[MANNAM Volunteer Association] 10 beautiful places to visit in Korea

Some 25 million South Koreans -- about half the population -- travel abroad at least once a year, but it’s safe to assume that most haven't seen all the beautiful sights within the country.
Seoul only takes up a mere 0.6 percent of South Korea's territory: here are 10 stunning photographs from the other 99.4 percent of the country that are all worth a visit.
Here are the flowery spring landscapes, sandy beaches, rocky mountains and quietly stunning historic sites on your new Korean travel bucket list. And just in case you were wondering, they are in no particular order. Feel free to add some suggestions of your own in the comment box at the end of the article.


1. Seongsan Sunrise Peak (성산일출봉)

Hydrovolcanic eruptions formed this majestic volcanic crater 5,000 years ago on Jeju Island.
A UNESCO world heritage site, the peak is famous for many things, including numerous rare plant species, but is best known for the magnificent sight of the sun rising over it (hence the name).
The climb up the peak’s northwest side ridge (its other sides are steep cliffs) to the 180-meter highest point takes 30 minutes.
1 Seongsan-ri, Seongsan-eup, Seogwipo, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province (제주특별자치도 서귀포시 성산읍 성산리 1번지)
More on CNNGo: How to visit Jeju Island on a dime

2. Ggotji Beach (꽃지 해수욕장)

Located four kilometers southwest from Anmyeon-eup, this cream-colored beach is the ideal place to go for a drive and watch the sun sink into the ocean between two large rock formations known as the Granny Rock and the Grandpa Rock.
Legend has it that the wife of a base commanding officer in the Shilla Dynasty became the Granny Rock when she died after waiting faithfully for her husband.
Seungeon 4 ri, Anmyeon-eup, Taean-gun, Chungcheongnam-do (충남 태안군 안면읍 승언4리)
 
3. Darangee Village (경상남도 남해 가천 다랭이마을)

Darangee Village, a small well-preserved village in the southernmost area of west Namhae-gun, features an extraordinary sight of countless tiny fields (over 100 levels) on a steep mountain slope against the open sea.
Honghyeon-ri, Nam-myeon, Namhae-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do (경남 남해군 남면 홍현리)

4. Gwang-An Bridge (부산 광안대교)

Also known as the Diamond Bridge, this two-story bridge connects Suyeong-gu and Haeundae-gu and offers an astonishing view of mountains, sandy beaches, hills and city lights.
Kwang-An Bridge is not for pedestrians, but anyone can enjoy the spectacular night view of the bridge from afar; its state-of-the-art lighting system allows an exterior lighting of over 100,000 colors.
Suyeong-gu, Busan (부산광역시 수영구)
 
5. Kyeong-Wha Station, Jinhae (진해 경화역)

 

This small whistle-stop bustles with tourists and amateur photographers every spring.
Cherry blossoms rain down on the train track and countless shutters click madly away as the train approaches the station under the cherry blossom tunnel.
The cherry blossom road at Yeojwa stream, (number 17 on this list) is also nearby for those who want more photo-ops.
Kyeongwha-dong, Jinhae-gu, Gyeongsangnam-do (경남 창원시 진해구 경화동)

6. Upo Marsh (우포늪)
 

At 2,314 kilometers squared, Upo Marsh is the largest inland wetland in Korea and thrice the size of Yeouido. Formed over 140 million years ago, the marsh is home to 1,500 plants and animals, some of which are endangered species.
Visitors can bike or walk around this beautiful natural swamp, where migratory birds are known for flying low.
Daedae-ri, Yueo-myeon, Changnyeong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do (경남 창녕군 유어면 대대리)

7. Jeungdo Salt Farm (전남 신안 증도 염전)

This treasure island (artifacts from the Song Dynasty have actually been found at the bottom of the sea) is famous for its clear seawater, soft beach, and salt farms.
The magical sight of huge salt farms is not the only spectacle that can be found here; the mud flat leisure town allows tourists to experience and observe the marine life of the mud flat.
Jeungdo-myeon, Sinan-gun, Jeollanam-do (전남 신안군 증도면)

8. Gongryong Ridge, Seorak Mountain (설악산 신선대 공룡능선)

Physical fitness and mountain climbing experience are prerequisites to viewing these curious peaks in the Seorak mountain range.
Thought to be shaped like the spine of a dinosaur (hence the name, "Dinosaur Ridge"), this rocky ridge offers spectacular views of both inner and outer Seorak.
The climb is no picnic: the peak elevation of Gongryong Ridge, the most popular ridge route in the range, is approximately 1,200 meters.
Goseong-gun/Yangyang-gun/Inje-gun, Sokcho-si, Gangwon-do (강원도 속초시 고성군, 양양군, 인제군)

9. Uleung Island Seaside Road (울릉도 해안도로)

Uleung Island, nicknamed "Mysterious Island", is a popular weekend getaway spot for Seoulites.
Curious rock formations, shore cliffs and numerous waterfalls adorn the island’s Seaside Road.
Anyone planning to walk or bike their way around Uleung Island should make sure they set aside enough time, as they will inevitably stop countless times to admire the glorious view.
Uleung-eup, Uleung-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do (경북 울릉군 울릉읍)

10. Seopjikoji, Jeju Island (제주도 섭지코지)

First-time visitors to Jeju island need to plan their trip wisely, as the Jeju bucket list is long and varied. One of the musts on the list is Seopjikoji, a promontory on the coast famous for its serenity and romance.
Yellow rape blossoms fill the field in the spring, creating a colorful contrast with the red soil and cerulean sky.
The best photographs of Sungsan Sunrise Peak (the first item on this list) can be taken here at Seopjikoji.
The scenery of Seopjikoji has also been captured by several Korean films and dramas, including "All In," one of the first Hallyu dramas starring Lee Byung-hun and Song Hye-kyo.
261 Seopjikoji-ro, Sungsan-eup, Seogwipo-si, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province (제주특별자치도 서귀포시 성산읍 섭지코지로 261)
More on CNNGO: The pensive moods of Jeju Island

source: http://travel.cnn.com/seoul/visit/50-beautiful-places-visit-korea-873093

The Origin of Korea - The Birth of a Nation - MANNAM Korean Culture

Korean history spans over 5000 years. Hwan Woong Myth
The maintenance of their culture and language throughout this span of time is remarkable considering the many hostile occupations and invasions they have experienced over time which could account for the incredible sense of patriotism and nationalism that is plainly evident all over Korea.
Korean myth maintains that Korea was born when Hwan Woong - a demigod, came to earth and ended up on Taebak Mountain, in what is now Gangwon-do Province, South Korea. A tiger and a bear living in a cave expressed a desire to become human. Tangun told them that if they ate twenty cloves of garlic and didn’t see the sun for 100 days they would become human. After 21 days the bear became a woman, but the tiger couldn’t stand being inside all the time and thus failed the test. The woman couldn’t find anyone to procreate with, so the divinity Hwan Woong, out of the goodness of his own heart, temporarily transformed himself into a man and got her pregnant- thus the Korean race was born.
 Perhaps this explains the latter day prevalence of garlic in Korean cooking - it is sold by the kilogram in Korean markets and is added liberally to virtually everything, both in its raw and cooked form. What does this say about the role and characteristics of men and women in Korean society... a point for discussion over some Korean barbeque...
Korea is one of the most ethnically homogeneous countries on earth. Eighty percent of the population has the surname Kim, Lee or Park, and there are remarkably few physical or cultural differences among ethnic Koreans.
Tribes from Central Asia probably migrated to the Korean peninsula between 5000 and 1000 BC and assimilated with local tribes, accounting for why Koreans are more physically similar to Mongolians than they are to their Chinese neighbors. South Korea is one of the few countries in the world that does not have a visible ethnic or cultural minority group within the country.
The only ethnic minority in Korea are approximately 50,000 Chinese who took refuge in Korea after the Communist takeover of China in 1949. Most of these Chinese immigrants were from the Shandong province of China, which explains why most Chinese restaurants in Korea serve dishes from the Shandong province- including ja jang myun (noodles with black sauce) and jam-pong (spicy soup.) Amazingly, even though Korea borders China and was a Chinese vassal state, none of Korea’s cities have a Chinatown in the western sense- a testament to the close knit nature of Korean society and solidarity against outsiders. The closest resemblance to a Chinatown in Korea is in the city of Incheon.

source: http://www.footprintsrecruiting.com/culture-in-south-korea/75-the-origin-of-korea-the-birth-of-a-nation

[MANNAM International] Learn Korean Culture; Chuseok(Korean Thanksgiving Day)

Chuseok (추석) is the biggest and most important holiday in Korea. Family members from near and far come together to share food and stories and to give thanks to their ancestors for the abundant harvest. Chuseok Day falls on September 19 in 2013, but the holiday is observed for a total of three days (September 18 – 20). Fortunately, this year’s Chuseok holidays fall from Wednesday through Friday, giving making it a five-day holiday in total. Many Koreans will visit the homes of their families to spend quality time together. The holidays provide a good opportunity to enjoy traditional cultural experiences. Let’s take a closer look at Chuseok, a traditional Korean holiday.

 The meaning of Chuseok (Hangawi)

Chuseok is one of Korea’s three major holidays, along with Seollal (New Year’s Day) and Dano (the 5th day of the 5th month of the lunar year) and is also referred to as Hangawi (한가위). Han means “big” and gawi means “the ides of August/Autumn” (August 15th according to the lunar calendar is when the full harvest moon appears). Hangawi/Chuseok was the day on which Koreans, an agrarian people throughout most of history, gave thanks to their ancestors for the year’s harvest, and shared their abundance with family and friends.
Although the exact origin of Chuseok is unclear, the tradition may be found at ancient religious practices that centered around the moon. The sun’s presence was considered routine, but the full moon that came once a month was considered a special and meaningful event. Therefore, harvest festivities took place on the day of the bright, full moon or August 15 on the lunar calendar system.

 Chuseok Customs

On the morning of Chuseok Day, foods prepared with the year’s fresh harvest are set out to give thanks to ancestors through Charye (ancestor memorial service). After Charye, families visit their ancestors’ graves and engage in Beolcho, a ritual of clearing the weeds that may have grown up over the burial mound. After dusk, families and friends take walks and gaze at the beauty of the full harvest moon or play folk games such as Ganggangsullae (Korean circle dance).

Charye (ancestor memorial services)

On Chuseok morning, family members gather at their homes to hold memorial services (called Charye, 차례) in honor of their ancestors. Formal Charye services are held twice a year: during Seollal (Lunar New Year’s Day) and Chuseok. The difference between the two services is that during Seollal the major representative food is Tteokguk, a rice cake soup, while during Chuseok the major representative foods are freshly harvested rice, alcohol and songpyeon (rice cakes). After the service, family members sit down together at the table to enjoy delicious food.

Beolcho (clearing the weeds around the grave) and Seongmyo (visiting ancestral graves)

Visiting ancestral graves during Chuseok is known as Seongmyo (성묘). During this visit, family members remove the weeds that have grown around the graves in the summer season, a practice which is called Beolcho (벌초). This custom is considered a duty and expression of devotion and respect for one’s family. On the weekends, about one month prior to the Chuseok holidays, Korea’s highways become extremely congested with families visiting their ancestral graves to fulfill their familial duties. The graves are then visited again during Chuseok.

Ssireum (Korean wrestling)

During the match, two competitors face each other in the middle of a circular sandpit and try to pin their opponent using their strength and skills, running through a one on one tournament. The last wrestler left standing after a series of competitions is considered the winner and is named the village’s strongest man, taking home cotton, rice, or a calf as his prize.

Ganggangsullae (Korean circle dance)

In this dance, women dressed in Hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) join hands in a circle and sing together on a night when the full harvest moon appears or on Chuseok. There are several stories about its origin. One of the most well-known story says that the dance dates back to the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) when the Korean army used to dress the young women of the village in military uniforms and had them circle the mountains to look like that the Korean military was greater in number than it actually was from the enemy side. The Korean army enjoyed many victories thanks in part to this scare tactic.

Chuseokbim (Chuseok dress)

Bim refers adorning oneself with new clothes for holidays or parties. Broadly speaking, there are two bims: seolbim and chuseokbim. In the past, people adorned themselves with Korean traditional dress, hanbok, but people currently purchase new western clothes or do not prepare bim at all.



 Chuseok Food

Chuseok celebrates the rich harvest season when fruit and grain are abundant. Using the newly harvested rice, people make steamed rice, rice cakes, and liquor.

Songpyeon


Songpyeon (송편) is one of the quintessential dishes for Chuseok. This rice cake is prepared with rice powder that is kneaded into a size that is a little smaller than a golf ball, and then filled with sesame seed, beans, red beans, chestnuts, or other nutritious ingredients. When steaming the songpyeon, the rice cakes are layered with pine needles to add the delightful fragrance of pine. On the eve of Chuseok, the entire family gathers together to make songpyeon. An old Korean anecdote says that the person who makes beautifully-shaped songpyeon will meet a good spouse or give birth to a beautiful baby. It is no wonder that all the single members of a family try their best to make the most beautiful songpyeon!

Liquors


Another major element of Chuseok is traditional liquor. On Chuseok, families and relatives gather together and hold a memorial service for their ancestors with liquor made of the newly harvest rice. After the memorial service, they sit together and spend some time together as a family, drinking the liquor and eating the food.



source: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=811650

Korean Superstitions_MANNAM Korean Class

Korean Superstitions

Superstitions had exist in all countries, and it’s not related only to undeveloped countries … And that is the case for South korea. In this article I will give you some of their superstitions and some of them might surprise you !

1. Fan Death:
A common Korean superstition that has been present in South Korean culture for quite some was after the invention of the electric fan. A really random idea from a random person thought that having an electric fan running overnight in a closed room (doors and windows shut) could kill you by either suffocation or hypothermia. This phenomenon is known as, “Fan Death.” You might notice that the weather in Korea in the summer time is very hot and humid. So what’s a good way to cool off your naked body on a hot, humid summer day? Cooling yourself off with an electric fan, of course. The “Fan Death” superstition has become so popular in the Korean culture that companies who make fans started to incorporate timers in these electric fans so that you can set it to turn off by itself when you are asleep.

2. Writing Names in Red :
Traditionally, red is the color used to write the names of the dead in Korea. To write the names of the living in red is therefore considered very unlucky, and to some is akin to the kiss of death.

 3. Whistling At Night:
There was this common Korean superstition that whistling at night should be prohibited in order to keep the ghosts and snakes out of the household. Although there is no significant scientific evidence to back this superstition up, it’s probably just best to not whistle at all since it deals with the supernatural.

4. Shoes as Gifts:
There is a Korean superstition that giving your old shoes to someone (even to your significant other) will cause them to run away from you forever.

5. Butterflies Make You Blind:
Rumor has it that touching your eye after touching a moth or butterfly will make you blind. This Korean superstition is not so popular but has been around for many centuries and is still believed by many Koreans.

 6. Evil Spirits Follow You When:
his Korean superstition is a very interesting and unusual superstition. Depending on how much you believe in superstitions, you can best bet that this one is definitely very believable. There is a belief that when moving out of your old home and moving into your new home can make evil spirits follow you during the process. In fact, there is a calender that shows the evil days and the days where evil spirits are not present. Even to the present day, some moving companies usually often accommodate movers about the days of evil.

7. Shaking Your Legs:
We all do this from time to time – shaking our legs. Whether you are nervous or just doing it out of pure habit, you’re about to find out why this is bad for you. Did you know that in the Korean culture, gold and prosperity lies within your legs? Well, this unusual Korean superstition tells you to stop shaking your legs because you will ‘shake’ out your fortune by doing so.

8. The Number Four:
In Korean, the word for “four” has the same sound for the word for death. As a result, many apartments, hotels, and even hospitals have no fourth floor! Elevators will sometimes skip the fourth floor and go straight to the fifth floor or will have a “F” in place of the number “4″.

9. Korean Dating Superstition:
•If you pour yourself a drink, you’ll be single for 3 years.
•If you give your Korean boyfriend or girlfriend shoes as a present, they’ll run away or they’ll cheat on you.
•If you take out your wisdom teeth, you’ll breakup with your Korean girlfriend or boyfriend.
•All men in Korea have to go to the army. If you cry when your boyfriend goes, you’ll break up!
•If you catch the bouquet at a wedding, you have to get married within 6 months, or you’ll never get married. (At Korean weddings, you choose a friend – usually someone engaged – to catch the bouquet.)

10. Showering and Vaccinations:
This one’s pretty straightforward, and basically entails that if you shower within 24 hours of getting vaccinated, you will die. It doesn’t matter which kind of vaccine it is, all of them are considered life-threatening when combined with a shower. The origins of this superstition are murky, and the science behind it mind-boggling.

11. leave the umbrellas open:

For Koreans, leaving an umbrellas open means that Somehow we’re all going to die! So make sure to close your umbrella ;)

12. Deoksugung path:
some couples might not walk to take a walk around the outer wall of Deoksugung, the palace in downtown Seoul across from City Hall and Seoul Plaza. Couples that do so are doomed to break up.he reason for this is not some urban legend, but actually has a firmly rooted historical origin. Seoul Family Court used to be at the end of the street, so to get divorced, married couples would have to follow that path together. “We walked the Deoksugung Wall path together” is a euphemism for breaking up. The court has since relocated, so maybe next it will soon be bad luck for couples to come out exit 11 of Seoul National University of Education Station.

13. Trimming your fingernails at night:
This one is fascinating because of how specific the consequences are. Basically, if you trim your fingernails at night, mice will eat the clippings, and they will be able to transform into human, take your form, or even steal your soul.
What you have to understand about this one is that it goes back before Korea had electricity, so if you were to trim your nails at night you’d have a hard time collecting the pieces. Presumably mice would be equally able to steal your life if you’re just careless while clipping your fingernails in the daytime.

14. Whistling at night:
Equally unusual is the superstition prohibiting whistling at night, as well as playing a traditional Korean pipe flute called a piri. If you do so, you will summon snakes or ghosts.

15. People with moles or beauty marks near their mouth:
Don’t get attached to someone with moles or beauty marks near their mouth, People with a beauty mark are believed to be unfaithful.

16. Chicken wings:
A wife should never feed her husband chicken wings or the wings of any other winged bird. He might similarly take flight, belly full of chicken wings.

17. Growing taller:
Do you want your kid to grow tall? Rule one: never jump over your baby. Apparently if you jump over your baby, it won’t grow.A slightly safer — but more baffling — belief in this realm is that if you cut your hair short, you will grow taller. This one may be based on the sketchy but empirical evidence that men tend to be taller than women, and men usually have shorter hair.

Other superstitions :
•Since white is the color of funerals, if you wear white ribbons in your hair, you’re inviting death to come knocking;
•If an adult and a child are eating together, the child must eat the last bite of food or the child may die;
•If you dream of someone who is already dead, do not go with them anywhere in the dream or answer any questions they ask, or you might also die;
•If you dream about something bad happening to someone and you talk about the dream before noon, the bad thing is sure to happen;
•If you die in your dream, you will have good luck in real life;
•If you dream of a pig, you will have good luck;
•If you cut your eyelashes, they will grow in thicker and longer;
•To ace an exam, eat yut, a form of sticky Korean candy, beforehand so the answers will stick in your head and the pencil will stick to your hand;
•After giving birth, a woman must not bathe for 30 days;
•If a woman miscarries, she must remain bundled up for two weeks;
•If your child loses a tooth, it must be tossed onto the roof;
•If you die in the water, you will be a ghost forever and never find your way to the afterlife;

source: http://coreesud.wordpress.com/2013/01/05/korean-superstitions-2/

[MANNAM Korean Culture] Culture Shock in Korea; Why You Might Feel Uncomfortable!

Culture Shock in Korea: Why You Might Feel Uncomfortable!

Korean culture is dynamic, fun and interesting. But all cultures are different, and if you’re coming to Korea, there are some things that you might have to get used to. Here’s some culture shock in Korea that have made some uncomfortable! Be ready!


Culture Shock in Korea via Public Bathrooms

Bathrooms are mine fields for encountering culture shock in Korea. Here’s a few things that might make you say “errr…….T.T”



Garbage Cans for Used Toilet Paper

Some older buildings can’t handle flushing toilet paper as it will clog the toilets. So sometimes there will be signs attached to bathroom walls asking you to throw away your used toilet paper in a garbage can. These cans are usually to the side of the toilet and are usually filled with everyone else’s used goods for the day. This Korean culture shock is yucky, but if you don’t follow the rules, you might be the jerk that clogged the toilet.
Tip: These older toilets can KINDA flush toilet paper, so you can take a chance. But it is extremely risky (and of course rude if you’re unlucky!).


Ajoomas in Mens Bathroom

Most public bathrooms in Korea have designated janitors. The reason this is a Korean culture shock for some men is when an ajooma (older woman) comes in with a mop in hand while you’re doing your business. And although you might be worried of having an ajooma check out your junk, don’t worry. They’re just there to pick junk up! (don’t worry ladies, men won’t be cleaning your bathrooms in Korea )

Squatters

Instead of having a toilet seat to do your business, you might have to do your thang in a squatter toilet, or maybe more accurately described as a porcelain hole in the floor. Squatter toilets are leftovers from before Korea’s rapid modernization and are commonly found in less developed areas of Korea. But you will still find these gems even in modern cities like Seoul (usually in older buildings). If you’ve never used one of these, you will feel uncomfortable.

Soap on a Stick

A lot of people are used to having public bathroom soap come from a dispenser instead of bar soap. That way each serving of soap is for 1 person and 1 person only. No sharing of germs and other nasty stuff that might have been on your hands. But some public bathrooms in Korea have soap on a stick. And that’s used by everyone. It’s basically the same as using bar soap, but the fact that it’s on a stick comes as culture shock to some newcomers to Korea. But if you find one these, you should feel lucky. There are many cases where you won’t find any soap in public bathrooms in Korea. Soap on a stick it is! (See a pic here)


source: http://seoulistic.com/korean-culture/culture-shock-in-korea-why-you-might-feel-uncomfortable/

[MANNAM Korean Culture] Korean Konglish Jokes

These are only funny for Koreans or those kyoppos like me who get them.
What do you call a pre-occupied bean? kong beejee
what do you call a broken bicycle? mot-tah-cycle

where do lettuces worship? at a sang-choo-ary (sanctuary)
what do you call a big napkin? HU-ji (huge)
wanna hear a family joke? gah joke
what did one forehead say to the other? .. ya eemah!
what do you call a smelly bird? nem seh
what do you call the burnt rice at the bottom of a rice cooker? bobby brown
what is the vampire's fav drink? koh-pee
why did the korean smoker go to the horseraces? mal-bo-ro
what did the small fish say when he got eaten by the big fish? Oh-dheng!!!
what did the byun tae say to the mushroom? oht buhsut!
what did the cat say to the sheep to make it go away? GO YANG EE!
what do you call a hairy robot? tul-min-a-tuh!
Why don't lobsters share? They are Shell-fish
What did the bread say when it ran into the wall... ppang!
What did a cookie say to another cookie when it wanted to leave...gwajah
What do you call a 5 year old onion? Oh-nyun
What celebrity can you trust with your luggage?Jjim Carrey
How did the ice cream get into a car accident?Cha Gah Wah Suh
What did the fish say when it lost its bones?Oh my ga shee
What do u call a corny soup?Ssulung tang
what did song say to mong when he told her he was leaving the country? donk-go, mong
What did the truck say to the bread? Bbang Bbang!
What do you call a cute guy with no ears? Gwee-up-dah!
What did the mama turkey say to the baby turkey? Gobble - ji- mah!

source: http://davidmkim.blogspot.kr/2007/02/korean-konglish-jokes.html?m=1

[MANNAM Korean] The Best Way to Learn Korean for Newcomers (3)

The Best Way to Learn Korean for Newcomers

 Guest Author:    Jason Yu (from the Green Tea Graffiti)
 __________________________________________________

How Learning Korean Can Be Fun – Noraebang!

One of the best ways to learn Korean may turn off some old-school teachers. Namely, it’s going to the noraebang (karaoke in Korean). Put those books away and break out the microphone. It’s time to go to a noraebang studio with your friends to belt out your favorite K-pop songs.
Before going to the noraebang, it’s best to learn Hangul (see step #4 above). Without knowing Hangul, it’s impossible to read the Korean lyrics when singing. At the Korean karoake, there are no English-Romanized lyrics. Some people may remember their favorite songs through rote memorization. Reading Hangul means you can jump in and sing any song, regardless if you know it or not.

Is noraebang the best form of studying Korean? You bet!

When selecting your first K-pop song, choose a slow ballad or a tune you are familiar with. Pick songs you know because you will be comfortable with their speed and tempo. The same goes with slow ballads. The speed of the song will be slow enough that you can pronounce each word when singing.

When your level of Korean escalates, give faster songs, such as electro-pop or hip-hop, a shot. Showing off by rapping Epik High will get you mad K-pop street cred with the audience watching.

 My Short Personal Story – A quick look on how I learned Korean

Quick confession: I came to Korea in 2010 to expand my language ability and… K-pop. Yeah, I’m one of those K-pop people. I first got into K-pop back in 1997, when SES, HOT, GOD, and the first generation of K-pop idols debuted. Although I became interested in Korea because of its music, I learned that Korea is more than just K-pop (this is for another story in the future!)
Seven years ago (2005), I finished up my second year of Korean language courses in university (go Cal!). Learning Korean was to be my fifth language to master. Yet after not using Korean for almost five years, my two years of Korean study were nearly forgotten. By the time I came to Korea, my Korean was almost non-existent. I had the language level of a Korean Kindergartener.
Since I did take two years of Korean a long time ago, I had one important thing going for me: a strong foundation. While it was still hard to relearn Korean, I did it faster and more efficiently because I understood the basics of the language. And I did it without cramming at the library or studying 12 hours a day. Coupled with a passion to learn Korean, the process of catching up was pretty fast.

I learned Korean through speaking it daily, watching Korean dramas, listening to K-pop, and of course, watching Korean Youtube learning channels like SweetandTasty.
While I am still not fluent in Korean, I would say I am quite comfortable in the language. I can talk to people freely, understand them, pay my bills, watch Korean TV and dramas, read Korean books, and even crack jokes (although my Korean jokes are not that funny). I can also do some rap and fast-paced Korean songs at the noraebang, too.
It’s been an awesome two years of Korean learning thus far! We’ll see where next year takes my Korean learning.

Wrapping It Up – Never give up

Learning Korean is a pretty exciting experience. Whether you are learning Korean because of 2PM and SISTAR, or learning it for your personal thirst of languages, remember to learn it for yourself. And if my Harry-Potter-reading friend and I could both learn Korean, there’s no doubt you can, too!
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source: http://sweetandtastytv.com/2012/07/08/guest-post-the-best-way-to-learn-korean-for-newcomers-by-jason-yu/

[MANNAM Korean] The Best Way to Learn Korean for Newcomers (2)

The Best Way to Learn Korean for Newcomers
 Guest Author:    Jason Yu (from the Green Tea Graffiti)
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How to Learn Korean – The best ways to tackle the language

Every time I see new language learners cramming their faces in their books, I shake my head. If I study six, eight, ten hours a day, I’ll become awesome at a language. The theory goes: the more I force my eyeballs to read this language book, the more fluent I will become. While the thought is nice on paper, it rarely works.

There are more efficient ways to learn a language.

The best secret to learning a new language is to build a solid foundation.
While learning all the curse words and slang may be cool from the start, if you don’t know why sentences and phrases are formed, you’ll be reduced to only knowing canned phrases (remembered phrases). And that’s not good when understanding language, much less Korean.
You have to understand why and how Korean works.

So how do we build this foundation? Here is what worked for me:

1)  Learn the 100 to 150 most commonly used verbs

2)  Learn the 100 to 150 most commonly used nouns

3)  Learn the 100 to 150 most commonly used adjectives

4)  Learn Hangul (the Korean writing system)

5)  Repeat phrases often

6)  Focus on speaking and listening

7)  Learn the subject-object-verb (SOV) word order

Learning Hangul is important in learning Korean.

Let’s go over the seven steps above in more detail:

1)  Learn the 100 to 150 most commonly used verbs:  Learning basic verbs, such as “to eat” (먹다), “to buy” (사다), “to play” (놀다) and so forth, will go a long way in communicating. Even if you don’t know how to form sentences, just saying “eat” will be understood by Koreans that “you want to eat.”

2)  Learn the 100 to 150 most commonly used nouns:  As with verbs, learning nouns will help you understand the topic when people speak to you. Even if all you hear is “blah blah blah school blah blah blah,” you’ll know that the person is talking about school (what about the school, however, is anyone’s guess).

3)  Learn the 100 to 150 most commonly used adjectives:  Adjectives are what make sentences more interesting. You can also tell a person how you feel, which is very common in Korean. “This kimchi (spicy vegetables) is spicy,” “I’m feeling tired today,” and “My weekend is very busy” are just some of the common phrases in Korean with adjectives.

4)  Learn Hangul:  Hangul is the Korean writing system. Unlike Japanese and Chinese, Hangul is very easy to read and write. Within a couple of hours, it is possible to learn the entire Hangul alphabet. Learning Hangul can help you sound out words when hearing them is not enough.

5)  Repeat Phrases Often:  Repetition is key when learning a new language. Linguists say that it takes an average of 6-10 times of repeating a word before it sticks in your head permanently. With enough repeated phrases, you can learn a lot of phrases in a short period of time without studying a book.

6)  Focus on speaking and listening:  When you first meet someone new, you will be talking with them. This involves speaking and listening. All interactions with people involve verbal communication. Thus, it is important to know that these two skills are the most important in first learning a new language. It’s not to say that reading and writing aren’t important – they are – but talking will always be the first way to introduce yourself to another person.

7)  Learn the Subject-Object-Verb Word Order:  In Korean, the word order may be difficult to master at first for Westerners. It uses the subject-object-verb word order. So a sentence like “Min-soo kicks the ball” in English, will be “Min-soo the ball kicks” in Korean. This reason alone is why Japanese have an easier time learning Korean, since both languages share the same word order. Similarly, English and Chinese share the same subject-verb-object word order, thus Chinese becomes easier to pick up for Westerners.
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By following the steps above, a good Korean-language foundation will be built. From there, learning slang, colloquialisms, grammar, and jokes becomes much easier. A good foundation shows that you know the structure of the Korean language.


source: http://sweetandtastytv.com/2012/07/08/guest-post-the-best-way-to-learn-korean-for-newcomers-by-jason-yu/

[MANNAM Korean class] The Best Way to Jearn Korean for Newcomers

The Best Way to Learn Korean for Newcomers
 Guest Author:    Jason Yu (from the Green Tea Graffiti)
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Ever been frustrated learning a new language? Do you break your pencil in anger after messing up writing in a different alphabet? No worries, it’s understandable. Really. It’s the growing pains of learning something new, much less a whole new way of communicating.

Korean is no different.

In the past five years, the demand for learning Korean has exploded. Forum boards, Korean language sites, and music gossip sites have sprung out of nowhere. Whereas people once flocked to learn Japanese as their preferred Asian language just twelve years ago, the tables have turned. The main culprits of this new-found Korean phenomenon: K-pop and K-dramas.
Rather that teach the finer details of Korean, this guide will focus on the methods of learning Korean. We will explore why you should learn the language, how passion is so important, how to learn it, and how learning Korean can be fun. If you want to learn how to learn Korean, well… that’s what Professor Oh’s for, right?
With that being said, let get started!

Why Learn Korean – Do you have the right reasons?

If you asked 10 Korean language learners why they’re learning Korean, 9 out of 10 of them would say K-pop or K-dramas. Are you one of them?
While there are many skeptics out there that frown on people learning Korean solely because of Girls Generation or Big Bang, I am not one of them. In fact, I fully embrace learning a language because of its pop culture.
The truth is, most people become excited to learn a new language because of its pop culture. It happened two hundred years ago in the 1800s, when everyone wanted to learn Russian and French to watch plays and read famous literature. If you wanted to be part of the “in crowd” back then, those two languages were mandatory.
It happened more recently in the 1990s when all the cool kids wanted to watch their favorite Japanese anime and sing J-pop. And it happens today with English and Korean, as many want to karaoke to One Direction or 2NE1 respectively.

Did Girls’ Generation lure you in learning Korean?
When asking foreigners why they’re learning Korean, most reply that they want to become good enough to learn their favorite K-pop songs without stuttering. They want to be able to impress their friends and sing to their favorite Korean songs like a native. Others say they want to be able to understand their favorite dramas. They want to be able to understand Secret Garden (2010) and The Moon Embraces the Sun (2012). And they want to be able to do so without those annoying words on the bottom, also known as subtitles.
Very few people learn a new language “for the heck of it”. Unless you’re a Linguistics major, are forced to learn a language for a job, or appreciate learning new languages as a passion, you’re probably in it for the entertainment aspect. And that’s okay.
So do you have the right reasons for learning Korean? The answer is: there is no “right” reason. That’s up to you. Whether you’re learning it purely for the entertainment value or expanding your language abilities, more power to you.

Follow Your Passion – Why passion is so important in learning

 

Learning Korean is tough. No doubt about it. The frustration and temptation to give up will be there often. The one thing that overcomes all this language adversity: passion.
The people that eventually become fluent in a language usually aren’t the smartest or most talented. Rather, they’re the ones that keep at a language, even when it gets difficult. And they’re the ones that will eventually see the rewards pay off.
A friend of mine illustrates this example well. Two years ago, he came to Korea for the Hallyu Wave – the explosion of Korean entertainment. He knew no Korean at all. Not even “hello.” Yet, he was determined to learn Korean, or die trying doing so. With the proper, efficient ways of learning a language (see the next section below), he soon became good at Korean. Real good.
The other day, he told me he finished reading the entire Harry Potter series in a week… in Korean.
As my friend’s experience showed, anyone can learn Korean. It’s just a question of: how badly do you want to learn it?


source: http://sweetandtastytv.com/2012/07/08/guest-post-the-best-way-to-learn-korean-for-newcomers-by-jason-yu/