, this is why.
-EDIT 8/27/2011- Sure enough, the Economist has an article that explains exactly how much beneficial it is to be more attractive:
A Chinese study confirms that the husbands of unappealing women earn about 10% less than those of their dishier counterparts. Attractive people also have an easier time getting a loan than plain folks, even as they are less likely to pay it back. They receive milder prison sentences and higher damages in simulated legal proceedings. In America more people say they have felt discriminated against for their appearance than because of their age, race or ethnicity.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Ask a Korean! News: Korea's Role in Libyan Economy
Democracy is not just a supreme value for human freedom -- it also does a great deal for wealth and prosperity. Korea's role in rebuilding post-Gadhafi Libya is a nice example of this. Some excerpts:
Many of Korea's major construction companies cut their teeth by building massive projects in the Middle East during the 1970s and 80s. By early 1980s, Korea trailed only America in the amount of money earned from construction projects abroad, and over 90 percent of such revenue came from Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia and Libya. In 1991, Dongah Construction finished building a massive pipeline to carry water from one end of Libya to the other, which was the largest construction project at the time.
Like Korea, Libya went from a dictatorship to democracy. Here is to hoping that Libya finds prosperity as Korea did.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Korea stakes claim in post-Ghadafi Libya [CNN]As the regime of Moammar Gadhafi crumbled, the value of South Korean construction firms rose.
When rebel forces swarmed into the dwindling Tripoli strongholds of Moammar Gadhafi Tuesday, investors in distant Seoul pushed the stock value of companies like Daewoo Engineering & Construction and Hyundai Engineering & Construction up nearly 10%, betting that the new rebel regime will mean lucrative reconstruction contracts.
...
Libya is a major business partner to South Korea, and trade has been hard hit by the Libyan conflict. While exports to Libya reached $1.4 billion last year, exports dove nearly 88% the first seven months of the year, according to the Korea International Trade Association.
Korean companies account for one-third of all foreign business in Libya according to the Korea Trade-Promotion Agency, KOTRA, working on projects worth some $36.4 billion at the start of this year.
When violence first erupted, the South Korean government helped with the evacuation of almost 1400 workers working on 300 different building sites.
...
KOTRA estimates the market for rebuilding Libya could be as large as $120 billion. Given the market share Korean firms had before this year, KOTRA estimates Korea's share of reconstruction could be as high as $40 billion.
Rebuilding projects could include repairing oil refineries, electricity power lines, ports and houses as well as new road construction.
Many of Korea's major construction companies cut their teeth by building massive projects in the Middle East during the 1970s and 80s. By early 1980s, Korea trailed only America in the amount of money earned from construction projects abroad, and over 90 percent of such revenue came from Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia and Libya. In 1991, Dongah Construction finished building a massive pipeline to carry water from one end of Libya to the other, which was the largest construction project at the time.
Like Korea, Libya went from a dictatorship to democracy. Here is to hoping that Libya finds prosperity as Korea did.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Looking for "Lee Michelle"
The Korean is putting out an APB -- does anyone know this woman's story? From what the Korean could tell, she goes by the name of "Lee Michelle", and teaches vocal in Korea. Also, she appeared as a backup chorus in the hit show "I am a Singer" (나는 가수다), where the Korean first spotted her.
Given the number of questions that the Korean receives from non-Koreans about wanting to be a K-pop star, her story can potentially be very instructive. If you somehow know her, please email the Korean. Thanks!
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Given the number of questions that the Korean receives from non-Koreans about wanting to be a K-pop star, her story can potentially be very instructive. If you somehow know her, please email the Korean. Thanks!
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Only in America would serious people even wonder about whether there is too much learning going on. Luckily, most panelists on the New York Times responded in the negative, and a few did point out that the question itself was stupid (in gentler words, of course.) But the fact that this question even appears on the New York Times is itself a troubling sign.
Ask a Korean! Wiki: Are Korean Men Into Black Women?
Dear Korean,
I'm 19 and live in the United State and very attracted to korean men such as TOP and Taeyang form big bang,Kim Bum, Kim Hyun Joong, ant etc., I thought of moving to South Korea after college. I've been learning the language but I wonder do korean like black girls. My features are european for the most part and I am light skinned such as Lee Hyori and Park Shiyeon but I and black. So I'm asking you for and answer...please don't give me it depends on the person it crap!
Sheena
Dear Korean,
I just have this attraction towards Asian men. And some seem to like me too. But ive never dated one. So would they feel insecure dating a black girl? Well would you?
Debbie
Dear Korean,
I actually have several questions, but all of them revolve around the "Blasian" relationships. I just want to know why Asian men don't approach Black women. You know how the trend is now: White women w/ Black men, Asian women w/ White men... etc, that leaves Black women and Asian men alone...... I'm personally attracted to Asian men but I can't get them to notice me. I've been 'hit on' by every ethnicity except Asian men. They either stay within their own ethnicity or date white women. I know that me being African-American maybe somewhat of a disadvantage, yet I'm not like most black women, I'm not loud, "ghetto" or vicious , I enjoy watching anime< esp. subbed>, listening to Kpop / Jpop music and studying Asian cultures. I don't have many black friends because they can't appreciate my unique, non-Black interests. Are Asian men just not interested? Is it true that Asians are scared of Black women? What can I do? What do Asian guys look for in girls?
AW
The most frequently received question for this blog is some variation of "Do Korean guys go for non-Korean [white, black, Latina, South Asian, Southeast Asian, Martian] girls?" And each time, the Korean points them to this old post, which has been the most popular post on this blog for a long time until the dog meat post overtook it this month. (But, for the record, the third most popular post is about what the word "oppa" means -- which is another mainstay for those infatuated with Korean men.)
But over the course of receiving hundreds of such questions, the Korean noticed a trend: by far, black women were dominating the number of questions about whether Korean/Asian men would find them attractive. So the Korean figured this is a good topic for a separate discussion. Why do black women have such yellow fever? Was Ninja Assassin somehow much more culturally influential than people give it credit for? Are black women into small eyes? Or is it just that black women are more inquisitive? More insecure? And on the flip side, for Korean/Asian men -- are you interested in dating a black woman? Do you talk to black women when you go out?
Here is the only reliable bit of research about black-Asian relationship that the Korean knows of. (If you know more, you are obviously welcome to pitch in.) Among all Asian Americans, Korean American men (who are raised in America) are actually the most likely to marry a black woman. This, however, is not really saying much, as only 2.1% of Korean American men (raised in America) are married to black women.
Personally, back when the Korean was still dating, he was an equal opportunity dater. But he always did have a soft spot for black women. To the Korean, the most beautiful woman in the world (excluding, of course, the Korean Wife) is Beyonce. (Yes, the Korean knows Beyonce is biracial. Let's not get too technical. He also cannot stop staring at Alicia Keys whenever she is on TV. That good enough?) He also asked out a decent number of black women during the course of his dating life -- only to be rebuffed each time. God, it's great being married so I won't go through that shit again. Wait, did I say that out loud?
At any rate, let's talk about this. Black women, Asian men, now is your time.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
I'm 19 and live in the United State and very attracted to korean men such as TOP and Taeyang form big bang,Kim Bum, Kim Hyun Joong, ant etc., I thought of moving to South Korea after college. I've been learning the language but I wonder do korean like black girls. My features are european for the most part and I am light skinned such as Lee Hyori and Park Shiyeon but I and black. So I'm asking you for and answer...please don't give me it depends on the person it crap!
Sheena
Dear Korean,
I just have this attraction towards Asian men. And some seem to like me too. But ive never dated one. So would they feel insecure dating a black girl? Well would you?
Debbie
Dear Korean,
I actually have several questions, but all of them revolve around the "Blasian" relationships. I just want to know why Asian men don't approach Black women. You know how the trend is now: White women w/ Black men, Asian women w/ White men... etc, that leaves Black women and Asian men alone...... I'm personally attracted to Asian men but I can't get them to notice me. I've been 'hit on' by every ethnicity except Asian men. They either stay within their own ethnicity or date white women. I know that me being African-American maybe somewhat of a disadvantage, yet I'm not like most black women, I'm not loud, "ghetto" or vicious , I enjoy watching anime< esp. subbed>, listening to Kpop / Jpop music and studying Asian cultures. I don't have many black friends because they can't appreciate my unique, non-Black interests. Are Asian men just not interested? Is it true that Asians are scared of Black women? What can I do? What do Asian guys look for in girls?
AW
The most frequently received question for this blog is some variation of "Do Korean guys go for non-Korean [white, black, Latina, South Asian, Southeast Asian, Martian] girls?" And each time, the Korean points them to this old post, which has been the most popular post on this blog for a long time until the dog meat post overtook it this month. (But, for the record, the third most popular post is about what the word "oppa" means -- which is another mainstay for those infatuated with Korean men.)
But over the course of receiving hundreds of such questions, the Korean noticed a trend: by far, black women were dominating the number of questions about whether Korean/Asian men would find them attractive. So the Korean figured this is a good topic for a separate discussion. Why do black women have such yellow fever? Was Ninja Assassin somehow much more culturally influential than people give it credit for? Are black women into small eyes? Or is it just that black women are more inquisitive? More insecure? And on the flip side, for Korean/Asian men -- are you interested in dating a black woman? Do you talk to black women when you go out?
Here is the only reliable bit of research about black-Asian relationship that the Korean knows of. (If you know more, you are obviously welcome to pitch in.) Among all Asian Americans, Korean American men (who are raised in America) are actually the most likely to marry a black woman. This, however, is not really saying much, as only 2.1% of Korean American men (raised in America) are married to black women.
Personally, back when the Korean was still dating, he was an equal opportunity dater. But he always did have a soft spot for black women. To the Korean, the most beautiful woman in the world (excluding, of course, the Korean Wife) is Beyonce. (Yes, the Korean knows Beyonce is biracial. Let's not get too technical. He also cannot stop staring at Alicia Keys whenever she is on TV. That good enough?) He also asked out a decent number of black women during the course of his dating life -- only to be rebuffed each time. God, it's great being married so I won't go through that shit again. Wait, did I say that out loud?
At any rate, let's talk about this. Black women, Asian men, now is your time.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
IMF Bailout of Korea During East Asian Financial Crisis -- Interlude
[Series Index]
How ironic is it that as this blog discusses the IMF bailout of Korea during the East Asian Financial Crisis of 1997-98, U.S. and Europe are undergoing similar problems? The Economist captures very well a sentiment of schadenfreude among some Asian commentators:
Please do read the rest of the article, as it nicely discusses why the West's problem is also Asia's problem.
Part IV of the IMF Bailout series, which will discuss the social impact of East Asian Financial Crisis on Korea, will come out soon. The Korean has always said that in many ways, the events of Korea presages the events in America. In all likelihood, the lessons learned by Korea a little more than a decade ago will be directly applicable to the United States.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
How ironic is it that as this blog discusses the IMF bailout of Korea during the East Asian Financial Crisis of 1997-98, U.S. and Europe are undergoing similar problems? The Economist captures very well a sentiment of schadenfreude among some Asian commentators:
What’s Schadenfreude in Chinese? [The Economist]These sundry calamities in the West have provided Asian commentators with an unmissable chance to unveil Western hypocrisy. Many Asian leaders have vivid memories of the lectures they endured in 1997-98 over their thriftless, incompetent economic management, and of the harsh medicine they were forced to swallow in return for IMF assistance. So some must enjoy the reversal of roles: emerging Asia as the model of steady, consistent economic policy and sustained growth; America, Europe and Japan mired in debt and slow growth or even recession. Mr Mahbubani, now dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore, says “every piece of advice that the Asians received has been ignored” in the West.
A few weeks ago, China’s prime minister, Wen Jiabao, rebuked Britain for its obsessive harping on human-rights abuses in its dealings with his country. How he must have relished hearing his British counterpart, David Cameron, say this month that his government would not let “phoney human-rights concerns” get in the way of hunting down rioters and looters.
Please do read the rest of the article, as it nicely discusses why the West's problem is also Asia's problem.
Part IV of the IMF Bailout series, which will discuss the social impact of East Asian Financial Crisis on Korea, will come out soon. The Korean has always said that in many ways, the events of Korea presages the events in America. In all likelihood, the lessons learned by Korea a little more than a decade ago will be directly applicable to the United States.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Ask a Korean! News: AIDS in Korea
Here is a short piece of news about AIDS in Korea. Thankfully, most people with AIDS are alive:
Reports showed that the man and woman who were found to be the first AIDS patients in Korea in the 1980s are still alive. According to the Center for Disease Control, Korea's first official AIDS patient was 55-year-old Mr. A, who contracted the disease in 1985. Mr. A discovered that he contracted AIDS from abroad when he was getting tested for donating blood in Korea. Mr. A has been undergoing treatment, and has been living a healthy life.
Ms. B, the first Korean female AIDS patient who contracted the disease through sexual contact, also is in relatively good health. Ms. B lives with her son, who is in late 20s and born before she contracted the disease in 1988. The son does not have AIDS, exemplifying that living with an AIDS patient is not problematic.
The officer from the CDC said: "As long as an AIDS patient continues to undergo treatment, he can live out his expected life expectancy," and added "American NBA basketball star Magic Johnson has been living for 20 years since he contracted AIDS in 1991, thanks to effective management of the disease."
To date, there have been 7656 Korean AIDS patient. 82 percent, or 6292 patients, are still alive.
국내 에이즈 첫번째 환자 26년간 생존 [Dong-A Ilbo]
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Reports showed that the man and woman who were found to be the first AIDS patients in Korea in the 1980s are still alive. According to the Center for Disease Control, Korea's first official AIDS patient was 55-year-old Mr. A, who contracted the disease in 1985. Mr. A discovered that he contracted AIDS from abroad when he was getting tested for donating blood in Korea. Mr. A has been undergoing treatment, and has been living a healthy life.
Ms. B, the first Korean female AIDS patient who contracted the disease through sexual contact, also is in relatively good health. Ms. B lives with her son, who is in late 20s and born before she contracted the disease in 1988. The son does not have AIDS, exemplifying that living with an AIDS patient is not problematic.
The officer from the CDC said: "As long as an AIDS patient continues to undergo treatment, he can live out his expected life expectancy," and added "American NBA basketball star Magic Johnson has been living for 20 years since he contracted AIDS in 1991, thanks to effective management of the disease."
To date, there have been 7656 Korean AIDS patient. 82 percent, or 6292 patients, are still alive.
국내 에이즈 첫번째 환자 26년간 생존 [Dong-A Ilbo]
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Technical Proficiency and Creativity
The Korean always enjoys reading Anthony Tommasini's take on classical music on the New York Times. His recent article regarding the increasing technical ability of classical musicians (specifically pianists) is quite interesting:
This conforms with the Korean's long-standing belief about true creativity: to be truly creative, one has to be really, really technically good at something first. Only after there is a foundation of ability to actualize one's vision can there be a materialization of creativity.
(More after the jump.)
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
But will this focus on technical proficiency kill creativity and expression? No, Tommasini says -- just the opposite:Ms. Wang’s virtuosity is stunning. But is that so unusual these days? Not really. That a young pianist has come along who can seemingly play anything, and easily, is not the big deal it would have been a short time ago.
The overall level of technical proficiency in instrumental playing, especially on the piano, has increased steadily over time. Many piano teachers, critics and commentators have noted the phenomenon, which is not unlike what happens in sports. The four-minute mile seemed an impossibility until Roger Bannister made the breakthrough in 1954. Since then, runners have knocked nearly 17 seconds off Bannister’s time.
Something similar has long been occurring with pianists. And in the last decade or so the growth of technical proficiency has seemed exponential.
Virtuosos Becoming a Dime a Dozen [New York Times]But more recently younger pianists have not been cookie-cutter virtuosos. Technical excellence is such a given that these artists can cultivate real personality, style and flair: artists like the Ukrainian pianist Alexander Romanovsky, whose 2009 recording of Rachmaninoff’s “Études-Tableaux” for Decca is wondrously beautiful, or the highly imaginative Polish-Hungarian pianist Piotr Anderszewski, an exceptional Bach interpreter.
...
Martha Argerich can be a wild woman at the piano, but who cares? She has stupefying technique and arresting musical ideas. I would add Krystian Zimerman, Marc-André Hamelin and probably Jean-Yves Thibaudet to this roster. There are others, both older and younger pianists. Again, lovers of the piano can disagree about the musical approaches of these tremendous artists. But that they are all active right now suggests that a new level of conquering the piano has been reached.
This conforms with the Korean's long-standing belief about true creativity: to be truly creative, one has to be really, really technically good at something first. Only after there is a foundation of ability to actualize one's vision can there be a materialization of creativity.
(More after the jump.)
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Baekseju, the "100 Year Wine"
Dear Korean,
What is the deal with 'bek sae ju'? I am told that drinking this 'hundred-year-wine' can help you live longer. Are there any actual health benefits to drinking this beverage? How did it get its reputation/name?
Andi
Dear Andi,
You inadvertently stumbled onto a highly interesting example of how a Korean product manages to recall Korea's tradition and repackage it for modern day customers.
First, the name. "Baek Se Ju" [백세주] literally means "100 year wine." The first reference to it came in a 17th century book called Jibong'yuseol [지봉유설], which was a type of encyclopedia, written by a scholar named Yi Su-Gwang [이수광]. The book tells the following tale about baekseju:
Baekseju is made by a company called Kooksoondang [국순당] Brewery Co., a company that focuses on brewing traditional wine. Before Kooksoondang decided to mass produce baekseju, the wine was no more than a moonshine recipe available only in small pockets of Korea. Importantly, although Kooksoondang made its baekseju based on the traditional recipe, it added plenty of its own adjustments to come up with what would sell in the broader market. The company put out the wine in the market in 1992, and advertised it with a nifty poster re-telling the story from Jibong'yuseol.
The result was a huge success. In the early 1990s, there were pretty much only three types of alcohol available in Korean market -- beer, soju and whiskey. Baekseju was perfectly positioned to hit the market for people who wanted to drink but not get shitfaced. (For those who wanted something a bit stronger than baekseju, a popular alternative was quickly hatched -- "osipseju" ("50 year wine"), made by mixing soju and baekseju one-to-one.) The good-for-your-health was a nice narrative to accompany the product, enforcing the message that if you want to avoid hangover the next morning, go with baekseju. Thanks to baekseju, Kooksoondang grew 100 times in terms of revenue since 1992, and has now become the dominant market leader in traditional Korean wine of all kinds. One can fairly say that baekseju opened the door for the rediscovery of Korean traditional wine, although baekseju itself might not be particularly authentic.
Is baekseju actually good for your health? It might be possible -- it is not particularly strong (about 13 percent alcohol), and its ingredients do include many herbs used in traditional medicine. The company does claim that, based on its own experiments, baekseju is just as good as red wine in cancer prevention, and also protects the stomach lining. But at the end of the day, alcohol is alcohol -- it can only be so good for one's health. Instead of thinking too much about the supposed health benefits, one should drink baekseju as a toast to how tradition, a solid product and nifty marketing combined to create one of the most successful products in Korean alcohol market.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
What is the deal with 'bek sae ju'? I am told that drinking this 'hundred-year-wine' can help you live longer. Are there any actual health benefits to drinking this beverage? How did it get its reputation/name?
Andi
Dear Andi,
You inadvertently stumbled onto a highly interesting example of how a Korean product manages to recall Korea's tradition and repackage it for modern day customers.
First, the name. "Baek Se Ju" [백세주] literally means "100 year wine." The first reference to it came in a 17th century book called Jibong'yuseol [지봉유설], which was a type of encyclopedia, written by a scholar named Yi Su-Gwang [이수광]. The book tells the following tale about baekseju:
This is a cool story reflective of the kind of ironic humor commonly found in traditional Korea. But the real story is how the modern baekseju appeared in the market.A traveler was walking by a road, when he saw a young man had an old man stood up with his pants sleeves rolled up, and was whipping the old man with a switch. The traveler became indignant with the young man's insolence, chastised: "How dare you lay your switch on this old man's leg!"
The young man replied: "This here is my precious only son, whom I had at age 80. And he is turning old like this because he did not drink this wine like I told him. So I am trying to teach him a lesson."
Baekseju is made by a company called Kooksoondang [국순당] Brewery Co., a company that focuses on brewing traditional wine. Before Kooksoondang decided to mass produce baekseju, the wine was no more than a moonshine recipe available only in small pockets of Korea. Importantly, although Kooksoondang made its baekseju based on the traditional recipe, it added plenty of its own adjustments to come up with what would sell in the broader market. The company put out the wine in the market in 1992, and advertised it with a nifty poster re-telling the story from Jibong'yuseol.
Notice the old man getting hit by a young man
(source)
The result was a huge success. In the early 1990s, there were pretty much only three types of alcohol available in Korean market -- beer, soju and whiskey. Baekseju was perfectly positioned to hit the market for people who wanted to drink but not get shitfaced. (For those who wanted something a bit stronger than baekseju, a popular alternative was quickly hatched -- "osipseju" ("50 year wine"), made by mixing soju and baekseju one-to-one.) The good-for-your-health was a nice narrative to accompany the product, enforcing the message that if you want to avoid hangover the next morning, go with baekseju. Thanks to baekseju, Kooksoondang grew 100 times in terms of revenue since 1992, and has now become the dominant market leader in traditional Korean wine of all kinds. One can fairly say that baekseju opened the door for the rediscovery of Korean traditional wine, although baekseju itself might not be particularly authentic.
Is baekseju actually good for your health? It might be possible -- it is not particularly strong (about 13 percent alcohol), and its ingredients do include many herbs used in traditional medicine. The company does claim that, based on its own experiments, baekseju is just as good as red wine in cancer prevention, and also protects the stomach lining. But at the end of the day, alcohol is alcohol -- it can only be so good for one's health. Instead of thinking too much about the supposed health benefits, one should drink baekseju as a toast to how tradition, a solid product and nifty marketing combined to create one of the most successful products in Korean alcohol market.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Ask a Korean! News: "War criminals are not really war criminals"
The Korean previously wrote that the Japanese government is unable to make a truly meaningful apology and reparation because the Japanese people, as a whole, do not think their country did anything wrong in World War II and the occupation of Korea. And sure enough, Noda Yoshihiko, Japan's finance minister and the most likely candidate to be the next prime minister, confirms this view:
The Korean will reiterate his previous position: despite the occasional nationalistic spasms, Koreans are ready to love Japan. Koreans already consume Japanese products in droves despite incredibly high tariffs. Japanese cartoons are so popular in Korea that they essentially merged in as a part of Korean culture. You cannot have a conversation with hipster Koreans without watching the latest Japanese movies and dramas. Koreans provided a huge outpouring support when Japan suffered the massive damage from the recent earthquake and tsunami. The only thing – literally, the last possible thing – that is holding Koreans back from completely embracing Japan is that Japan is constantly provoking their nationalist sentiments that Koreans are generally happy to ignore otherwise.
This is doubly disappointing because it is not as if Noda is Shintaro Ishihara, a governor of Tokyo and certifiable right-wing nutjob who famously claimed that Rape of Nanking was a Chinese fiction. Noda belongs to the same party as Kan Naoto, the left-over-center Democratic Party that has been more willing to accept Imperial Japan's war crimes.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Be careful whom you wish for [The Economist]On August 15th [Noda] aroused the ire of South Korea, a country that [current prime minister] Mr Kan has steadfastly and sensitively courted, by reaffirming a nonsensical argument he aired six years ago. It claims that Japan’s 14 Class-A war criminals who are buried at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo were not, in fact, war criminals.
Some legal commentators have made a similar point in the past, arguing that Japanese law does not recognise the verdicts of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, which convicted them. Legal hair-splitting aside however, Japan’s government accepted the verdicts as part of the 1952 San Francisco peace treaty, Article 11 of which begins: “Japan accepts the judgments of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East and of other Allied War Crimes Courts both within and outside Japan, and will carry out the sentences imposed thereby upon Japanese nationals imprisoned in Japan.”
The bizarre part of Mr Noda’s argument is that he says the San Francisco treaty “restored the honour” of all Japan’s war criminals. When he made this point to Junichiro Koizumi in 2005, in response to the then-prime minister’s controversial visit to Yasukuni, even Mr Koizumi said he did not know what Mr Noda was talking about.
The Korean will reiterate his previous position: despite the occasional nationalistic spasms, Koreans are ready to love Japan. Koreans already consume Japanese products in droves despite incredibly high tariffs. Japanese cartoons are so popular in Korea that they essentially merged in as a part of Korean culture. You cannot have a conversation with hipster Koreans without watching the latest Japanese movies and dramas. Koreans provided a huge outpouring support when Japan suffered the massive damage from the recent earthquake and tsunami. The only thing – literally, the last possible thing – that is holding Koreans back from completely embracing Japan is that Japan is constantly provoking their nationalist sentiments that Koreans are generally happy to ignore otherwise.
This is doubly disappointing because it is not as if Noda is Shintaro Ishihara, a governor of Tokyo and certifiable right-wing nutjob who famously claimed that Rape of Nanking was a Chinese fiction. Noda belongs to the same party as Kan Naoto, the left-over-center Democratic Party that has been more willing to accept Imperial Japan's war crimes.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Do Naturalized Koreans Get Drafted?
Dear Korean,
If I apply for the Korean citizenship before 35 years old, do I need to serve the military service?
Roman
Short answer -- you do not have to, but you can volunteer.
Long answer --
First of all, starting from 2011, the duty to serve is in effect until age 37, not age 35, if you were born after January 1, 1980. Be careful here, however -- the draft eligibility does not expire on your 37th birthday. Instead, it expires on December 31 of the year that you turn 37.
When a male under 37 years of age naturalizes and obtains Korean citizenship, he is eligible for the draft like everyone else. If he does nothing, he will soon receive a draft notice. But a naturalized male Korean citizen can actually file a form and be exempt from military service, except in times of war when he will be drafted for labor mobilization. More about Korea's military service can be found in this series.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
If I apply for the Korean citizenship before 35 years old, do I need to serve the military service?
Roman
Short answer -- you do not have to, but you can volunteer.
Long answer --
First of all, starting from 2011, the duty to serve is in effect until age 37, not age 35, if you were born after January 1, 1980. Be careful here, however -- the draft eligibility does not expire on your 37th birthday. Instead, it expires on December 31 of the year that you turn 37.
When a male under 37 years of age naturalizes and obtains Korean citizenship, he is eligible for the draft like everyone else. If he does nothing, he will soon receive a draft notice. But a naturalized male Korean citizen can actually file a form and be exempt from military service, except in times of war when he will be drafted for labor mobilization. More about Korea's military service can be found in this series.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Ask a Korean! Wiki: Mixed Koreans?
Dear Korean,
As an 18 year old male of mixed Korean/British race, what is modern Korea's outlook to an "unpure" Korean?
Jonathan L.
Dear Jonathan,
The only answer that the Korean could give is: it wildly depends on the individual. In the 1950s and the following years, there definitely was a strong discrimination against mixed raced Koreans, because they were generally assumed to be the products of an American G.I. and an unchaste Korean mother. (Which, actually, was in general not too far off from the truth.) The decisive turning point happened in 2006, when Hines Ward, a biracial Korean American won the Super Bowl MVP trophy. As Koreans rushed to celebrate Ward, they also engaged in a national soul-searching about the treatment of biracial Koreans. Fast forward to 2011, and there is now a girl group with three out of five members being biracial poised to debut. The number of biracial Korean children is exploding, increasing by 92.8 percent in the last three years. Officially Korean government is encouraging multiculturalism, but individual attitudes are all over the place. If you are of mixed heritage, some Koreans might shun you. But some Koreans might find you interesting and easier to approach than 100 percent foreigners.
The Korean will give a caveat, however: race does not have THAT big of a place in Korean people's mind. A lot of foreigners (loosely defined, since people in Jonathan's situation are both Korean and foreigner) particularly Westerners, tend to overrate Korean racism. Pay close attention to the word choice here -- the opposite of "overrate" is "properly rate". As the Korean stated over and over again on this blog, racism in Koreans is real, and it is a serious issue. But at the same time, it is not as if it is the primary, or even secondary or tertiary concern in the minds of Koreans. Foreigners tend to overrate Korea's racism because they worry about it as if their race will be the sole determinant of how Koreans perceive them. They seriously send questions fearing for their safety in Korea, as if Koreans were the white slave owners of the antebellum South. Relax. There are many things that Koreans value over race. For example, regardless of race, Koreans will respect you if you went to an Ivy League school. Regardless of race, Koreans will respect you if you come from a good family, with parents engaged in respected professions. Again, racism in Korea is real, but its application is subtle -- it is not like anyone is facing a Jim Crow rule in Korea. How a non-Korean is treated in Korea depends a lot more factors than race alone.
Having said all that, the Korean will present this Wiki question for all the hapa Koreans. Do you live in Korea, or have you visited Korea recently? How was your impression of your life/stay in Korea? What kind of experiences did you have? The Korean would like to encourage a good, meaty discussion -- the Korean would love to supplement this post with well-written observations.
-EDIT 8/20/2011- To the idiots who keep claiming that the Korean is somehow trying to defend Korea's racism:
In addition to inviting a dialogue, characterizing racism in Korea as "real" and "serious," and linking to posts in which the reality and gravity of Korea's racism are discussed, the Korean bothered to put up an emailed comment that describes Korea's treatment of Amerasian people as "atrocity" and "ethnic cleansing." Yeah, that's some serious kimcheerleading right there.
Please, give only relevant comments to the post. This post is about biracial Koreans. Say something about how biracial Koreans are treated in Korea -- either your personal experience, or based on outside materials. As long as the comment is relevant, the Korean really does not care how harsh a word Korea's racism is characterized by. For once in Internet's history, let's try to have a focused, intelligent discussion.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
As an 18 year old male of mixed Korean/British race, what is modern Korea's outlook to an "unpure" Korean?
Jonathan L.
Dear Jonathan,
The only answer that the Korean could give is: it wildly depends on the individual. In the 1950s and the following years, there definitely was a strong discrimination against mixed raced Koreans, because they were generally assumed to be the products of an American G.I. and an unchaste Korean mother. (Which, actually, was in general not too far off from the truth.) The decisive turning point happened in 2006, when Hines Ward, a biracial Korean American won the Super Bowl MVP trophy. As Koreans rushed to celebrate Ward, they also engaged in a national soul-searching about the treatment of biracial Koreans. Fast forward to 2011, and there is now a girl group with three out of five members being biracial poised to debut. The number of biracial Korean children is exploding, increasing by 92.8 percent in the last three years. Officially Korean government is encouraging multiculturalism, but individual attitudes are all over the place. If you are of mixed heritage, some Koreans might shun you. But some Koreans might find you interesting and easier to approach than 100 percent foreigners.
The Korean will give a caveat, however: race does not have THAT big of a place in Korean people's mind. A lot of foreigners (loosely defined, since people in Jonathan's situation are both Korean and foreigner) particularly Westerners, tend to overrate Korean racism. Pay close attention to the word choice here -- the opposite of "overrate" is "properly rate". As the Korean stated over and over again on this blog, racism in Koreans is real, and it is a serious issue. But at the same time, it is not as if it is the primary, or even secondary or tertiary concern in the minds of Koreans. Foreigners tend to overrate Korea's racism because they worry about it as if their race will be the sole determinant of how Koreans perceive them. They seriously send questions fearing for their safety in Korea, as if Koreans were the white slave owners of the antebellum South. Relax. There are many things that Koreans value over race. For example, regardless of race, Koreans will respect you if you went to an Ivy League school. Regardless of race, Koreans will respect you if you come from a good family, with parents engaged in respected professions. Again, racism in Korea is real, but its application is subtle -- it is not like anyone is facing a Jim Crow rule in Korea. How a non-Korean is treated in Korea depends a lot more factors than race alone.
Having said all that, the Korean will present this Wiki question for all the hapa Koreans. Do you live in Korea, or have you visited Korea recently? How was your impression of your life/stay in Korea? What kind of experiences did you have? The Korean would like to encourage a good, meaty discussion -- the Korean would love to supplement this post with well-written observations.
-EDIT 8/20/2011- To the idiots who keep claiming that the Korean is somehow trying to defend Korea's racism:
In addition to inviting a dialogue, characterizing racism in Korea as "real" and "serious," and linking to posts in which the reality and gravity of Korea's racism are discussed, the Korean bothered to put up an emailed comment that describes Korea's treatment of Amerasian people as "atrocity" and "ethnic cleansing." Yeah, that's some serious kimcheerleading right there.
Please, give only relevant comments to the post. This post is about biracial Koreans. Say something about how biracial Koreans are treated in Korea -- either your personal experience, or based on outside materials. As long as the comment is relevant, the Korean really does not care how harsh a word Korea's racism is characterized by. For once in Internet's history, let's try to have a focused, intelligent discussion.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Guns and Riots
Recently the traffic at this blog spiked up, apparently because apparently some people found this picture from this post to be inspiring in light of the riots in London:
The commentary accompanying this picture usually goes along the lines of: "Hey, look at these Korean Americans! They protecting their own with guns! I bet their stores were not looted at all! Londoners should be able to do the same!"
-EDIT 8/16/2011- Excellent example of this line of thought expressed by an NBC news editor in London, courtesy of the commenter thursdaynitelive:
(More after the jump)
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
The commentary accompanying this picture usually goes along the lines of: "Hey, look at these Korean Americans! They protecting their own with guns! I bet their stores were not looted at all! Londoners should be able to do the same!"
-EDIT 8/16/2011- Excellent example of this line of thought expressed by an NBC news editor in London, courtesy of the commenter thursdaynitelive:
Funny, because the Korean does not find the picture to be inspiring at all -- he finds it dispiriting. The Korean has been a consistent advocate of very strict gun control, partly because he knows what happened to Korean Americans during the riot. Although Korean Americans constituted only 2.5 percent of Los Angeles residents as of 2000, Korean Americans suffered the estimated property damages of over $350 million, or approximately half of the riot's total property damage. So much for the idea that guns will stop property damage.As everyone in the newsroom debated the use of force – whether to use rubber bullets, tear gas, water cannons, Tasers, even bean-bag guns – I wondered why they were wasting their breath. “If your cops had guns, day number 2, 3, 4 and 5 of this, it would NOT have happened!” I said at a recent meeting.
(More after the jump)
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
50 Most Influential K-Pop Artists: 26. Jaurim
[Series Index]
26. Jaurim [자우림]
Also known as: 紫雨林 ("purple rain forest")
Years of Activity: 1997-present
Members:
Kim Yoon-Ah [김윤아] - Vocal
Lee Seon-Gyu [이선규] - Guitar
Kim Jin-Man [김진만] - Bass
Gu Tae-Hoon [구태훈] - Drum
Discography:
Purple Heart (1997)
Lover [戀人] (1998)
The Wonderland (2000)
04 (2002)
All You Need is Love (2004)
Ashes to Ashes (2006)
Ruby Sapphire Diamond (2008)
Conspiracy Theory [陰謀論] (2011)
Representative Song: I'm a Fan [팬이야] from 04. (Parts that are originally in English are marked in blue.)
Translation note: Jaurim is one of the few bands of Korea whose English lyrics are not awkward. This time, the Korean tried a more natural translation instead of a more precise translation. Comments are welcome.
In 15 words or less: Queen of the indies, Korea's greatest modern rock band.
Maybe they should be ranked higher because... Without Jaurim, will people have noticed what was happening at Hongdae?
Maybe they should be ranked lower because... Did they ever totally capture the public's imagination as did some of the artists ranked lower than them?
Why is this band important?
When it comes to K-pop history, the significance of the indie scene near Hong-Ik University -- more commonly known as its contraction, Hongdae -- cannot be overstated. Hongdae, with its prestigious art major, has attracted the most brilliantly creative minds of Korea since the 1980s. These creative minds have provided a ready audience for the types of music that did not shine in the mainstream. For a time, the live bandstands near Hongdae were the only islands on which one could avoid the tsunami of corporatized idol group music.
Jaurim is important because it is the reigning queen of the Hongdae scene. And it ascended to its throne on the strength of sheer talent. In fact, Kim Yoon-Ah may be the most talented woman in K-pop history. Yes, there have been better singers and there have been better song writers. But few women in the history of K-pop can match Kim Yoon-Ah's charisma and musical vision, AND translate that talent into a broadly accessible format. (Kim edges out Lee Sang-Eun in this regard.) Picking a representative song for Jaurim was a particularly difficult task, because of the vast range of music in which Jaurim comfortably resided -- no band in K-pop history could go from light to dark, chipper to serious quite like Jaurim could. Add Kim's particular talent for visual presentation (a must-have for pop singers in the 21st century,) and the conclusion that Jaurim might have saved Korean pop music no longer seems outlandish.
Interesting trivia: Jaurim has not changed its members in its 14-year history, making it the longest running intact band in Korea among those currently operating.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
26. Jaurim [자우림]
Also known as: 紫雨林 ("purple rain forest")
Years of Activity: 1997-present
Members:
Kim Yoon-Ah [김윤아] - Vocal
Lee Seon-Gyu [이선규] - Guitar
Kim Jin-Man [김진만] - Bass
Gu Tae-Hoon [구태훈] - Drum
Discography:
Purple Heart (1997)
Lover [戀人] (1998)
The Wonderland (2000)
04 (2002)
All You Need is Love (2004)
Ashes to Ashes (2006)
Ruby Sapphire Diamond (2008)
Conspiracy Theory [陰謀論] (2011)
Representative Song: I'm a Fan [팬이야] from 04. (Parts that are originally in English are marked in blue.)
팬이야
I'm a Fan
아무렇지 않은 표정으로 애써 웃음지어 보여도
Even though you try to smile like nothing happened
나는 알고 있어 때로 너는 남들 몰래 울곤 하겠지
I know you will sometimes cry when no one else is around
특별할 것 없는 나에게도 마법 같은 사건이 필요해
I am nothing special, but I too need a magical incident
울지 않고 매일 꿈꾸기 위해서
So that I can dream every day without crying
언젠가의 그 날이 오면
When that day comes someday
Oh let me smile again in the sun
Oh let me smile again in the sun
내보일 것 하나 없는 나의 인생에도 용기는 필요해
Even my life with nothing to show for requires courage
지지않고 매일 살아남아 내일 다시 걷기 위해서
So that I don't lose, survive every day and walk again tomorrow
나는 알고 있어 너도 나와 똑같다는 것을
I know that you are just like me
주저앉지 않기 위해 너도 하늘을 보잖아
You are also looking at the sky, so that you won't fall.
언젠가의 그날을 향해
Toward that day that will come someday
I see the light shining in your eyes
I see the light shining in your eyes
I'm my fan
I'm my fan
I'm mad about me
I'm mad about me
I love myself
I love myself
매일 거울 안의 내게 말하곤 해
I tell that every day to myself in the mirror
I'm my fan
I'm my fan
I'm mad about me
I'm mad about me
I love myself
I love myself
매일 거울 안의 내게 말하곤 해
I tell that every day to myself in the mirror
어디론가 남들 몰래 사라져 버릴 수만 있다면
If only I could just disappear without anyone else knowing
어디에도 존재하지 않은 없었던 사람인 것처럼
As if I never existed anywhere
내보일 것 하나 없는 나의 인생에도 용기는 필요해
Even my life with nothing to show for requires courage
지지않고 매일 살아남아 내일도 내일도
So that I don't lose, survive every day, and again tomorrow, and again tomorrow
언젠가는 그날이 올까
Will that day come someday
아직 어둡게 가려진 그날
That day that is still darkly obscured
I'm my fan
I'm mad about me
I love myself
Day after day I'm saying same prayer for me
I'm my fan
I'm mad about me
I love myself
Day after day I'm saying same prayer for me
I see the light shining in my eyes
I see the light shining in my eyes
I see the light shining
I see the light shining
I see the light shining in my eyes
I'm a Fan
아무렇지 않은 표정으로 애써 웃음지어 보여도
Even though you try to smile like nothing happened
나는 알고 있어 때로 너는 남들 몰래 울곤 하겠지
I know you will sometimes cry when no one else is around
특별할 것 없는 나에게도 마법 같은 사건이 필요해
I am nothing special, but I too need a magical incident
울지 않고 매일 꿈꾸기 위해서
So that I can dream every day without crying
언젠가의 그 날이 오면
When that day comes someday
Oh let me smile again in the sun
Oh let me smile again in the sun
내보일 것 하나 없는 나의 인생에도 용기는 필요해
Even my life with nothing to show for requires courage
지지않고 매일 살아남아 내일 다시 걷기 위해서
So that I don't lose, survive every day and walk again tomorrow
나는 알고 있어 너도 나와 똑같다는 것을
I know that you are just like me
주저앉지 않기 위해 너도 하늘을 보잖아
You are also looking at the sky, so that you won't fall.
언젠가의 그날을 향해
Toward that day that will come someday
I see the light shining in your eyes
I see the light shining in your eyes
I'm my fan
I'm my fan
I'm mad about me
I'm mad about me
I love myself
I love myself
매일 거울 안의 내게 말하곤 해
I tell that every day to myself in the mirror
I'm my fan
I'm my fan
I'm mad about me
I'm mad about me
I love myself
I love myself
매일 거울 안의 내게 말하곤 해
I tell that every day to myself in the mirror
어디론가 남들 몰래 사라져 버릴 수만 있다면
If only I could just disappear without anyone else knowing
어디에도 존재하지 않은 없었던 사람인 것처럼
As if I never existed anywhere
내보일 것 하나 없는 나의 인생에도 용기는 필요해
Even my life with nothing to show for requires courage
지지않고 매일 살아남아 내일도 내일도
So that I don't lose, survive every day, and again tomorrow, and again tomorrow
언젠가는 그날이 올까
Will that day come someday
아직 어둡게 가려진 그날
That day that is still darkly obscured
I'm my fan
I'm mad about me
I love myself
Day after day I'm saying same prayer for me
I'm my fan
I'm mad about me
I love myself
Day after day I'm saying same prayer for me
I see the light shining in my eyes
I see the light shining in my eyes
I see the light shining
I see the light shining
I see the light shining in my eyes
Translation note: Jaurim is one of the few bands of Korea whose English lyrics are not awkward. This time, the Korean tried a more natural translation instead of a more precise translation. Comments are welcome.
In 15 words or less: Queen of the indies, Korea's greatest modern rock band.
Maybe they should be ranked higher because... Without Jaurim, will people have noticed what was happening at Hongdae?
Maybe they should be ranked lower because... Did they ever totally capture the public's imagination as did some of the artists ranked lower than them?
Why is this band important?
When it comes to K-pop history, the significance of the indie scene near Hong-Ik University -- more commonly known as its contraction, Hongdae -- cannot be overstated. Hongdae, with its prestigious art major, has attracted the most brilliantly creative minds of Korea since the 1980s. These creative minds have provided a ready audience for the types of music that did not shine in the mainstream. For a time, the live bandstands near Hongdae were the only islands on which one could avoid the tsunami of corporatized idol group music.
Jaurim is important because it is the reigning queen of the Hongdae scene. And it ascended to its throne on the strength of sheer talent. In fact, Kim Yoon-Ah may be the most talented woman in K-pop history. Yes, there have been better singers and there have been better song writers. But few women in the history of K-pop can match Kim Yoon-Ah's charisma and musical vision, AND translate that talent into a broadly accessible format. (Kim edges out Lee Sang-Eun in this regard.) Picking a representative song for Jaurim was a particularly difficult task, because of the vast range of music in which Jaurim comfortably resided -- no band in K-pop history could go from light to dark, chipper to serious quite like Jaurim could. Add Kim's particular talent for visual presentation (a must-have for pop singers in the 21st century,) and the conclusion that Jaurim might have saved Korean pop music no longer seems outlandish.
Interesting trivia: Jaurim has not changed its members in its 14-year history, making it the longest running intact band in Korea among those currently operating.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
Live Chat -- Tonight at 10 p.m. EST
Let's chat tonight! Visit the blog at 10 p.m. EST tonight. See you then.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
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