Tag: Korea

The Empty Chair: What a Seoul Language Exchange Taught Me About Nunchi

| CuriousGeorge

There is a particular kind of social lesson you can only learn in Korea by sitting at a table long enough. It happened one evening at a language exchange in Seoul. The event itself was typical of dozens of gatherings around the city. Koreans came to practice English. Foreigners came to practice Korean, meet people, […]

The Art of Noonchi: Korea’s Language of What Is Left Unsaid

| CuriousGeorge

One of the most important Korean words for understanding Korean social life is also one of the hardest to translate. 눈치 — noonchi, more commonly romanized as nunchi. It is often translated as “reading the room,” “social awareness,” or even “emotional intelligence.” All of these are partly correct, but none completely captures it. Noonchi is […]