Understanding Everyday Life in Korea (Brief Answers to 80 FAQs on Korea)

김영훈

Kim,YoungHoonisProfessorofDepartmentofKoreanStudiesattheGraduateSchoolofInternationalStudiesandtheDirectoroftheResearchInstituteofKoreanCultureatEwhaWomansUniversity.Heisaculturalanthropologist.HereceivedhisdegreesfromYonseiUniversity(B.A.),IndianaUniversity(M.A.)andUniversityofSouthernCalifornia(Ph.D.).HeistheauthorofCultureandImage(2002),FromDolmenTombstoHeaven’sGate(2013)andhaspublishedarticlesintheareasofKoreanculturalstudies,visualstudies,andKoreanaesthetics.

[약력]
이화여자대학교국제대학원한국학과교수
이화여자대학교한국문화연구원원장
미국남가주대학교(USC)인류학박사
미국인디애나대학교(IndianaUniversity)인류학석사
연세대학교사회학과졸업

[저서]
『문화와영상:영상인류학의이해』,일조각,2002
『처음만나는문화인류학』,일조각,2003(공저)
『韓國人の作法』,슈에이샤,2011
『FromDolmenTombstoHeaven‘sgate』,지문당,2013

I.GreetingManners
1.HowdoKoreansgreetstrangersforthefirsttime?
2.Whyisitrudetocallolderpeoplebytheirnames?
3.WhydoKoreansaskpersonalquestionstopeopletheyhardlyknowormeetforthefirsttime?
4.Whenpeoplemeettheiracquaintancebychance,whydotheyusuallyask“whereareyougoing?”

II.SocialRelationship
5.WhatisjeongthatKoreansoftentalkabout?
6.Whyisthemeaningof“yes”and“no”unclearinKorea?
7.WhydoKoreanssharetheirglasswitheachotherwhiledrinking?
8.WhydoKoreanscalltheirspouses‘our’husbandor‘our’wife?
9.Whatissogae-ting?
10.WhydoKoreanfemalestudentsholdhandsorlinkarmswitheachotherwhenwalkingtogether?
11.Whydon’tKoreansknockonthedoor?
12.WhydoKoreansprepareanenormousamountoffoodandtelltheirgueststoeatmore?

III.Koreans
13.WhydoKoreansseemquietandreticent?
14.WhyareKoreanpeoplesoreluctanttowaitinline?
15.WhydoKoreanwomencaresomuchabouttheirappearance?
16.WhydoKoreanwomenwearstrongandvividcolors?
17.WhydoKoreanwomensmokeinthetoilet?
18.Whoisajumma?
19.WhydoKoreanmenliketobecalledoppa?
20.Don’tKoreanmenneedtoservethemilitarywhenthetwoKoreasunify?
21.Whatagedoesonebecomeagrandfatheroragrandmother?
22.WhydoKoreansseemtoprefersquattingoversittingevenoutsidetheirhomes?
23.WhydoKoreansfightforthebillinrestaurants?
24.WhydoKoreansfeeluncomfortableeatingoutalone?
25.WhydoKoreansrarelyapologizewhentheybumpintoeachotheronthestreet?

IV.Study&Work
26.Whydohighschoolseniorshavedinnerattheirschools?
27.WhyareKoreanparentssoobsessedwiththeirchild’seducation?
28.WhydocompaniesallowworkerstocomelateonthedaywhentheCollegeScholasticAbilityTestisbeingheldinhighschools?
29.Koreansworkwithouttakinganybreaks.WhydoKoreanslivesuchahecticlife?
30.WhydoKoreanslikeusingsealsmorethansignaturesinlegaldocuments?

V.Transportation
31.Whydopeoplesittinginabusoronthesubwayholdbagsforthosewithoutseats?
32.Whydopeopleyieldtheirseatstoeldersonabusortrain?
33.WhyareKoreanbusdriverssoaggressive?Whydon’ttheyfollowthetrafficrules?
34.WhyaretheresomanyblackcarsinKorea?

VI.Entertainment
35.WhydoKoreansenjoygoingtoanoraebangafterdrinking?
36.WhydoKoreanfilmsbecomesopopular?
37.WhyareKoreansoapoperasmostlyaboutfamilyissues?
38.WhydoKoreansliketogotoajjimjilbangjusttolieonthefloor?

VII.KoreanFood&Dining
39.WhydoKoreansmixrice?
40.WhydopeoplesaythatKoreanscannotlivewithoutkimchi?
41.WhydoKoreanssaytheyfeel“siwonhada”(cool)wheneatinghotpepperbroths?
42.WhydoKoreansusespoonsandchopsticksmadeoutofmetal?
43.WhyareudonandjapchaeservedinChineserestaurants?Whyarepickledradishandonionsservedalongwiththesedishes?
44.WhydoKoreansusetoiletpaperonthediningtable?
45.WhydoKoreanscutbeefwithscissors?
46.WhydoKoreansputcherrytomatoesindessertslikecakesandiceflakes?
47.WhydoKoreanshidedogsoupinrestaurantsbutstatethatdogsoupsarehealthy?

VIII.Rituals&CulturalHeritage
48.WhydoKoreanparentsgetsoinvolvedinchoosingtheirchildren’smaritalpartners?
49.WhenKoreansgetmarriedtheysellham,butwhatexactlyisit?
50.WhyisaKoreanweddingceremonysoshort?
51.WhydoKoreanschangefromaWestern-styleweddingdressintoatraditionalKoreandressduringtheirweddingceremonies?
52.WhydoKoreanbridesandgroomswearWesternclothesandtakeweddingpicturesinaroyalpalace?
53.WhenKoreansmarrytheysaytheywillservethenoodlefortheguests,butinfact,itishardtofindnoodlesinthewedding.Whydoesthishappen?
54.WhydoKoreansputfood,alcoholandevencigarettesontheirancestors’tombsandwhydotheyperformabigbow,calledjeol,infrontofthetomb?
55.WhatisspecialaboutKoreanfuneralculture?
56.Whatisondol?
57.WhyisHangeulhighlypraisedaroundtheworld?
58.Whatissamullori?

IX.Beliefs&Values
59.WhyistheChinesezodiacimportanttoKoreans?
60.WhydoKoreansprefertomarryamanwhoisfouryearsolderthanawoman?
61.WhyareKoreansreluctanttowritetheirnamesinred?
62.WhyisKorea’scitynightscapefullofredcrosses?
63.WhyareKoreantemplessocolorful?
64.WhydoKoreanslikemagpiesanddislikecrows?
65.WhyareKoreansinterestedinother’sbloodtypes?
66.Whyisthe4thfloorwrittenas“F”inKoreanbuildings?
67.WhyaretheresomanyapartmentsinKorea?
68.Whydoestheoldestpersonusuallypayforeveryoneatarestaurant?

X.Traditions&Customs
69.What’sthemeaningofSeollal?
70.WhatdoesChuseokmeantoKoreans?
71.WhydoKoreansbecomeoneyearoldassoonastheyareborn?
72.WhydoKoreanshaveseaweedsoupontheirbirthday?
73.WhyaremostKoreannamescomposedofthreesyllables?
74.Whydoesn’taKoreanwifetakethesurnameofherhusbandaftermarriage?

XI.KoreanIdentity
75.Whatistheoriginof‘Korea’asacountryname?
76.IsKoreaanethnicallyhomogenouscountry?
77.WhatdoesBaekdusanMountainmeantoKoreans?
78.Whatisjokbo?
79.WhydoKoreanshesitatetoadoptchildren?
80.Whatishan?

Bibliography

Thisisaneasy-to-readintroductorybookforforeignerstopursuetheircuriosityonKorea.ThisbooktriestoexplainKoreanculturebyanswering80questionsonvarioussubjects,includingthecharacteristicsofKoreancustoms,ritualsandtraditionalceremonies,manners,interpersonalrelationsandbehavior,languageandvalues,religionandfolklore,foodculture,housingculture,entertainment,popculture,etc.Theauthorgivesananthropologicalandhistoricalexplanationtothesequestionscollectedfrominternationalcollegestudentsaswellasfromtheinternet.
“소개팅이뭐예요?한국에는검은차가왜이렇게많아요?뜨거운물에서왜시원하다고해요?왜결혼하면국수먹여준다고해요?”UnderstandingEverydayLifeinKorea는한국을궁금해하는외국인의질문80가지에대한역사적,인류학적답변이다.한마디로이책은외국인들이한국의일상을쉽게이해하도록도와주는입문서이다.한국의관습,종교행사와전통의식,예절,인간관계와상호행동양식,언어와가치관,종교와민속,음식문화,주거문화,오락,대중문화등다양한주제에걸친80개의질문에대해설명하면서한국문화전반을이해하도록돕는다.이화여자대학교국제대학원한국학과교수이자이화여자대학교한국문화연구원원장인저자는외국학생들의질문과인터넷에서수집된다양한궁금증에대해역사적,인류학적으로풀이를하였다.