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Post by Redeim on Apr 3, 2019 10:55:16 GMT -8
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Post by Redeim on Apr 3, 2019 11:21:02 GMT -8
KPop CultureI really wanted to just copy and paste some article but can't really find a good one, so I put the disclaimer all this information is solely based off my own knowledge and experience with KPop since 2006 and from a non-Korean's perspective. (And Wikipedia)All links unless otherwise mentioned lead to Wikipedia pages !
The Basics
To get to the point of being on a debut stage, idols first go through training, and before that, an audition. Only rarely will trainees know each other prior to joining the company, but it's not unheard of, for example, Junsu and Eunhyuk were childhood friends before joining the same company, and ATEEZ's Wooyoung joined the company to follow Yeosang (link leads to ATEEZ's KProfile page). The average training time is about 1.5-3 years, with some of the longest being 11-15 years, and the shortest being a month. (The record shortest is one day!) Typically they are sorted into separate groups based on skill level, usually A-F. Once the company deems them ready, a group of trainees will be put into a group and that is when the trainees will know which trainees are officially their band members for the first time. They will usually train as a group for about two months - one year, and then finally get to debut. This is also not always the case, for example the group Seventeen was set to debut in 2013, but didn't see their debut stage until 2015. KPop has a big habit and desire to start kids young - kids as young as 10-12 will be accepted or scouted 1 and begin training, and the average for the youngest debut age is 14. Usually, the young idols have been training in singing or dance since they were young, or are accepted into a company with the expectation they will improve as they get older. Idols who share stories of their trainee days often talk about the long hours they trained for, some slept in subway stations to save money, others worked multiple jobs just to be in Seoul for a chance to pursue their dreams of becoming a singer. Trainees will have classes in training, dancing, acting, language courses, and even things like variety. Variety shows are very popular in Korea - and very different from American variety shows. A popular one in the recent past was Weekly Idol. A lot of variety shows are being replaced with quick interview style YouTube videos, or special performances, such as Studio Choom (links to YouTube), It's Live (again YouTube), and Hello82 (YT). Some trainees are subjected to extreme diets, restricted cell phone usage, deletion or privatization of trainee's social media, and even plastic surgery. Trainees are often expected to pay back the fees from training, housing, feeding, plastic surgery, etc once they debut, and some companies have spent upwards of $100,000 on a single trainee. "The average cost of Kpop training is about 27,000,000₩ (KRW), which is around $25,000 (USD)."2 Sometimes, this causes idols to not immediately earn money, as the majority of their paychecks go back to the company. Despite this, many idols are willing to go to any length to pursue their dream. As soon as a trainee hits their debut stage, they're are now called an "idol" ( aidol -아이돌), no matter their popularity. Many groups from smaller companies or ones that didn't get a lot of attention during their debut are dubbed " nugu groups," which literally translates to "who? groups." Some groups from bigger companies are immediately popular, though this isn't always the case. Groups that have debuted before them are called "sunbae (선배)" (it's the same idea as senpai - someone more experienced in whatever field, or an older classmate), while the ones that debut after them are called "hoobae (후배)" (like kohai - someone less experienced in whatever field, or a younger classmate). Groups that debut around the same time will commonly just call each other "sunbae."
Other Info
K-Pop, or Korean Pop, originated after the Korean War in the 1950s. The war brought American soldiers and their music to South Korea, which sparked interest among locals. This Western influence led to a rise in rock bands in Korea during the 1960s and 1970s. However, it wasn’t until the early 1990s that K-Pop began to form its distinct style. Seo Taiji and Boys, a trio consisting of Seo Taiji, Yang Hyun-suk, and Lee Juno revolutionized the industry with their fusion of hip-hop with traditional Korean music elements. Their debut album sold millions of copies and inspired many young people to pursue careers in music. (Yeong, 2023) 3In 1996, the band H.O.T. debuted, sparking true idol culture in Korea. With them also came Shinhwa in 1998 and G.O.D. in 1999, as well as girl groups S.E.S. and Fin.K.L in 1997 and 1998 respectively. Performance shows like Inkigayo provided a platform for these groups to really make their mark. In 2003, BoA and later in 2004 TVXQ sparked a new wave of idols and idol culture. People have called KPop bands everything from manufactured and fake to talented and real. KPop is often viewed as something that is sold, especially now that there is a stronger global awareness of KPop. A 2019 scandal (link to a CNN article about it - CW for prostitution mention, sex abuse, drugs, assault, rape, secret filming of sexual acts) caused an uproar among fans and in general Koreans. In more recent generations 4 of KPop, idols seem more open with their fans, especially with apps that let them communicate fairly directly with their fans, either through live video chats, such as VLive, or certain texting apps, such as one called Bubble. In very recent years after VLive was cancelled, idols will use TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram to go live and interact with their fans. The companies that create these bands range from well known - the group EXO was met with almost instant success because their company is extremely well known (H.O.T., BoA, and TVXQ are from the same company) and they were extremely hyped as trainees - to a brand new company no one has heard of. These companies often have a harder time getting their idols noticed due to the overpowering influence of the top 3 companies: S.M., YG, and JYP. Fun fact! BTS is in a company that, before BTS' success, was only mildly well-known in the KPop circle due to being affiliated with JYP. They're still only a mid-size company. For an idol to debut without a company is almost unheard of, though more and more idols are making their own companies after their initial contract is up.
Fans
Fans of KPop, especially native Korean fans, are somewhat different from fans of American boy band days past. Lightsticks of various shapes, colors, and sizes are used to light up performance arenas. This article explains the history of lightsticks pretty well. With the introduction of lightsticks also came something called the "Black Ocean," which Urban Dictionary defines as "During concerts fans will flail their cellphones and light sticks as the artist(s) performs, creating an "ocean" of light from the perspective of the performer. A "black ocean" is a trend in K-pop (Korean Pop or music) where the audience turns off their light sticks and cellphones as a show of lack of support to the current group onstage. When done collectively, it appears to the performers as a "black ocean" due to the lack of lights from the audience. Usually, this only happens in extreme cases. Then again, "extreme" is a subjective word when it is put together with the craziness... that is the hardcore fans of K-pop." Speaking of extreme, another level of KPop fandom are sasaeng fans (literally: private fans), or often called "stalker fans" in English. They have paid taxis to go on dangerous car chases of their idol's vehicles, been known to stalk their homes, and some do even more crazy stunts. Others have been known to follow their idols 24/7, install cameras in their idols’ homes, hack into mobile phones to stalk who their idols are calling or texting, crash private family functions, and the list goes on. There have also been cases where these fans had broken into the idol’s homes or hotel rooms and snuck in lingerie! Thankfully, this behavior can now be penalized, and many current idols are shocked by the behaviors early generations of idols had to deal with. Another type one may encounter are the anti-fans. Most will just be like the average anti-fan we know, but some have gone to extremes, such as when an anti-fan put glue into a drink to poison an idol. Of course, sasaeng aren't the only type of fans out there. There's also the people who just happen to like KPop, or enjoy a group a lot, maybe have a bit of merchandise, but aren't involved with the fan club, etc. As with any fandom, the worst ones are always the ones that get noticed. Around the world, it is estimated there are about 150 million KPop fans! 1*Scouting in KPop means a representative from an entertainment company scouts someone from somewhere. For example, G-Dragon from Big Bang was scouted by his current company during a dance competition. Others have been scouted literally from off the street or while doing something completely not related to music. (link leads to a Quora list of idols that were scouted) 4Generations of KPop - KPop is considered to have generations. Generation 1 idols are ones that debuted between 1997-2004, Gen 2 is 2005-2011, Gen 3 is 2012-2017, Gen 4 is 2018-2022, and the current generation is Gen 5, starting in 2023. The biggest difference between generations is style of music, style of dress, and typical ages, as well as the way they interact with fans. Also, most of Gen 1 idols were Gen X, Gen 2 Millennials, and Gen 3 & 4 have been a mix of Millennials and Gen Z, while Gen 5 is almost solely Gen Z (with a few Millennials).
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Post by Redeim on Apr 3, 2019 11:21:19 GMT -8
The Language
Korean written language is called Hangeul (한글), and was created by King Sejong in the mid-15th century. King Sejong noticed there was a literacy problem in Korea and decided to create a writing system that would be easy to learn. Because of this, Korea has one of the highest literacy rates in the world. There are different dialects (called satoori (사투리)) among cities, but it is not so extreme that people from two different cities can't understand each other. There are still some Chinese characters used in Korean written language, called hanja (한자), though in South Korea, it's rarely used in everyday written language (mainly seen in newspapers or legal documents). TermsKoreans have certain ways of addressing people depending on age, relationship, and scenario. These are some terms you might see frequently within ETLA. Pronunciation Notes: "a" = "ah" "o" = "oh" "u" (without the alternative "eo") = "oo" "eo/u" = "uh" "i" = "ee" "e" = "eh" "ae" = "eh" If there's a "y" in front of the vowels, then it's the same thing but with a y (like for "you") sound in front of it. 엄마 / 어머니 eomma/umma - mom / mommy / eomoni - mother | 아빠 / 아버지 appa - dad / daddy / abeoji - father | 형 hyeong/hyung - a male's older brother (or a male referring to an older male friend) | 오빠 oppa - a female's older brother (or a female referring to a close older male friend) | 언니 eonni/unni - a female's older sister (or a female referring to an older female friend) | 누나 nuna/noona - a male's older sister (or a male referring to a close older female friend) | 아주마 ajumma/ahjumma - a middle aged woman | 아저씨 ajusshi/ahjusshi/ajeossi - a middle aged man | 할머니 halmoni - grandmother (can be used to refer to an older woman (~55+ years of age) | 할버지 halbeoji/halboji - grandfather (can be used to refer to an older man (~55+ years of age) | 막내 maknae - (Pronounced mag-nay) the youngest of a group (siblings, social circle, etc.) | -님 -nim - an honorific suffix. For example, a manager would be manager-nim | -씨 -sshi/-ssi - an honorific suffix, used mainly for someone either much higher up or strangers. | 선생님 seonsaengnim - teacher | 애교 aegyo - the act of being sickeningly sweet a cute display of affection often expressed including but not limited to through a cute/baby voice, facial expressions, and gestures. (a youtube link example with some FCs on the site) | 사장 sajang - a company president, CEO | 부사장 busajang - a company vice-president | .. |
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Post by Redeim on Apr 3, 2019 11:21:38 GMT -8
Culture
The Basics
The Korean peninsula, consisting of North and South Korea, is one of the most homogeneous regions in the world. Meaning that almost everyone residing in any part of the region is ethnically Korean. In South Korea, the population of Korean people is estimated to be a little over 51 million, and a little over 25 million in North Korea. Additionally, there are around 7.4 million ethnic Koreans living all around the world. The native language is Korean, which you can read all about here. Lastly, their government type is a republic, with a president as the head of state.
Traditions and Customs
There are two major holidays in South Korea every year: Lunar New Year’s Day (Seollal - 설날) in January-February and Korean Thanksgiving (Chuseok - 추석) in September-October. Both holidays are celebrated together with family, with respecting ancestors, certain holiday foods and family games playing a big part of the day. These are all part of Korean traditions and customs. One of the most important parts of Seollal (설날), both traditionally and today, is to perform a ritual called sebae (세배). In it, the whole family, dressed in hanbok (한복), Korean traditional dress, performs a traditional deep bow while wishing for the year to bring in a lot of luck. For food, it is normal to eat rice cake soup, savory pancakes, and stir-fried glass noodles with vegetables. On Chuseok, on the other hand, it is chaerye (차례), an ancestral memorial rite, that is the most important part of the holiday. It involves a whole lot of preparation in order to create a table of offerings, and on the table will also be two candles at the edges, an incense holder in the middle, and the memorial tablet, symbolizing the spiritual presence of the ancestors, at the very center. For food, stuffed rice cakes, called songpyeon (송편), are made as to the most traditional one, with a whole lot of others being enjoyed as well. Beliefs
The spiritual ground and beliefs of Koreans are built mainly around the religions of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Christianity. Of these, especially Confucianism has a long record of influence in Korea, and its political and social philosophies can still clearly be seen in today’s Korea.
However, Buddhism and Christianity are also highly visible in the society where Buddhist South Koreans account for 46% of the population, and a lot of the areas in South Korea that are listed as world heritage sites are Buddhist temples.
For example, the concept of hierarchy in Korea comes from Confucianism. The hierarchy is built based on a person’s age, job status, education level, and general social rank. Thanks to Confucianism, a lot of emphases is put upon respecting one’s elders and ancestors.
And although especially the younger generations of South Koreans are becoming more and more individualistic, Korea is still a largely collective society, with the family, workplace, business, and others’ perception of you holding a lot of importance. Therefore, it is not rare to still see the type of family dynamics where the eldest son of the family holds additional responsibilities over the family. He is also expected to take care of the parents when they reach retirement age.
Korean Ancestral Rites
Koreans hold their ancestral rites for their ancestors through a memorial ceremony called jesa (제사) on different occasions, such as on holidays or on the death anniversary. There are different kinds of Korean ancestral rites that are observed. They are gijesa (기제사), charye (차례), seongmyo (성묘), and myosa (묘사). Gijesa is held during the death anniversary of one’s ancestor. Charye is done during the traditional holidays in Korea in each of the family’s homes to pay respect to their loved ones. Seongmyo is when Koreans visit the tombs of their ancestors to show love and respect to them. And finally, myosa is done at the tomb site in the lunar month of October.
Korean Burial Sites
There are 2 common types of Korean burial sites where they enshrine and commemorate the remains of the deceased. One is called myoji (묘지), which means burial ground. Cemeteries are called gongdong myoji (공동 묘지). The other one is called bongangdang (봉안당), a place where the remains are enshrined after cremating the deceased. There is also bongandam (봉안담), which is an outdoor wall-style version of bongandang.
Korean Traditional Arts
There are a variety of traditional arts in South Korea that can still be seen and enjoyed today. Thanks to the Korean people who are mastering these arts for many of us to enjoy. You can see them being performed in the country at special events and celebrated in exhibits around the world.
Korean Dance
Based on Korean history, dances in Korea were formed as a part of shamanistic rituals an impressive five thousand years ago. Over time and the different dynasties, varieties of folk dances have evolved from these ritualistic dances. There were more than 12 types of Korean dances that were popular to perform in the court in front of royals, for example. Some of the most popular and common traditional dances, well-known even today, are as follows: talchum (탈춤) = a dance performed while wearing a mask gainjeonmokdan (가인전목단) = a calm dance where a vase of flowers is placed at the center of the stage, and the dancers will dance around the vase, picking out flowers from the vase nongak (농악) = an energetic dance also including drums buchaechum (부채춤) = a fan dance
Korean Painting
Painting is a type of Korean art that has been a part of Korean culture since prehistoric times. In its earliest form, Korean painting was a form of rock art, where images were created by carving out parts of a rock surface. Once Buddhism arrived in Korea, new painting techniques were introduced, quickly becoming the common and popular way to paint. This includes, for example, calligraphy.
Korean Pottery
The history of pottery and ceramics in Korea goes back thousands of years. The dominant ingredient used in Korean pottery and its style have changed over the dynasties (Goryeo dynasty to Joseon), ranging from coils and clay to pottery to porcelain. Korean ceramics have also had a strong influence on shaping Japanese ceramics.
Korean Music
Besides K-pop songs, Korean music is made up of traditional Korean songs ranging from folk and court to religious. This aspect of culture comprises the music in the Korean peninsula (North and South). As a whole, this genre that is made up of traditional Korean songs is known as gukak (국악).
Korean Folk Music
The Korean folk song or music is typically referred to as pansori (판소리), which has even been designated as an intangible cultural property by UNESCO. Pansori is performed by one singer and one drummer. Some pansori songs also include dancers and/or narrators. Another type of folk music is pungmul (풍물), which involves drumming, singing, and dancing; it is traditionally called nongak (농악), which has been mentioned above.
Korean Court Music
Besides folk music, Korean court music is another traditional Korean music. It was developed at the beginning of the Joseon Dynasty, getting some of its influences from Chinese court music. There are also similarities to Japanese and Vietnamese court music. There are three types of court music. The first form is aak (아악), which was drawn directly from the Chinese, performed in state sacrificial rites, and still exists today as music performed in some Confucian ceremonies. The second form is hyangak (향악), which was created entirely by Koreans. Hyangak was often accompanied by traditional country dances, with the dances being performed for an audience. The third one is dangak (당악), which mixes Chinese and Korean court music styles into one style. There are specific types of dances that go along with dangak.
Korean Popular Culture
Often referred to as “hallyu” or the Korean wave, the Korean popular culture is no longer only famous and popular in Korea but becoming widespread across the globe. The Korean wave mainly includes Korean pop music, dramas, and movies. In fact, although K-Pop, through acts like BTS, is a hot topic these days, it was originally Korean dramas that became famous for watching in other countries.
Korean Cinema
When speaking of Korean cinema, it usually counts the time from 1945 onward. The movies take a lot of influence from Korea’s own past, featuring a lot of material from the Japanese occupation, the Korean War, the road towards democratization and globalization, and so on. Although there is still present some shyness to putting certain materials on film, simultaneously Korean filmmakers are bold in expressing their views of society through internationally well-received movies like The Handmaiden and Parasite.
Korean Dramas
Korean dramas differ from a lot of Western TV content, as they are typically only made to last for one season, with one overarching plot lasting 12 to 16 or so episodes. Historical stories and sitcoms may last longer, even up to 200 episodes, but the majority of prime-time television is set up this way. The dramas range on a variety of topics, from history and action to school and work life. However, many of the most popular dramas have had a romantic story as their main element. Love stories on screen in Korea often play out quite differently from what is common in the West, with bedroom scenes and even deep kisses still remaining relatively rare to see. In the past few years, Korean dramas have also become more interested in tackling today’s societal issues, such as classism, mental health, bullying, spy cameras, corruption, and so on.
Korean Homes and Clothing
As with other aspects of South Korean culture, traditional homes and clothing continue to be visible in today’s Korea, and you’ll be able to see them in your daily life in South Korea. For example, in neighborhoods like Seoul’s Gwanghwamun (광화문), it is possible to see modern Korea’s glassy high-rise buildings blend in seamlessly with historical Korea’s traditional palaces, all in one spot, complete with locals and tourists walking about wearing traditional attire.
Korean Traditional Homes
A traditional Korean home is called hanok (한옥). It was thought that they could not be built on any random spot, but the site to build the house on needs to be carefully selected. In detail, this means that the houses should be built against a hill so that they’d receive as much sunlight as possible, a way of thinking that is still shared in modern Korea as well. These traditional houses typically comprise an inner wing and an outer wing. How these “wings” are used depends on the wealth of the family, and in general, the size of the house was also directly correlated with how rich the family was. However, even if it was the richest family in Korea, the right to the largest house was reserved for the king. A basic design of the inner wing would include a living room and a kitchen, as well as a central hall. The richer families may have some more rooms attached to this layout. Meanwhile, the poorer families would use the outer wing for their cattle. The most common building materials were wood and clay, followed by tile, stone, and thatch. That is one large reason why so many of these houses are no longer preserved in today’s Korea. For heating, ondol (온돌) was used. Ondol means floor heating. It has been in use in Korea since prehistoric times, and it is still the main form of heating today, in modern apartments as well, typically heated up using gas.
Modern Korean House
The majority of Koreans live in a modern Korean house. And there are many types of modern Korean houses: apartments, villas, officetel or studios, service residences, and private houses. A few common characteristics of these houses are having an area where sunshine can come in, open areas, lots of windows, and crystal doors. Apartments are usually high-rise buildings that you’ll commonly see around the country, especially in Seoul. Villas are low-rise buildings that typically don’t exceed 5 stories. Officetel, on the other hand, is also known as one-room. This house is a studio that is inexpensive and is mostly located near subway stations. Service residences are apartment buildings that have facilities and services similar to a hotel. Private houses, also known as stand-alone houses, are the most expensive type of house among all the types of houses mentioned above. And you’ll not often see this type of house in urban areas.
Korean Traditional Clothing
The traditional outfit in Korea is called hanbok (한복). It consists of a long-sleeved shirt and a long wide hemmed skirt. The specific styles and colors of each hanbok differ. Even today, it is normal for hanboks to be worn during the big holidays of Seollal and Chuseok. In addition, they’re often also worn at weddings by the bride and groom’s parents, as well as the bride and groom at some point after the ceremony. Or even during the ceremony if it’s held in a traditional Korean style. It can also be worn on special events in the family, in the company, or on business events. There were different types of hanboks in use. There was the kind used for every day, the kind for ceremonial events, and the special kind, which was usually restricted for the use of shamans, officials, and the like. In general, clothing used to be an important mark of someone’s social rank, with people of different ranks dressing differently. Those of lower ranks typically wore plain clothes of plain colors, whereas upper classes and royals wore heavy and flashy outfits, complete with jewelry.
Korean Cuisine
At the very center of Korean cuisine is rice. Korea has a long history of being nearly exclusively an agricultural country, with this having changed only recently, and you can still clearly see this in today’s cuisine. Fish and other seafood also play an integral part in shaping Korean cuisine. Besides them, fermented dishes are largely important, kimchi being the most famous of them, rich in nutrients. The most common ingredients to use for cooking are doenjang 된장 (pronounced: dwen-jang) which is a fermented bean paste, ginger, chili powder, fermented hot pepper paste, garlic, salt, sesame oil, and soy sauce. In general, Koreans eat a lot of rice, vegetables, and meats. It’s typical for each meal to consist of multiple different side dishes, called banchan (반찬), in addition to the main course. Of them, kimchi is the staple side dish present at every meal.
Pork is perhaps the meat eaten the most in Korea, with samgyeopsal (삼겹살), which is grilled pork belly, one of most Koreans’ favorite foods. Several different chicken dishes also exist, including chicken feet. Beef is seen as the meat with the highest value, which explains its comparatively higher price, although since the latter 20th century, it has become more common to eat on a regular day instead of solely on special occasions.
A lot of Korean food is served grilled, steamed, fermented, or pickled. There are also a large variety of soups and stews, as well as noodles. In addition, several specific foods, such as salty pancakes or tofu with kimchi, are commonly eaten while enjoying alcohol.
Korean Concept of “Face”
To fully understand the way of behaving and thinking of Koreans, you need to understand the concept of the face – chemyeon (체면) in Korean. It is among the most integral and important things in influencing how Koreans behave in their daily life and interactions with others. Chemyeon in meaning translates as the appearance a person wants to – or seeks to – offer others of themselves. It is especially prevalent when it comes to one’s status in society. For example, if someone is going through hardships with a relationship, an employment situation, finances, or even something more simple as struggling to do well in school, they will want to disguise that and instead show a more poised version of themselves. This concept is also important for interactions with interpersonal relationships. Largely because of Confucian influences, Koreans hold maintaining harmony in high regard. And therefore, all conflict with others is to be avoided, and it is even feared that it could lead to saving face. Thus, it is more sought after to keep harmony and hold in negative thoughts and emotions. This is an age-old concept in Korea. However, due to the hardships that came from being under Japan’s rule and then the war that led to Korea being split into two, it has regained importance in Korean society.
This is long enough, and we got through most of the relevant culture notes. If you want to read more of the article I copy/pasted all of the above from, you can do so here.
Korean Age Update: In 2023, it was voted by the public to end Korean age, and use the international age system. My understanding is that there is still a learning period for the older Koreans, and the younger population who grew up with the internet/online are having an easier time adjusting. This section will be left up for a while, but will probably be removed sometime in early 2025.
-- In Korea, everyone is automatically one year old from the time they are born, and then all Koreans age on the (Lunar) New Year. This means that a baby born on December 31 would be considered two years old the very next day. But age isn't really asked about at that age. So we won't go into that. Because of Koreans being one from the time they're born, they are typically a year older in Korea than they are abroad. If their birthday is before the Lunar New Year, they will be considered two years older. A 2021 example: A person is born in 2000. In America, they are 21. If their birthday was, for example, in June (definitely after the Lunar New Year), they would be 22 in Korea. If their birthday was January 1 (definitely before the Lunar New Year), they would be 23 in Korea. So, to put it simply – in a given year, before your birthday, your Korean age is your Western age plus two; after your birthday, it is your Western age plus one.
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Post by Redeim on Apr 3, 2019 11:21:56 GMT -8
Location DetailsHEADS UP: this post is VERY image heavy!Seoul!So, for those who don't know, Seoul is the capital city of South Korea. It is in the northern part of South Korea, about two and a half hours by bus from the DMZ (the border between North and South Korea), and about 4.5 hours from the southernmost part of South Korea (not including Jeju Island). Ferry trips to Jeju can be anywhere from about 2 hours to just over 5 hours. Seoul is the largest city in the country, and the name "Seoul" literally means Capital. Seoul has a total population of about 10,005,000 people (as of 2024). As of 2022, the number of foreigners living in Seoul was 751,507, about 33% of the total foreign population in South Korea. (Source: Yonhap News) Seoul is divided into 25 districts ( Gu / 구), and each district is divided into neighborhoods. In total, Seoul is compromised of 423 administrative neighborhoods ( Dong / 동). Going through Seoul is the Han River (한강), and the river itself is lined with areas for exercise, or restaurants, or popular date spots. Air quality in Seoul is... not great. During the spring yellow dust comes down from China, called Hwangsa (황사) in Korean, creating extremely unhealthy levels of air pollutants. Seoul Average Temperatures: ----- The section of the site set in Seoul is focused on the area around fictional Dreams Entertainment. For Dreams Entertainment, it is set in Yeouido. Yeouido is known for its cherry blossom festival in the spring, and becomes a popular date place. Dreams Entertainment is in a building that has both offices and dorms for the trainees and idols, as well a cafe and food court open to the public on the first floor, dance studios, and vocal rooms. A little ways away from the building is a park as well as the waterfront. Park: Waterfront: Main Street: It is a couple large blocks away from Mapo Bridge, which connects the Southern part of Seoul to the Northern part. It takes about an hour to get to Yeouido from Seoul National University. It is about 40 minutes from Seoul Performing Arts High School (SOPA), which is a very popular high school for artists and trainees, and about 45-55 minutes to get to Seoul Arts High School (AKA Yego), which is the prestigious school for artists. There is also a regular high school about 10 minutes away, as well as a middle school just near the high school. SOPA: Yego:
Note: If you want to find out the distance from something yourself, the building "美드림" has been used to mark where Dreams Entertainment would be. The full address is: South Korea, Seoul, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Yeoui-dong, 번지 순복음 상가 지하 11-1 1층
Another part of the site is at Seoul National University, which will be in Gwanak-gu (과낙구), or the Gwanak district. Going towards the left from the university's front entrance leads you to Daehak-dong (대학동) (Literally "University Neighborhood"). This is where a lot of restaurants are, as well as a few places for shopping such as 7-11 and Daiso. Directly above the school is where the subway stops, as well more convenience stores and restaurants. The typical "main attractions" for foreigners are, unfortunately, across the Han River. Dongdaemun Night Market, Hongdae (an area known for it's clubs), and Itaewon (Nicknamed the foreigner district) are all still easy to get to by bus or subway. Bonus:Picture overlooking the Seoul National University Library:
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Post by Redeim on Apr 15, 2019 7:47:47 GMT -8
TransportationDriving:Driving in Seoul is a hassle; with so many people in the city, traffic is a nightmare and driving can get nerve-wracking. Many foreigners who plan to get a Korean driver's license, or have gotten one, typically recommend being fluent in Korean first, as the English version of the written test is, reportedly, a nightmare, although getting better. There is also a driving course test and a road test. Public Transit:Public transportation in Seoul is extremely good. Riders can use a T-Money card, or use the app KakaoBus to buy tickets, but only with a Korean credit card (T-Money cards can be reloaded at almost any ATM or convenience store). The buses are color coded for different types of buses. Virtually all towns in South Korea of all sizes are served by regional bus service. Regional routes are classified as gosok bus (고속버스) - "high speed" express bus, or sioe bus (시외버스) (pronounced see-we) - "suburban" intercity bus, with gosok buses operating over the longer distances and making the fewest (if any) stops en route. Sioe buses typically operate over shorter distances, are somewhat slower, and make more stops. It is possible to reach another city by intercity buses. From Seoul, the place is Express Bus Terminal, the subway station is served by Seoul Subway Lines 3, 7 and 9. Within cities and towns, two types of city bus operate in general: jwaseok (좌석) - "coach," and dosihyeong (도시형) - "city type" or ipseok 입석) - "standing". Both types of bus often serve the same routes, make the same (or fewer) stops and operate on similar frequencies, but jwaseok buses are more expensive and offer comfortable seating, while doshihyeong buses are cheaper and have fewer and less comfortable seats. Many small cities and towns do not have jwaseok buses and their buses are officially called nongeochon (농어촌) - "rural area" bus. The local buses in Seoul and other cities are categorized by colours: the blue buses are trunk lines that cross the entire city, the green ones are circulator/short run lines that connect passengers with subway or railway stations, and the red buses are express lines go out of the city to nearby suburbs. Flying:Incheon International Airport is the nearest airport to Seoul, and is about an hour away. You can take a taxi for a hefty fee, or simply use the airport shuttle to get from Seoul to the airport. From Cedar Beach, it would take about 12-14 hours to get to Korea. Incheon also has daily flights from Incheon to the southern areas of South Korea, such as Jeju Island and Busan (note: there is also a bullet train to Busan). Korean Air was founded by the government in 1962 to replace Korean National Airlines and has been privately owned since 1969. It was South Korea's sole airline until 1988. In 2008, Korean Air served 2,164 million passengers, including 1,249 million international passengers. A second carrier, Asiana Airlines, was established in 1988 and originally served Seoul, Jeju and Busan domestically and Bangkok, Singapore, Japan and Los Angeles internationally. By 2006, Asiana served 12 domestic cities, 66 cities in 20 foreign countries for commercial traffic and 24 cities in 17 countries for cargo traffic. Combined, South Korean airlines currently serve 297 international routes. Smaller airliners, such as Air Busan, Jin Air, Eastar Jet and Jeju Air, provide domestic service and Japan/Southeast Asian route with lower fares. South Korea contains the busiest passenger air corridor as measured by passengers per year. Over ten million people traveled between Seoul Gimpo Airport and Jeju in 2015 alone. As competition is fierce and prices affordable, the trend has been increasingly towards more air travel on this route. Similarly, air travel is also growing between Jeju and other mainland airports. There is discussion about a Jeju Undersea Tunnel which would make many of these domestic flights redundant. Along other routes, air travel competes with the KTX high speed rail service and has declined in the 2000s and 2010s.
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Post by Redeim on Apr 18, 2019 19:10:04 GMT -8
Education and LibrariesKorean education is highly valued, and it shows, as Korea is currently 9th place in education in the world, and has one of the highest educated work forces among OECD countries. Koreans start school at 6 years old, and school is mandatory until age 16. There are six years of elementary school (Chodeunghakgyo - 초등학교), three years of middle school (Choonghakgyo - 충학교), and three years of high school (Kodeunghakgyo - 고등학교). The school day typically starts at 8am and lasts until 5pm, with many students going home for a quick dinner before going to a hagwon (hah-gwan / 학원). While hakwons used to last well into the early morning hours, the government made a law that any minor activities had to end by 10:00 p.m. In middle and high school, teachers will change classrooms rather than the students. Typical class sizes are 15-30 students. Uniforms (called gyobok - 교복) are pretty common for middle and high school students, though schools are not compelled to institute uniforms. Makeup and nail polish used to be banned, but due to the Student Rights' Act it is now allowed, though some schools are much more strict. Due to the stress placed on students, Korea has one of the highest suicide rates in the world among teens, and is the leading cause of death for teens in South Korea. On college entrance exam days, it's common for the cities to be much quieter than normal - no planes may fly over a school area, or there will be less overall noise. When students enter the school building, they take off their shoes and use school slippers. Their shoes are put into a shoe cabinet by the entrance of the school. The model and design of the slippers vary from school to school. 81% of middle and high schools do not allow dating between students, so students can focus on their studies. Dating in school is perceived as unethical behavior. UniversityKoreans that have graduated high school are not required to continue on to college, but over 80% of high school students go on to college. Some men may first fulfill their two-year mandatory military service before starting college. There are also vocational schools and junior colleges, but those are looked down upon in Korea. The top three universities, known as the "SKY Colleges" are: Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University. There are, of course, many other universities in Korea (see a full list here), but these three schools are held in high honor.
Typical Subjects and School Day
Kindergarten: Korean kindergartens are expected to teach basic math, reading, and writing to children, including education on how to count, add, subtract, and read and write in Korean, and often in English and Chinese as well. Children in Korean kindergartens are taught using games focused on education and coordination, such as "playing doctor" to teach body parts, food and nutrition, and adult occupations. Singing, dancing, and memorization are a big part of Korean kindergarten education.
Elementary school (Chodeung hakgyo 초등학교, 初等學校) consists of grades one to six (ages 7 to 12). The South Korean government changed its name to the current form from Citizens' school (Gukminhakgyo 국민학교, 國民學校).
In elementary school, students learn the following subjects. The curriculum differs from grades 1–2 to grades 3–6.
Grades 1–2:
- We Are First Graders (Urideuleun i-haknyeon (우리들은 1학년)) (grade 1 only) - Korean (listening, speaking, reading, writing) - Mathematics - Disciplined Life (Korean: 바른 생활)* - Sensible Life (Korean: 슬기로운 생활)* - Enjoyable Life (Korean: 즐거운 생활)* *The above three classes changed a few years ago into "Spring (Bom / 봄)", "Summer (Yeoreum / 여름)", "Fall (gaeul / 가을)", "Winter (gyeoul / 겨울)"
Grades 3–6:
- Korean (listening, speaking, reading, writing) - English - Moral Education (an umbrella term loosely used to describe the teaching of children and adults in a manner that will help them develop variously as moral, civic, good, mannered, behaved, non-bullying, healthy, critical, successful, traditional, compliant or socially acceptable beings.) - Social Studies - Mathematics - Science - Art - Music - Practical Arts - Physical Education
Usually, the class teacher covers most of the subjects; however, there are some specialized teachers in professions such as physical education and foreign languages, including English.
Middle school in South Korea consist of three grades. Most students enter at age 12 and graduate at age 14 or 15. These three grades correspond roughly to grades 7–9 in the North American system and Years 8–10 in the English system. At most middle schools, there used to be many rules on uniforms and haircuts, although now only uniforms remain partially enforced, and education stress is highly increased. Like in primary school, students spend most of the day in the same homeroom classroom with the same classmates. Students have different teachers for each subject. Teachers move around from classroom to classroom, and few teachers apart from those who teach special subjects have their own rooms to which students come. Homeroom teachers (damim kyosa 담임 교사) play a very important role in students' lives.
Most middle school students take seven lessons a day, and in addition to this usually have an early morning block that precedes regular lessons and an eighth lesson specializing in an extra subject to finish the day.[citation needed] Unlike high school, middle school curricula do not vary much from school to school.
Korean, Algebra, Geometry, English, social studies, and science form the core subjects, with students also receiving instruction in music, art, PE, Korean history, ethics(yulli (윤리)), home economics, secondary language, technology, and Hanja(hanja (한자), Chinese characters used in Korea).
Which subjects students study and to what extent may change from year to year. Before school, students have an extra block of 30 minutes or longer that may be used for self-study, watching Educational Broadcast System (EBS) broadcasts, or for personal or class administration. More than 95% of middle school students also attend privately run, for-profit, after-school tutoring agencies known as hagwon (학원), or "cram schools", in order to receive extra instruction from private tutors.
High school in South Korea teach students for three years, from first grade (age 15–16) to third grade (age 17–18), and students commonly graduate at age 17 or 18.
High schools in Korea can be divided into specialty tracks that accord with a student's interest and career path or a normal state high school. For special high schools, there are science (Science high school), foreign language, international, and art specialty high schools that students can attend by passing entrance examinations which are generally highly competitive. These schools are called special-purpose high schools. Autonomous private high schools are relatively free of the policy of the Ministry of Education. There are schools for gifted students. Tuition of many special-purpose high schools, autonomous private high schools, and schools for gifted students are extremely expensive (the average of tuition of special-purpose or autonomous private high school is US$5,614 per year).
A common saying in Korea is: "If you sleep three hours each night, you may get into a top 'SKY university' (Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University). If you sleep four hours each night, you may get into another university. If you sleep five or more hours each night, especially in your last year of high school, forget about getting into any university." Accordingly, many high school students in their final year do not have any free time for holidays, birthdays or vacations before the CSATs (College Scholastic Ability Test, seneung (수능)), which are university entrance exams held by the Ministry of Education.
The Korean government has tried to crack down on such damaging study habits in order to allow a more balanced system, mostly by fining many privately run specialty study institutes (hakwon) for running classes as late as 12 am. To solve this problem, the Korean government made a law that bans hakwons from running classes after 10:00 PM, which is often not conformed to.
High school is not mandatory, unlike middle school education in Korea. However, according to a 2005 study of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries, some 97% of South Korea's young adults do complete high school. This was the highest percentage recorded in any country. This is mainly due to the fact that there is no such thing as a failing grade in Korea, and most graduate as long as they attend school a certain number of days. This system of graduation solely based on attendance further devalues a South Korean student when being evaluated for university admission in Western countries, especially as many are phasing out entrance examinations.
Vocational Schools: Negative perception and stigmatization of vocational education continues to be one of the largest challenges in South Korea. The government is encouraging younger students to visit and see various vocational programs for themselves firsthand to change their perception. Those in doubt of the quality of vocational education are encouraged to spend time working in industry during school vacations so they are up-to-date on current industry practices. As more vocational schools take hold, more young South Koreans are joining their world-wide peers in realizing that employing their interests and abilities in educational pursuits far outweighs the importance of the names of the schools and majors.
Higher education in South Korea is provided primarily by universities (national research universities, industrial universities, teacher-training universities, broadcast and correspondence universities, cyber universities, graduate schools, open universities, and national universities of education) and colleges (cyber colleges, technical colleges, colleges in company, graduate school colleges) and various other research institutions.[72] The South Korean higher education system is modeled after the United States with colleges (namely junior colleges and community colleges) awarding apprenticeships, licenses, citations, certificates, associate degrees or diplomas while universities award bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral degrees.
Student Health
In 2014, Lee Ju-ho, the minister representing the Ministry of Education & Science Technology, announced a plan on 8 February 2011, to dispatch un-hired reserve teachers overseas for extra training despite the opposition from the Korean Teachers Union and other public workers in the city-level and the provincial level.
- South Korean schools have a strong tendency to neglect physical education due to the over-emphasis of classroom-based education. - 81% of middle and high schools forbid relationships among students. - A low emphasis on vocational education and stigmatization in Korea with regards to skilled trade or vocational careers, often dismissed as DDD jobs: 'dirty, dangerous, and demeaning,' with low social standing. It has been criticized for producing an oversupply of university graduates in Korea, which means that university graduates often have difficulty in finding jobs while many vocational occupational positions sometimes go unfilled. - There are concerns of overload of schoolworks and exam preparations that could threaten the students' health and emotions. - The South Korean education system does not allow any leeways for students' rights. - There are concerns about the severe lack of community spirit among South Korean students that comes from examinations as the main educational direction and from an analysis according to Dr. Lee Mi-na from SNU Sociology: "harsh competition-oriented and success-oriented parenting among the parents". - The Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations announced that 40% of teachers are not satisfied with the loss of teachers' powers in classroom due to the new Teachers' Evaluation System. - OECD ranked South Korean elementary, middle, and high school students are the lowest in terms of happiness compared to other OECD countries. This survey echoes similar studies of students in Seoul according to SMOE. - Dr. Seo Yu-hyeon, a brain expert from Seoul National University Faculty of Medicines, criticized South Korea's private educations among toddlers due to the forceful nature of these educational pursuits that could deteriorate creativity and block any healthy brain development. - The Korean Educational Development Institute reports that the majority of university students lack the ability to ask questions to instructors, mainly due to the education system that promotes examinations and instructors having too many students to handle. - A 2011 survey from the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations found out that 79.5% of the school teachers are not satisfied with their careers, a growing trend for three straight years. - In 2011, accounts of sexual abuses in school were increasing. - The government banned coffee in all schools in a bid to improve children's health. The ban came into force in September 2018.
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Post by Redeim on Apr 18, 2019 19:10:17 GMT -8
Parks, Museums, and Tourist AttractionsParks Information gathered from hereYeouido ParkOne of the parks closest to our characters. Yeouido Park was the first ecological park to be opened in the country. The park consists of streams and an ecological pond, low, swampy land & a water course, a willow forest, dry grassland, and observation spots & wooden bridges. The stream is about 1.2 kilometers (about 1 mile) long and 15 meters wide (about 49 feet). The 6 kilometer (almost 4 miles) long trail is sign posted every 20 to 30 meters (~65-90 feet). There are no snack bars, park benches or streetlights in this park in an attempt to leave its ecosystem as undisturbed as possible. The park is directly connected to the Han River. Ankara Park is also located nearby. Other information:Field trip area near the park: National Assembly building, KBS, MBC, 63 Building, Yeouido Quay, LG Twin Tower, Han River Park(Yeouido district), Yeouido Saetgang(Tributary) Ecological Park, Bamseom(Islet) (Seogang Bridge), etc. What is Yeouido Saetgang (Tributary) Ecological Park? The Yeouido Saetgang (Tributary) ecological park is located at a 150m distance from the Seoul Bridge coming from Yeongdeungpo(the bridge from Yeongdeungpo Stn. to Yeouido). It is managed by Han River Park Office, 02-3780-0570~1. Han River Park (Yeouido district): The excursion boat can be used from the Yanghwa Bridge area to the Jamsil boat port, and it also provides restaurants. Yeouido Yunjungno Cherry blossom festival The Yeouido Cherry blossom festival is opened from mid April for about two weeks. Cherry blossoms are spread across Yeouido Park. Boramae ParkThe park was formerly the site of the Korean Air Force Academy but was turned into Boramae Park in May 1986. This 360,000m² large park features sports facilities, a small zoo, a pond, a playground for children and walking paths. Four of the two-storey buildings in the park are equipped with libraries for young students. The Boramae Youth Center is popular among adolescents as it operates a wide range of fun and educational programs, including a movie club. The symbolic monument of the Korean Air Force Academy still remains here. For more information on Seoul Parks, see hereMuseums Nearly all museums are across the Han River, but the closest museum to our characters is approximately the National Museum of Korea, which is about a 30 minute bus ride from Dreams Entertainment. It has historical artifacts and information from medieval and early modern history, prehistory and ancient history, calligraphy and painting, donated works, sculpture and crafts, and world art as it main permanent fixtures. ( map) Another museum fairly close to the Dreams Entertainment headquarters is the Trick Eye Museum. Opened in 2010, the Trick Eye Museum is popular among the younger generations. There are many more museums to search here, and you're free to click around! Please note: As great as the love museum's existence is, please avoid mentioning it on the site as it is not PG-13 rated friendly. Tourist Attractions Bukcheon Hanok villagepicture creditBuckheon Hanok village is a village of traditional historic Korean homes. Hanok is the name of the type of home. The traditional hanok houses found here date all the way back to the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897), and people actually live in them! This picturesque residential area is nestled in the heart of the city between Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeokgung Palace, and from atop the hill you can see a background of modern buildings in the distance. Myeongdongpicture creditMyeongdong is popular among the younger crowd, and is a cosmetic-lover's paradise. It also has a couple stores that have KPop, and is also a popular area for Japanese food. Lotte Worldpicture creditLotte World is the world’s largest indoor amusement park. Comprising both an indoor theme park and an outdoor amusement park, Lotte World is also surrounded by a hotel and a large shopping complex! This top-notch attraction is great for families, kids and couples alike. Lotte World is more than just an ordinary theme park, it’s a massive entertainment hub that promises fun in epic proportions! Gyeongbokgoong Palacepicture creditWhen visiting the Gyeongbokgung Palace, don’t miss out on observing the Royal Guard Changing Ceremony or the Gwanghwamun Gate Guard-on-Duty Performance. Either one happens every hour between 10am to 4pm at the Gyeongbokgung Palace, every day except Tuesdays. Everlandpicture creditIf you’re looking for a different theme park experience while in Korea, Everland is where you need to be. It is South Korea’s largest outdoor theme park and houses five unique zones of rides and attractions. Among all the rides, Everland is proudly home to the world’s steepest wooden roller coaster and South Korea’s only safari! The best advice we have for you is to visit the park as early as you can. Based on past reviews, Everland has too many rides to squeeze into a day! See more tourist attractions here!
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Post by Redeim on Apr 18, 2019 19:10:31 GMT -8
Popular ChainsNote: all links will lead to wiki pages unless otherwise statedFast Food- Bonchon Chicken- Isaac Toast [sandwiches] - Kyochon [fried chicken] - Lotteria [burgers] - Mister Donut- Mom's Touch [burgers] - Nene Chicken- There is also McDonalds, Taco Bell, and Burger King, among other international chains Coffee Shops- Angel-in-us- Caffe Bene- A Twosome Place- Tom N Toms- Hollys Coffee- More Korean coffee shops found in this article
There is also Coex Mall, which, while not a brand itself, houses hundreds of shops, and also has two food courts, MegaBox (cinema), COEX Aquarium, two stages (indoor and outdoor), and a large bookstore.
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Post by Redeim on Apr 18, 2019 19:10:50 GMT -8
Korean NamesA Korean name consists of a family name followed by a given name, as used by the Korean people in both South Korea and North Korea. In the Korean language, ireum (이름) or seongmyeong (성명) (both mean name, but seongmyeong is more respectful) is used to refer to someone's full name. Traditional Korean family names typically consist of only one syllable. There is no middle name in the English language sense. Many Koreans have their given names made of a generational name syllable and an individually distinct syllable, though this practice is declining in the younger generations, and is also less common in siblings with a large age gap. The generational name syllable is shared by siblings in North Korea, and by all members of the same generation of an extended family in South Korea. Married men and women keep their full personal names, and children inherit the father's family name unless otherwise settled when registering the marriage. There are at least 191 distinct surnames in hangeul and 514 distinct surnames in hanja in use as of 2015, and the three most common (Kim, Lee, and Park) account for around half of the population. Traditionally, given names are partly determined by generation names, a custom originating in China. One of the two characters in a given name is unique to the individual, while the other is shared by all people in a family generation. In both North and South Korea, generational names are usually no longer shared by cousins, but are still commonly shared by brothers and sisters. Given names are typically composed of hanja, or Chinese characters. In South Korea, section 37 of the Family Registry Law requires that the hanja in personal names be taken from a restricted list. Unapproved hanja must be represented by hangul in the family registry. In March 1991, the Supreme Court of South Korea published the Table of Hanja for Personal Name Use, which allowed a total of 2,854 hanja in new South Korean given names (as well as 61 alternative forms). The list was expanded in 1994, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2013 and 2015. Thus, 8,142 hanja are now permitted in South Korean names (including the set of basic hanja), in addition to a small number of alternative forms. The use of an official list is similar to Japan's use of the jinmeiyō kanji (although the characters do not entirely coincide). While the traditional practice is still largely followed, since the late 1970s, some parents have given their children names that are native Korean words, usually of two syllables. Popular given names of this sort include Haneul (하늘; "Heaven" or "Sky"), Areum (아름; "Beauty"), Iseul (이슬; "Dew") and Seulgi (슬기; "Wisdom"). Between 2008 and 2015, the proportion of such names among South Korean newborns rose from 3.5% to 7.7%. The most popular such names in 2015 were Han-gyeol (한결) for boys and Sarang (사랑; "Love") for girls. Despite this trend away from traditional practice, people's names are still recorded in both hangul and hanja (if available) on official documents, in family genealogies, and so on. Originally, there was no legal limitation on the length of names in South Korea. As a result, some people registered extremely long given names composed of native Korean words, such as the 16-syllable Haneulbyeollimgureumhaennimbodasarangseureouri (하늘별님구름햇님보다사랑스러우리; roughly, "More beloved than the stars in the sky and the sun in the clouds"). However, beginning in 1993, new regulations required that the given name be five syllables or shorter. Koreans legally change their names for all kinds of reasons, although most of the reasons are some variations of "I don't like the name." There are those who did not appreciate their parents' sense of humor and desired to change their name to avoid ridicule. Many simply thought their name was too old-fashioned or corny. Some wanted to change their names after a serial killer was revealed to have the same name as they. [1] Others will change it after a major change in life, such as if someone passes away in the family (as was in this instance for a celebrity). TL;DR: Korean naming conventions are usually family name, generational syllable, and given syllable. For example, Lee Minho's family name (last name) is Lee, while his given name (first name) is Minho. If he had a sibling, they would quite possibly also have a name that starts with "min" or ends with "ho," such as "Lee Minah" or "Lee Sungho." (Note: Generational syllables have become less commonplace, but they are still more common than not.) If the person has an English name, it is often placed at the front of their name, such as "Krystal Jung Soojung," where her English name is first, then her last name, and then her given Korean name (Some people might make their given Korean name their middle name, but for the set up on the site, we'll do it English-last name-Korean). Although occasionally a new last name pops up, there are only about 280 family names in Korean, with the three most popular being Kim, Lee, and Park. [1]For choosing a name, Wikipedia has a more comprehensive list than Behind The Name.
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