From an Outsider that keeps coming back
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, […]
Ask someone to describe Korean food and there is a good chance the word “spicy” will appear almost immediately. Kimchi glows red with chili flakes. Tteokbokki comes covered in a fiery sauce. Spicy ramyeon has become internationally famous. Dishes such as dakbal, jjukkumi, buldak, and spicy pork can reach levels of heat that surprise even […]
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 […]
For anyone who followed Korean dance performances and K-pop fancams during the mid-2010s, LAYSHA (레이샤) was difficult to miss. They were never remotely as famous as groups such as BLACKPINK, TWICE or Red Velvet. Yet online, particularly through fancams, LAYSHA sometimes seemed much bigger than their position in the Korean music industry would suggest. Their […]
