| Understanding Korean Dramas Part 1 |
| Ahn Jae Wook, a very popular Korean actor |
Korean dramas are fun to watch.
However, sometimes there are cultural
differences that prevent non-Koreans from
fully understanding what is happening in the
drama. This website is intended to expose
non-Koreans to Korean culture so that
they can enjoy Korean dramas more.
NAMES
Koreans write their surname (family name)
first, followed by their given name. No
comma is used to separate the surname
from the given name.
Most Korean surnames consist of just one
syllable, but a few contain two syllables
(for example, Sun Woo). The top ten
Korean surnames are: Kim, Lee
(Yi/Rhee), Park (Pak), Choi (Choe), Jung
(Jeong/Chung), Kang (Gang), Jo (Cho),
Yoon (Yun), Jang (Chang) and Im
(Yim/Lim). Other popular Korean
surnames include: Ahn (An), Han, Go
(Ko), Goo (Ku), Oh, Noh, Shin, and Yoo
(Yu).
Korean given names usually consist of two
syllables, which may be hyphenated when
romanized. The given names for male
members usually have one syllable which is
the same syllable used by all male members
of that generation in that family. For
example, in the Korean drama "More than
Words Can Say," the names of the three
sons were Jang-su, Tae-su and Min-su.
Korean women retain their maiden
surname after they get married. They do
not use their husband's surname since
family surnames are reserved only for
people with blood ties.
People with the same surname who come
from the same ancestral hometown are not
allowed to marry each other. This is
because they are considered family
members, even if they are only distantly
related. Consequently, when people are
attracted to a person with the same
surname, they typically will ask for that
person's ancestral hometown right away.
Children usually use the surname of their
father.
Many Koreans will insist that they be called
by only their surname until they get to know
you better. This can lead to confusion
since more than 20% of the Korean
population have Kim as their surname and
15% of the population uses the surname
Lee. So if you call for a person named
"Kim" in a crowd, many people will think
you are calling them.
SONS
As highlighted in "Mothers and Sisters,"
sons are more desirable than daughters in a
traditional Korean family. If the family has
more than one son, the oldest son is
expected to take care of his parents when
they age. Sons are also expected to
produce grandsons to carry on the family
name to the next generation. Daughters, on
the other hand, are valued less since they
become part of their husband's family and
are required to serve their husband's
parents once they get married.
In real life, however, parents are becoming
more concerned with the health of their
newborn child, rather than the sex of the
child. Whether they have a baby boy or
girl, most parents are happy if the baby is
healthy. Also, in real life, many daughters
still care for their own elderly parents even
after they get married. So Korean parents
are finding out that daughters are just as
valuable as sons.
PROPER ETIQUETTE
Respect must be shown to elders.
Younger people do not address older
people by their given names. For example,
a girl addresses her older brother as "oppa"
and older sister as "onni," but may address
her younger brother or sister by their given
names. A boy addresses his older brother
as "hyong" and his older sister as "nuna."
In an episode of "Mothers and Sisters,"
Kyong-bin (the #4 child in the family) was
scolded by his mother for calling his older
sister (the #3 child) by her given name.
The next time you watch a subtitled drama,
listen for when a younger sibling calls an
older sibling. The subtitles will show the
given name of the older sibling but you will
hear oppa, onni, hyong or nuna being said
instead.
Girls sometimes call their boyfriends "oppa."
When identifying a person's position in the
family, a woman is identified according to
her relationship to the dominant male in the
family. For example, in "Mothers and
Sisters," the women are introduced to
others according to their relationship to
Kyong-bin. For example, Yeo-kyong is
Kyong-bin's sister, the sister-in-law of
Kyong-bin's mother was introduced as
Kyong-bin's aunt, and Seung-lee was
referred to as Kyong-bin's twin.
Showing disrespect for elders on TV is
considered very bad for Korean society.
In August 2005, KBS was punished by the
Korean Broadcasting Commission for
airing a scene in a drama in which a
daughter-in-law slapped her mother-in-law
in the face.
Direct eye-to-eye contact when talking is
considered rude and impolite. Notice that
when Joon-hwi talked with his father in
episode #2 of "Pretty Lady," he avoided
looking his father in the eye even though he
disagreed with what his father was saying.
Since age is important in determining
hierarchy, it is not uncommon to ask
someone their age when they are about the
same age as you.
Kissing in public is not as common in
Korea as it is in the U.S. In many of the
older dramas, when a couple kisses, it
usually means the relationship is very
serious and will likely lead to marriage.
When receiving or passing something to
another person, good manners dictate using
two hands instead of just one hand. For
example, when tea or soju is poured, the
person who does the pouring uses two
hands and likewise, the person holding the
cup holds the cup with two hands. Also,
when a younger person drinks with an
older person, it is good manners for the
younger person to turn to the side so as not
to face the older person while drinking.
You may also notice that if the younger
person is drinking with his right hand, he
will place his left hand on the right side of
his body under his right arm. I've been told
that this custom originated in the olden days
when Korean clothing had very wide long
sleeves that draped down when the arms
were raised. To avoid having the sleeve
get in the way while drinking, the left arm
would swing to the right to hold the right
sleeve in place while the right arm is used
to drink.
For recommended books about Korean
culture, customs, traditions, etc., click here.
However, sometimes there are cultural
differences that prevent non-Koreans from
fully understanding what is happening in the
drama. This website is intended to expose
non-Koreans to Korean culture so that
they can enjoy Korean dramas more.
NAMES
Koreans write their surname (family name)
first, followed by their given name. No
comma is used to separate the surname
from the given name.
Most Korean surnames consist of just one
syllable, but a few contain two syllables
(for example, Sun Woo). The top ten
Korean surnames are: Kim, Lee
(Yi/Rhee), Park (Pak), Choi (Choe), Jung
(Jeong/Chung), Kang (Gang), Jo (Cho),
Yoon (Yun), Jang (Chang) and Im
(Yim/Lim). Other popular Korean
surnames include: Ahn (An), Han, Go
(Ko), Goo (Ku), Oh, Noh, Shin, and Yoo
(Yu).
Korean given names usually consist of two
syllables, which may be hyphenated when
romanized. The given names for male
members usually have one syllable which is
the same syllable used by all male members
of that generation in that family. For
example, in the Korean drama "More than
Words Can Say," the names of the three
sons were Jang-su, Tae-su and Min-su.
Korean women retain their maiden
surname after they get married. They do
not use their husband's surname since
family surnames are reserved only for
people with blood ties.
People with the same surname who come
from the same ancestral hometown are not
allowed to marry each other. This is
because they are considered family
members, even if they are only distantly
related. Consequently, when people are
attracted to a person with the same
surname, they typically will ask for that
person's ancestral hometown right away.
Children usually use the surname of their
father.
Many Koreans will insist that they be called
by only their surname until they get to know
you better. This can lead to confusion
since more than 20% of the Korean
population have Kim as their surname and
15% of the population uses the surname
Lee. So if you call for a person named
"Kim" in a crowd, many people will think
you are calling them.
SONS
As highlighted in "Mothers and Sisters,"
sons are more desirable than daughters in a
traditional Korean family. If the family has
more than one son, the oldest son is
expected to take care of his parents when
they age. Sons are also expected to
produce grandsons to carry on the family
name to the next generation. Daughters, on
the other hand, are valued less since they
become part of their husband's family and
are required to serve their husband's
parents once they get married.
In real life, however, parents are becoming
more concerned with the health of their
newborn child, rather than the sex of the
child. Whether they have a baby boy or
girl, most parents are happy if the baby is
healthy. Also, in real life, many daughters
still care for their own elderly parents even
after they get married. So Korean parents
are finding out that daughters are just as
valuable as sons.
PROPER ETIQUETTE
Respect must be shown to elders.
Younger people do not address older
people by their given names. For example,
a girl addresses her older brother as "oppa"
and older sister as "onni," but may address
her younger brother or sister by their given
names. A boy addresses his older brother
as "hyong" and his older sister as "nuna."
In an episode of "Mothers and Sisters,"
Kyong-bin (the #4 child in the family) was
scolded by his mother for calling his older
sister (the #3 child) by her given name.
The next time you watch a subtitled drama,
listen for when a younger sibling calls an
older sibling. The subtitles will show the
given name of the older sibling but you will
hear oppa, onni, hyong or nuna being said
instead.
Girls sometimes call their boyfriends "oppa."
When identifying a person's position in the
family, a woman is identified according to
her relationship to the dominant male in the
family. For example, in "Mothers and
Sisters," the women are introduced to
others according to their relationship to
Kyong-bin. For example, Yeo-kyong is
Kyong-bin's sister, the sister-in-law of
Kyong-bin's mother was introduced as
Kyong-bin's aunt, and Seung-lee was
referred to as Kyong-bin's twin.
Showing disrespect for elders on TV is
considered very bad for Korean society.
In August 2005, KBS was punished by the
Korean Broadcasting Commission for
airing a scene in a drama in which a
daughter-in-law slapped her mother-in-law
in the face.
Direct eye-to-eye contact when talking is
considered rude and impolite. Notice that
when Joon-hwi talked with his father in
episode #2 of "Pretty Lady," he avoided
looking his father in the eye even though he
disagreed with what his father was saying.
Since age is important in determining
hierarchy, it is not uncommon to ask
someone their age when they are about the
same age as you.
Kissing in public is not as common in
Korea as it is in the U.S. In many of the
older dramas, when a couple kisses, it
usually means the relationship is very
serious and will likely lead to marriage.
When receiving or passing something to
another person, good manners dictate using
two hands instead of just one hand. For
example, when tea or soju is poured, the
person who does the pouring uses two
hands and likewise, the person holding the
cup holds the cup with two hands. Also,
when a younger person drinks with an
older person, it is good manners for the
younger person to turn to the side so as not
to face the older person while drinking.
You may also notice that if the younger
person is drinking with his right hand, he
will place his left hand on the right side of
his body under his right arm. I've been told
that this custom originated in the olden days
when Korean clothing had very wide long
sleeves that draped down when the arms
were raised. To avoid having the sleeve
get in the way while drinking, the left arm
would swing to the right to hold the right
sleeve in place while the right arm is used
to drink.
For recommended books about Korean
culture, customs, traditions, etc., click here.
| Copyright 2001 - 2010 KoreanWiz.org All rights reserved. |
FOOD
All Korean meals--breakfast, lunch and
dinner--include rice, kimchi and a variety of
other side dishes, which are all served and
eaten at the same time. You can eat the
foods in any order and in any combination.
The spread is quite elaborate compared to
American standards since variety is very
important.
The rice, either steamed white rice or rice
cooked with grains such as barley and
millet, is served in individual bowls for each
person. The side dishes, on the other
hand, are served family style with everyone
eating directly from a common dish using
their own spoon or chopsticks. Several
varieties of kimchi (pickled vegetable
spiced with chili pepper and garlic) are
provided. Soup is also served at most
meals.
One thing to remember when eating
Korean food is never blow your nose at
the dining table. Doing so is considered
very rude. If the spiciness of Korean food
makes your nose run, excuse yourself from
the table to go to the bathroom to blow
your nose.
Korean meals are eaten with a spoon and
chopsticks which are frequently made of
stainless steel. Unlike other Asians such as
the Chinese and Japanese, Koreans use the
spoon rather than chopsticks to eat rice.
Koreans also do not usually lift the rice
bowl off of the table when they eat.
For recommended books about Korean
food and cooking, click here.
For articles about Korean food, click here.
All Korean meals--breakfast, lunch and
dinner--include rice, kimchi and a variety of
other side dishes, which are all served and
eaten at the same time. You can eat the
foods in any order and in any combination.
The spread is quite elaborate compared to
American standards since variety is very
important.
The rice, either steamed white rice or rice
cooked with grains such as barley and
millet, is served in individual bowls for each
person. The side dishes, on the other
hand, are served family style with everyone
eating directly from a common dish using
their own spoon or chopsticks. Several
varieties of kimchi (pickled vegetable
spiced with chili pepper and garlic) are
provided. Soup is also served at most
meals.
One thing to remember when eating
Korean food is never blow your nose at
the dining table. Doing so is considered
very rude. If the spiciness of Korean food
makes your nose run, excuse yourself from
the table to go to the bathroom to blow
your nose.
Korean meals are eaten with a spoon and
chopsticks which are frequently made of
stainless steel. Unlike other Asians such as
the Chinese and Japanese, Koreans use the
spoon rather than chopsticks to eat rice.
Koreans also do not usually lift the rice
bowl off of the table when they eat.
For recommended books about Korean
food and cooking, click here.
For articles about Korean food, click here.
SOJU
Soju is a sweet Korean liquor made
primarily from potato, with an alcoholic
content of about 20-25%.
Other Korean alcoholic beverages
include makkoli (a rice brew) and
maekju (beer).
RED INK
Red ink is permissible when using a chop
(name seal). Do NOT use red ink when
writing a living person's name, however,
since red is associated with death. Red
ink is used to record a deceased person's
name in the family register and also on
funeral banners to drive off evil spirits.
UNLUCKY NUMBER
Number 4 is an unlucky number for
Koreans since it sounds like the Korean
word for death (sa). For this reason,
some buildings do not have a fourth floor.
If the building does have a fourth floor,
the elevator may show the fourth floor as
"F" instead of "4".
KEY MONEY
One method of renting real property
involves "key money." When renting an
apartment, the tenant pays the landlord
"key money," which is something like a
large security deposit, for the landlord to
invest. The landlord keeps the
investment income instead of receiving
monthly rent from the tenant. When the
tenant moves out, the landlord returns all
of the key money to the tenant. That is
why, in the drama "Pretty Lady," when
Suri moved out of her apartment after her
mother died, she received a large amount
of money which she dutifully turned over
to her father and step-mother when she
moved in with them.
Soju is a sweet Korean liquor made
primarily from potato, with an alcoholic
content of about 20-25%.
Other Korean alcoholic beverages
include makkoli (a rice brew) and
maekju (beer).
RED INK
Red ink is permissible when using a chop
(name seal). Do NOT use red ink when
writing a living person's name, however,
since red is associated with death. Red
ink is used to record a deceased person's
name in the family register and also on
funeral banners to drive off evil spirits.
UNLUCKY NUMBER
Number 4 is an unlucky number for
Koreans since it sounds like the Korean
word for death (sa). For this reason,
some buildings do not have a fourth floor.
If the building does have a fourth floor,
the elevator may show the fourth floor as
"F" instead of "4".
KEY MONEY
One method of renting real property
involves "key money." When renting an
apartment, the tenant pays the landlord
"key money," which is something like a
large security deposit, for the landlord to
invest. The landlord keeps the
investment income instead of receiving
monthly rent from the tenant. When the
tenant moves out, the landlord returns all
of the key money to the tenant. That is
why, in the drama "Pretty Lady," when
Suri moved out of her apartment after her
mother died, she received a large amount
of money which she dutifully turned over
to her father and step-mother when she
moved in with them.
