Welcome to Korean!

An Introduction to Korean and the Korean Spirit

Welcome! I’m so happy you’ve decided to learn Korean. Not only will you discover how more than 70 million people on the Korean peninsula communicate with each other, but you’ll be learning one of the most systematic languages in the world. Most importantly, though, you’re going to be hanging out with me, your faithful guide, as I take you on an in-depth tour of Korean. (This is great for me, too, as it gives me a chance to practice my English with you, something most Koreans are always eager to do!)

But before we start, I have a question for you: What do you know about Korea?

Sports and beef: cultural windows

I’m not sure how closely you follow the news, but you might recall that in 2008, mass demonstrations were held throughout South Korea to protest the purchase of beef from the U.S. But why!? Koreans love beef! Apparently, there were some concerns about the meat not being safe for consumption. What was probably the bigger issue, though, was that Koreans didn’t like the idea of their president being “persuaded” by the U.S. to sign onto the deal.

A few years earlier, in 2002, there was another occasion for Koreans to gather by the thousands and show their support for their country. Only this time, the atmosphere was more positive, the intention being to cheer on the national soccer team in the World Cup. Koreans are very enthusiastic and passionate about their country and culture. During the games, all the fans wore red shirts and cheered for victory. Prior to this tournament, the Korean soccer team had never won a single World Cup game. You can imagine the excitement when they made it all the way to the semifinals!

People around the world who’ve witnessed events like these in the international news must be asking themselves: why are Koreans so passionate?

Korea and Koreans are dynamic

Korea is a small country, similar in size to Great Britain. But there are around 50 million people in South Korea, and 25 million in North Korea. This means the population density on the peninsula is very high. South Korea’s capital, Seoul, is one of the largest and most crowded cities in the world. And all of these people are always on the go. The expression 빨리 빨리 [ppalri ppalri] is used by Koreans to sum up the bustling nature of the country and its people. But why are they in such a hurry?

Perhaps we can find the answer by looking at the modern history of Korea. You see, after the Korean War of 1950–1953, much of the land and its infrastructure was in ruins. So Koreans became determined and made many sacrifices to rebuild their country as quickly as possible. As a result, in less than 50 years, South Korea was transformed into a developed nation. It joined the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 1996, and in 2008 it was ranked 15th in the world by gross domestic product (GDP).

But even now, Koreans feel they should be doing something more to progress further. This explains why they always seem to be in a hurry and why they’re so passionate about their history, their culture, and their homeland.

All systems go…

Just one more thing before we launch ourselves into the world of Korean language. Keep in mind that it’s very different from English and other European languages. I’m sure the first thing you’ll notice is the characters. Korean doesn’t use the Roman alphabet, unfortunately, so you’re probably worried that it’s going to be much more difficult to learn than Spanish, French, German, or other languages you may have studied in school.

But don’t worry! Korean characters are formed in a very systematic and straightforward way, so they’re easy to pick up. Actually, they’re so simple that most Korean children learn them before they even enter school. Sounds good, right? I’ll show you what I mean in the next chapter.

Are you ready to begin the adventure? I know I am. Just remember, I’m here to help, and I’ll never laugh at you or criticize you along the way (well, maybe a giggle here and there, but hopefully I’ll be giggling with you). Trust me—I’ll take you where you need to go!

Korean Style: Say what?

Do these “words” look familiar?

lol     btw     omg     imho     cya     ;-)    :P    :(   :o

With the spread of modern communication methods, such as texting and online messaging services, languages are constantly being modified for convenience. Tons of creative abbreviations, both for words and emotions, have cropped up in English. Do you know all the ones above? No? Omg, imho you’d better study up! ;-)

Korean is no exception to this phenomenon. If you have a chance to chat with a Korean online or by texting, you’re sure to run into a few strange looking words, like this one:

This probably doesn’t seem that odd to you, since we haven’t even gone over Korean characters yet! But take my word that this is a strange construction indeed. First of all, there aren’t any vowels in this “word”! That’s because it’s an abbreviation, and it stands for 감사감사 [kamsagamsa] (“thank you very much”). Even though this goes against the basic rule of Korean word formation, it’s frequently used on the Internet.

There are other types of language peculiarities that have developed as a result of messaging services. Emoticons are one of them. Koreans use emoticons even more frequently than English speakers do, but their emoticons are different. The main thing to notice is that they’re made to be viewed vertically, so you don’t have to tilt your head to figure them out. Let’s take a look.

^;^ -or-^^ (smile): Imagine a smiling face.

ᅲᅲ (crying): eyes and tears

-;- (angry): Imagine your eyes when you’re angry.

ᄏᄏ (laughter): laughing sound 크크 [keukeu]

ᄒᄒ (laughter): laughing sound 흐흐 [heuheu]

Many people (mainly the younger generation) enjoy these fun plays on the Korean language. Hey, I have an idea! You want to learn authentic Korean, don’t you? Well then keep an eye out, because you might just see some of these emoticons pop up in the chapters ahead. Who knows, seeing them might change your mood from ᅲᅲ to ^;^!