Korean Culture Dictionary 어서와! 한국 문화는 처음이지?

강우성

저자:강우성(WoosungKang)
DenverUniversity경영학학사
NewYorkUniversity심리학석사
대통령직속민주평화통일자문회의해외자문위원(2013-2015)
33대뉴욕한인회(KAAGNY)홍보부회장(2012-2013)
32대뉴욕한인회(KAAGNY)청년위원장(2011-2012)
미국덴버대학교에서경영학학사,뉴욕대학교에서심리학석사를취득한그는세계속에서저평가된대한민국의이미지를제고하기위한선구자적인노력을펼쳐왔다.2010년뉴욕대학교대학원한인학생회부회장으로활동당시,블로그<브랜딩코리아>KoreaBrandImage.com을운영하며현지에서다양한한국문화프로모션을벌이며출간한<<세계를향해바로서라(2010)>>를통해국가브랜딩과문화마케팅에관한그의통찰력을엿볼수있다.2016년출간한<>는원서인영어를포함해프랑스어,러시아어,인도네시아어,불가리아어등으로번역출간되며세계적인인기를끌었다.외국인들에게한국의문화를알기쉽게설명하기위해2020년출간한<>또한세계적으로좋은반응을얻으며세계와의가교역할을하고있다.그는해외의한국정부기관과한국어학당,한인입양단체등에무료로도서를배포하며민간차원에서의한국문화홍보에도노력을더하고있다.그의활동은국내외미디어를통해서도조명되었으며,뉴욕거주당시라디오코리아에서칼럼니스트로활동하였다.현재KBS3FM라디오프로그램<공감코리아,우리는한국인>에고정출연중이다.

PREFACE
HOWTOUSETHISBOOK
GETTOKNOWTHEFLAG
UNDERSTANDINGKOREANNAMES
THELANGUAGE
KIMCHI-THEKOREANSOULFOOD
YUGYO-THEIDEOLOGYOFTHEKOREANPEOPLE
WHATDOKOREANSEAT?
DININGINKOREA
DRINKINGINKOREA
WORKINGINKOREA
EDUCATIONINKOREA
FUNANDQUIRKYKOREANSUPERSTITIONSANDBELIEFS
SPOOKYKOREANSUPERSTITIONSANDBELIEFS
ODDQUESTIONSANDCOMPLIMENTS
DEATHANDAFTERLIFE
KOREANFUNERAL-HOWKOREANSSAYGOODBYE
JESA-REMEMBERINGANDHONORINGTHEANCESTORS
TYINGTHEKNOT-WEDDINGSINKOREA
SPECIALDAYSANDOFFICIALHOLIDAYSINKOREA
NEWYEARSDAYANDCHUSEOK
HANBOK-THETRADITIONALKOREANCLOTHES
THEKOREANLIFESTYLE
KOREANHISTORY-HIGHLIGHTSANDTIMELINE
KOREANWAR
LOSTINTRANSLATION
KOREAINTHEDIGITALERA
SPORTS
PLACESANDTHINGS
HALLYUTHEKOREANWAVE

강우성작가는뉴욕에서활동하며다양한한국문화홍보활동을펼쳤고,지난2016년‘대박’,‘아재개그’와같이외국인들이이해하기힘들어하는신조어와유행어를모아알기쉽게설명한‘케이팝딕셔너리’를선보이며외국인독자들의폭발적인반응을이끌어냈다.그후,‘글로벌한류열풍’으로인해한국에대한관심에급증하는것에비해한국문화를올바르고정확하게소개하는자료가절대적으로부족하다는점에문제의식을느꼈고,해결책마련을위해고심한끝에오랜동안매진한이번작품을내놓게되었다.외국인독자들의이해를돕기위해다양한사진자료와삽화는물론,QR코드를통해유튜브에서곧바로관련영상을시청할수있도록했고,반드시봐야할한국드라마나영화리스트또한구석구석집어넣은것을보면한국문화를조금이나마더제대로알리고자하는그의열정을느낄수있다.이와함께외국인들이한국에서생활하며겪었던재밌는에피소드를소개하며문화적유사성과차이점을설명,독자들의고개를끄덕이게만든다.기존의‘케이팝딕셔너리’가그러했듯,이번‘코리안컬쳐딕셔너리’또한기존에는없었던종류의책으로서,한국을알고자하는많은이들에게도움을주고한국문화를세계에알리는역할을충실히해내리라믿어의심치않는다.

Beforereadingthisbook,youprobablyhadsomemomentsofcuriosityinyourlifewhereyouquestionedcertainthingsaboutKoreanculture.WhyisthereaPepsilogoontheKoreanflag?WhydoKoreankidsinmyclassonlyhavelike…threelastnames(Kim,Lee,Park)?

IfyouareaK-Dramaaddict,andeventookthetimetowatchvarietyshowswithyourfavoriteidols,yourthoughtsandinteresttowardsKoreamayhavegrownevendeeper!Whatdoes‘Korea’mean,andwhoarethepeopleontheKoreancurrencynotes?WhydoKoreanslovekimchisomuch?Maybe,ifyou’reaKoreaboo(noshameinthegame)youmaywonderhowandwhyyoubecomeayear(ortwoyears)olderassoonasarrivinginKorea?Whysomuchdramainthosestreettentbars(pojangmacha)?HowdoKoreansdrinksomuchsojufromthoseinfamousgreenbottles?And,probablythequestiononeveryone’smindin2020,whyisBTSsogoshdangpopular(honorablemention:Whattheheckdoes“GangnamStyle”mean)?

Well,ifyougetlostintranslation,youcansimplylookupthewordinthedictionaryoronthelatestphoneapp.Butwhatifyougetlostbetweenculturesandthere'snoonetokindlyfillyouinonwhat'sgoingon?Youcangetbywithaluckyguess,butnotonlyistherenoguaranteethatyouwillgetluckynexttime,butyouarealsomissingavaluableopportunitytolearnaboutKoreancultureindepthly!

Regardlessofwhoyouareandwhereyoucomefrom-aK-Pop/K-Dramafanatic,anexpatlivinginKorea,astudentwhojustgotacceptedtostudyabroadinKorea(congrats!),orevenasecond-generationGyopofromtheKoreandiaspora,younolongerhavetostaypuzzledandirritatedbynotbeingabletounderstandthepeculiaritiesyoufindinKoreaoverall!Thisbookisjam-packedwithover350essentialtopicsandmostfrequentlyaskedquestionsthatarehand-pickedfrom27categories,coveringvirtuallyeveryaspectofKoreanculturebylayingoutallthedetailsonthe“FiveWs(Who,What,When,Where,Why)andHow.”Afterreading,youcanfullyunderstandKoreaandappreciateitscultureinsideandout

Bythetimeyou’vefinishedthelastchapter,youwillhavelearnedsomuchaboutKorea,includingalltheminutedetails!(E.g.,WhydoKoreanslovesittingonthefloor?Whyisitrudetopourdrinkswithonehand?)
Anaddedbonus(perhapsthemostimportantone)isthatKoreandramas,movies,andK-Popmusicvideosandlyricswillmeansomuchmorethenexttimeyouseethem(Hey,youwillhavetheabilitytoaccuratelyidentifyalltheKoreandramacliches)!SonexttimeyouhangoutwithaKoreanfriend,youcanflauntyourknowledgebytellingthemwhyyouhittheneckofthebottlewithaTaekwondochopwhenopeningit(don’tforgettoturnyourbodyawaywhendrinkingwithanolderperson).Oh,andifsomeonecomplimentsyouforhavinga“Smallface,”youwillcorrectlyrespondbysaying“Thankyou.”Nowlet’sstartthisbookwithanexampleof“BbaliBbali”culture-hurryupandstartreading!!