South Korea: History, Facts and Culture

South Korea is a developed country in East Asia with a population of 51 million people. It is located on the Korean Peninsula with a capital in Seoul, the 5 th largest megapolis in the world. Having a rich history that has started in the 7 th century, along with rapid modernization in the last few decades, the country has developed a unique culture that blends traditional and modern elements. I would like to briefly discuss South Korean history and then delve into some of the cultural features that led to South Korea being one of the most prosperous countries in the world.

South Korea was not an independent country until the Korean War that lasted from 1950 to 1953, which resulted in the Korean Peninsula being divided into North and South Korea. Throughout its history, South Korea was a part of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, which were united later and ruled by Goryeo and Joseon dynasties of emperors. In 1910 Korea was colonized by Japan and was only freed after World War II when the tension between North and South of Korea started to escalate., The end of authoritarian rule in 1987 established the country as a thriving democratic republic (Central Intelligence Agency, 2020). The economic growth of the country has been steady since then.

The Korean entertainment industry is one of the most influential ones the world. The so-called Korean Wave which has started in the 90s, after Korea became a democracy, signified the rise of Korean cinema, TV, and music. South Korea has been successfully exporting its national goods abroad and making a profit. By now, there are very few people who do not know about K-pop. The first time K-pop won over the whole world was when a Korean artist PSY released his song “Gangnam Style,” which held the first place in the charts for a long time. Now we are witnessing the second coming of K-pop, as the obsession over the groups, such as BTS and BLACKPINK takes the Western world by storm. K-pop industry is centered on making as much money as it can while producing cheap content, so the stream of new music is endless. The music business has also helped South Korea battle the stereotypes about it in recent years, further establishing it as a progressive country in the eyes of the public from around the world.

Another part of the Korean Wave is its TV shows. Even though this type of media has not gained worldwide popularity as K-pop did, Korean television defines the preferences of the whole Asian region, mainly distributing its product there (Ganghariya & Kanozia, 2020). Korean cinema, on the other hand, had a breakthrough in the last few decades, which led to Parasite becoming the first foreign film to win an Oscar. Directors such as Bong Joon-ho and Pak Chan-wook are now very well-known abroad and some Korean films, for example, Oldboy and Train to Busan , have earned cult status.

Korea is also famous for its food and especially for kimchi, a side dish of salted vegetables, that has become the country’s signature specialty. Korea was an isolated country, and it was hard to trade with it, so Koreans got their food from fishing and hunting, and preserving food was always their main priority. Isolation also caused the cuisine to be very simple, as there was no input from neighboring countries (Patra et al., 2016). Kimchi embodies just that – it is simple and can be stored for a very long time.

In conclusion, South Korea has only become independent less than a hundred years ago, but it managed to have a renaissance in the recent decades, developing new cultural staples and preserving the ones that Koreans kept for thousands of years.

Central Intelligence Agency. (2020). East Asia/Southeast Asia: Korea, South . Web.

Ganghariya, G. & Kanozia, R. (2020). Proliferation of Hallyu wave and Korean popular culture across the world: A systematic literature review from 2000–2019. Journal of Content, Community & Communication , 11 , 177–207. Web.

Patra, J. K., Das, G., Paramithiotis, S., & Shin, H. S. (2016). Kimchi and other widely consumed traditional fermented foods of Korea: A review. Frontiers in Microbiology , 7 , 1493.

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StudyCorgi. (2022, January 27). South Korea: History, Facts and Culture. https://studycorgi.com/south-korea-history-facts-and-culture/

"South Korea: History, Facts and Culture." StudyCorgi , 27 Jan. 2022, studycorgi.com/south-korea-history-facts-and-culture/.

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1. StudyCorgi . "South Korea: History, Facts and Culture." January 27, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/south-korea-history-facts-and-culture/.

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Essay about South Korea

South Korea is best known for their green hilly mountains, the vast countryside, and even the beautiful cherry trees that grow all over the place but there is a lot more to South Korea that meets the eye. 

South Korea is located 35.9078° N, 127.7669° E on the globe, it is part of Asia. Some of the characteristics of the land of South Korea is they have mountains running along the eastern coastline that goes to North Korea, these mountains are called the T’aebaek Mountains. They also have the Sobaek Mountains which is in the center of the country. There is a famous river called the Han river which played a big part in South Korea’s history. The Han river was used as a trade route to China. South Korea’s climate is hot and humid in the summers, and dry and cold in the winters. The rainfall for the mainland of the country is 35-60 inches annually and for the island of Cheju (Jeju) is 60-70 inches annually. Cheju Island is a volcanic Island that is right underneath South Korea close to Japan. South Korea and Japan live across the Japan Sea from each other. But sharing the same sea causes issues on either side. 

Right now in South Korea they are protesting Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant because they want to dump their nuclear waste into the water. According to Al Jazeera News “South Korean President Moon Jae-in has ordered officials to explore petitioning an international court”, even the president wants to try to petition Japan out of dumping nuclear waste into the water. Japan said they are going to release more than 1 million tons of cantainmented water into the sea. “South Korea protested strongly against the decision, summoning Koichi Aiboshi, Tokyo’s ambassador in Seoul, and convening an intra-agency emergency meeting to craft its response.” (Chan Lee, 1). South Korea is protesting very hard to not have Japan dump the water because they are sharing the same water across the sea. 

A chain of protest against Japan's nuclear water dump happened on April 14th by politicians, fisherman, environmental activists and even local officials joined in the protest. They protested in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul, port city of Busan, and Cheju Island. One of the ways people protested in front of the Japanese embassy was when a group of South Korean University students decided to shave their heads right on the sidewalk. Several anti-nuclear and environmental groups sent a petition signed by more than 64,000 people to the Japanese embassy. 

If Japan decides to go through with dumping the nuclear waste into the sea it can do a lot of damage not just for South Korea but other countries neighboring the sea. It could potentially ruin the ecosystem by these regions. Especially South Korea because it can have an effect on the city of Busan which is a big fishing town. With dumpin the nuclear waste it can ruin the fish in the water and make it so people can't catch or sell fish. Busan has the biggest and the most famous fish market in the world (Jagalchi Market). If the 1 million tons of muscular waste ends up getting dumped into the sea it will cause tons of business to suffer, just one is the Jagalchi Market. Tons of vendors sell fish there lots of people won't be able to fish anymore and it will ruin what South Korea built in Busan.

South Korea is a big tourist attraction not just with one of the biggest fish markets in the world but its scenery and culture strike an attraction to most people. With the problems this region is facing now it could be devastating for its economy. South Korea doesn't want to damage its reputation by the hands of Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant. It would not only harm South Korea but it would also harm Russia, China, and even Japan itself.  Hopefully realizing what they are doing can cause a lot of damage.

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Narrative Essay: My Trip to South Korea

I had always wanted to visit South Korea and I recently had the chance to spend a week in this amazing country. Unlike its northern neighbor which is pretty much closed to visitors, South Korea is a welcoming and hospitable country. It is an interesting place with a unique culture and a highly developing economy.

I flew into the capital Seoul. On arrival in the city, it was the marked contrast between modern skyscrapers and high design shopping malls and shanty towns that was immediately striking. Wide streets lined by fancy boutiques lead to a labyrinth of narrow alleyways with tiny traditional shops and eateries and there is a clutch of great tourist attractions.

My tour itinerary began on Seoul’s main boulevard, Sejongro, because I wanted to see the Royal Palace (Gyeongbok), the President’s residence, known as Cheongwadae or the Blue House, and the American Embassy. From here it’s a fairly short walk to Bukchon where there is the city’s largest collection of privately owned traditional wooden houses. It’s a charm with beautiful architecture and small courtyards, with the houses interspersed with quaint cafes and art galleries.

Taking the same route the next day, I took a trip into the mountains that peak behind the President’s House, and climbed the one known as Bugaksan. This affords the opportunity to pass through the Sukjeongmun Gate and through the city’s ancient fortress wall. From here the Seoul Fortress is easily accessible and there are also amazing views of Seoul.

Shopping in the Orient is an amazing experience so I made sure to pay a visit to the Shinsegae downtown department store. This huge emporium sells probably everything you can imagine and is a complete charm in the way the bottom floors sell all the basic staples of daily life – including the ubiquitous kimchee (fermented cabbage) and are frequented by Korean housewives while the upper floors cater to the well-heeled and brand conscious. As fascinating as it is, the new rooftop garden is a welcome respite. But, if you are going to shop in Seoul, it’s a must to visit the street stalls and hawkers of the Namdaemum Market where the wares seem to be spread out in a blanket of never-ending stalls. Be prepared to be seriously jostled by the crowds, but it’s also the chance to feast on the best street food.

One of the most surprising sights and a rue delight is the Cheonggyecheon Stream. Running for just under 4 miles through the city, the stream is remarkably quiet given its location, because it is 15 foot below street level. The serene setting, accentuated by waterfalls and bridge is a favorite strolling spot for romantic couples.

With a flying visit to Itaewon, the popular ex-pat neighborhood near to the main US army base, my time in Seoul came to an end. I was enthralled and captivated and hope I get to return one day.

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South Korea- My Favourite Destination.

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“Wanderlust: A Strong Desire to Wander or Travel and Explore the World.” What makes a place or a country an ideal destination? Is it the scenery, the monuments, the people or the culture? Maybe all of it plays an important role in making a country or a place an ideal destination or even, a destination as a matter of fact. A destination is a place which is worth making a special journey for. Keeping the things said in mind, my ideal/favourite destination is South Korea.

South Korea, officially theRepublic of Korea(ROK), is a country in East Asia , constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula . Its capital, Seoul , is a major global city and half of South Korea's 51 million people live in the Seoul Capital Area , the fourth largest metropolitan economy in the world. South Korea is a highly developed country and the world's 11th largest economy by nominal GDP .Its citizens enjoy the world's fastest Internet connection speeds and the longest years of tertiary education in the world,along with the world's second most equal access to quality healthcare,resulting in the third highest health adjusted life expectancy in the world.South Korea is a global leader in many technology and innovation driven fields, being the world's 5th largest exporter and 8th largest importer . Since 2014, South Korea has been named the world's most innovative country by the Bloomberg Innovation Index for 6 consecutive years.

Apart from all this, the tourist places are the best part of this country. The dazzling capital city will impress you with its dizzying mix of modern architecture, party vibes, pop culture, beautiful parks & glittering promenades. Vibrant Seoul is not just a buzzing urban hub but also rich in history and culture. With gorgeous palaces, chic restaurants and stylish boutiques, Seoul is charming all the way. The National Museum and War Memorial take you through the history of the country, while the cool shopping district of Gangnam gives you a taste of the city’s ritzy side. The Jeju Island, The Korean Demilitarized Zone, the Dadohaehaesang National Park and the Andong Hahoe Folk Village are some of the major tourist attractions that the country has to offer. Foodies can relish the sea food spread at the numerous restaurants and enjoy local delicacies at the ubiquitous street food stalls spread across the whole country. South Korea is a perfectly balanced country with its new and the old elements of the world.

It is rich in the new technology and also preserves its past with respect and glory. South Korea is a country that works for a newer, better and a more hospitable destination for the people belonging to different parts of the globe.

In the end I would say that “South Korea has it all to make it to anyone’s ideal destination”.

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Essay on How South Korea Inspires Me

How would you write an essay on the beauty of South Korea , a country to inspire others for development. Read the sample essays given below to know about Korean cuisine, music, architecture and other specialities. The achievements of South Korea are so inspiring. Can we draw any similarities between India and Korea? What can Indians learn from South Korea? How will I introduce South Korea to my friends?

How South Korea Inspires me Essay1

South Korea is a new star shining in the sky of the wealthiest countries of the world. I came to know about this wonderful country when our Prime Minister Narender Modi visited Seoul, the capital of South Korea to receive the prestigious Seoul Peace Prize 2019.

Unlike India, South Korea is not blessed with natural resources. Still, it is the 5 th largest exporter in the world. I admire South Korea for developing into a fully liberal democracy even after experiencing a series of military dictatorships from the 1960s until the 1980s.

It is very inspiring to know how South Korea managed to board this fast-paced train of development taking along its culture and values. My country India has a diverse culture, but that is holding India back in the race of progress. I want to learn from Korea how they maintain a balance between the two.

Besides South Korea’s economic progress its beauty and fashion industry is a source of inspiration for thousands of teenagers like me. The shiny and scarless faces of the fashion icons attract me to explore their world-famed cosmetic industry.

The traditional food and preparation techniques of Korean food are the main driving force behind their healthy body and energetic mind. Kimchi is served at almost every meal. These fermented vegetables save them from falling ill and allow them to concentrate their energy on constructive projects. I wish to visit Korea and relish their traditional as well as street food.

K.Dramas and K.Pop proved once again that ‘music knows no bounds’. The reason behind the number one position of BTS in 91 countries (including India) is that it covers subjects like bullying, elitism and mental health. It depicts the broad spectrum of their mind.

It was thrilling to watch BTS as the first K-Pop group addressing the United Nations. South Korean children enjoy the highest speed of the internet in their country. UN Child Flourishing Index 2020 declared South Korea as the second-best country in the world to raise kids due to good healthcare and education.

The recently built Dongdaemun Design Plaza is a major architectural development landmark in Seoul. Technological innovations of South Korea are world-famous under the big names- Samsung, LG, Hyundai, and Kia. I feel a country becomes self-reliant only with the support of proper infrastructure which is the prime focus of the Korean government.

South Korea inspires me in many interesting ways and I want to experience it firsthand whenever I can. We can learn a lot together by organising cultural exchange programmes at the school and college levels. India can proudly boast a lot of achievements which Koreans will certainly love to talk about.

How South Korea Inspires me Essay2

South Korea – the name brings up a variety of images and connections in my daily life. Likewise, there are many diverse ways in which this amazing country inspires me.

One of my biggest inspirations is that a nation that got independence after India is now producing so many products being used daily by Indians. Be it mobile phones, household electronic products or cars, South Korean products are omnipresent.

Starting as a war-torn and poor nation, South Korea decided to focus on exports and transformed itself into a developed nation at a fast pace. The per capita GDP of South Korea is almost 16.5 times that of India and it is the world’s 6th largest exporter. The technological prowess of South Korea can be gauged by the fact that it remained the world’s most innovative country in the Bloomberg Innovation Index for the sixth consecutive year in 2019.

What inspires me next is the quality of South Koreans to keep their culture and traditions alive while embracing the latest technology, fast economic growth and modern lifestyle. Koreans continue to give due importance to their customs and language. An inspiring example of this is the stellar international performance of the Korean movie, Parasite.

South Koreans are among the best in the world in terms of presenting and exporting their cultural products like K-Dramas and K-Pop. Korean stars from both these fields have now adored the world over. The number of fans of these stars is in hundreds of thousands. Some of them are strong advocates of the Sustainable Development Goals and Universal Human Rights endorsed by the United Nations.  BTS has appeared in Time’s 100 most influential people in the world.

I am also inspired by the historical similarities between India and Korea. Korea also has had an illustrious history which is well preserved through various magnificent monuments like the Palaces (Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace), Hanok Villages, Fortresses, Gates and Temples (Bongeunsa Temple, Jogyesa temple). Koreans also had to struggle against the rule of imperial power and fight for independence. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore was impressed by their freedom struggle and wrote a poem in their honour. More than 2000 years ago a princess from Ayodhya went to Korea and married the King of Gaya. Now almost 11% of the Korean population are her descendants. This is such an inspiring connection between us and the Koreans.

I am also inspired by the achievements of South Korea in world sports. It has consistently been among the top ten medal winners in many past Olympics. Taekwondo, the famous martial art was born in Korea and is its national sport.

To win so many medals, Koreans stay fit and to stay fit, they rely on their cuisine. Korean cuisine is quite interesting and getting more popular in India and the world. Almost all foodies have eaten Kimchi the most common Korean dish.

In conclusion, South Korea inspires me in many interesting ways and I want to experience it firsthand whenever I can.

Disclaimer: These are sample essays posted on the official website of koreaindiaessay.com for the Korea-India Essay Competition. We have published it here to help students.

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Korean War: History, Causes, and Effects Essay

Introduction, causes of korean war, the causes of korean war are generally, course of the conflict, effect of korean war to american foreign policy.

Bibliography

The Korean War which is termed as the forgotten war was a military conflict that started in June 1950 between North Korean who were supported by peoples republic of China backed by Soviet Union and South Korean with support from the United Nations and the American forces.

The war was an episode of cold war where by the United States of America and Russia were fighting ideologically behind the scenes by using South and North Korea as their battle zone. After the world war two, British and American forces set a pro-western government in the southern part of Korean Peninsula while the Soviet Union initiated a communist rule in the North. The net effect of these ideological differences was the Korean War.

The causes of the Korean War can be examined in two facets

  • Ideological

Politically, the Soviet Union wanted Korea to be loyal to Russia .This was because Korea was seen as a springboard that would be used to initiate an attack on Russia. Korean being loyal to Russia was a strategy to prevent future aggression.

The major cause of the war however, was difference in ideology between South and North Korea with Russia and America behind the scene. The two Korean zones established two separate governments with different ideologies. This were the major event that initiated the conflict In Korea.

American and Soviet military occupation in North and South Korea.

The American and Soviet forces occupation in Korea divided the country on ideological basis. These differences resulted to the formation of 38 th parallel which was a border between South and North Korea. This boarder increasingly became politically contested by the two functions and attracted cross boarder raids. The situation became even worse when these cross border skirmishes escalated to open warfare when North Korean army attacked South Korea on June 1950.The two super power majorly the American and Soviet Union acted by providing support and war equipment’s to the two conflicting sides.

Role of the America and Soviet Union in armament and military support to South and NorthKorea.

The Russians backed the communist regime in North Korea with the help of Kim Il-Sung and established North Korean Peoples Army which was equipped by Russian made war equipments. In South Korea, American backed government benefited from training and support from the Americans army.

Military and strategic imbalance between North and South Korea

The America and Russia failure to withdraw their troops by the late 1948, led to tensions between the two sides. By 1949, the American had started to withdraw its troops but the Russian troops still remained in North Korea considering that Korea lay as its strategic base.

This was followed by invasion of South Korea by the North Korean army because of the military imbalance that existed in the region. This forced the American to return back and give reinforcement to South Korea which was by then over ran by North Korean Army in support of the Russian troops.

Korea, a formally a Japanese colony before the end of the Second World War, changed hands to allied powers after the defeat of Japan in the year 1948. The Americans occupied the southern part of Korea while the Soviet occupied the Northern region. Korea by this time was divided along 38 th parallel which demarked the boarder of the two governments.38 th parallel was an area of 2.5-mile that was a demilitarized zone between north and South Korea.

In June 1950, the North Korean people army attacked South Korea by crossing 38 th parallel. On June 28 th the same year Rhee who was the then leader of South Korean evacuated Seoul and ordered the bombardment of bridge across Han River to prevent North Korean forces from advancing south wards.

The inversion of South Korea forced Americans to intervene and on June 25 th 1950, United Nations in support of South Korea, jointly condemned North Korea’s action to invade the South. USSR challenged the decision and claimed that the Security Council resolution was based on the American intelligence and North Korea was not invited to the Security Council meeting which was a violation of the U.N. charter article 32.

North Korea continued its offensive utilizing both air and land invasion by use of about 231,000 military personnel. This offensive was successful in capturing significant southern territories such as Kaesong, Ongjin, chuncheon and Uijeonghu.

In this expedition, the North Korea people’s army used heavy military equipment such as 105T-34 and T-85 tanks, 150 Yak fighters and 200 artillery pieces. The South Korean forces were ill prepared for such offensive and within days they were overran by the advancing Northern army. Most of Southern forces either surrendered or joined the Northern Korean army.

In response to this aggression, the then American president Henry Truman gave an order to general Mac Arthur who was stationed in Japan to transfer the troops in Japan to combat in Korea.

The battle of Osan was the first involvement of the American army in the Korean war. The war involved a task force comprised of 540 infantry men from 24 th infantry division on July 5 th 1950.

This task force was unsuccessful in its campaign to repel the North Korean army and instead suffered a casualty of 180 soldiers of whom were either dead, wounded or taken prisoner. The task force lacked effective military equipment to fight the North Koreans T-34 and T-85 tanks. The American 24 th division suffered heavy loses and were pushed back to Taejeon.

Between August and September 1950, there was a significant escalation of conflict in Korea. This was the start of the battle of Pusan perimeter. At this battle, the American forces attempted to recapture then taken territories by the North Korean army. The United States Air force slowed North Korean advances by destroying 32 bridges.

The intense bombardment by the United States air force, made North Korean Units to fight during the nights and hide in ground tunnels during the day. The U.S. army destroyed transportation hubs and other key logistic positions which paralyzed North Korean advances.

Between October and December 1950, the Chinese entered the war on the side of the North Koreans. The United States seventh fleet was dispatched to protect Taiwan from people’s Republic of China under Mao Zedong. In 15 th October 1950, Charlie Company and 70 th Tank battalion Captured Namchonjam city and two days later Pyongyang which was the Capital of North Korea fell to the American 1 st cavalry division.

The first major offensive by China took place on 25 October by attacking the advancing U.N. forces at Sino-Korean border. Fighting on 38 th parallel happened between January and June 1951 when the U.N. command forces were ambushed by Chinese troops. The U.N. forces retreated to Suwon in the west.

On July 10 th 1951, there was a stalemate between the two warring sides which led to armistice being negotiated. The negotiation went on for the next two years. The armistice deal was reached with formation of Korean demilitarized zone ending the war. Both sides withdrew for their combat position. The U.N. was given the mandate to see a peaceful and fair resolution of the conflict in the effort to end the war. The war resulted to about 1,187,682 deaths and unprecedented destruction of property [2] .

The Korean War on the side of Americans perpetuated the Truman’s doctrine which was of the opinion that Russia was trying to influence the world with forceful communist ideology and therefore the United States of America would help any country that was under threat of communist.

The Korean conflict also brought into focus in future efforts to win communism from spreading allover the world. The United States realized that the best solution to stop the spreading of communism ideology was to be military in nature. The war also made America to recognize China as a powerful military might in Asia. Future diplomatic actions would need to take into account Chinas potential might [3] .

After the war, military assistance was provided to Philippine government, French Indochina and Taiwan with the motive to contain the spread of communism in Asia. This military assistance would extend also in Europe to country under communist threat of occupation.

Feldman, Tenzerh. The Korean war . Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century Books, 2004.

Fitzgerald, Brian. The Korean war: American’s forgotten wa r. Minneapolis: Compass Point Books, 2006.

Stueck, William. The Korean war : An international history. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1997.

  • William, Stueck. The Korean war : An international history. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1997.
  • Brian, Fitzgerald. The Korean war: American’s forgotten wa r. Minneapolis: Compass Point Books, 2006.
  • Tenzerh, Feldman. The Korean war . Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century Books, 2004.
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  • Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, April 1). Korean War: History, Causes, and Effects. https://ivypanda.com/essays/lees-korean-war/

"Korean War: History, Causes, and Effects." IvyPanda , 1 Apr. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/lees-korean-war/.

IvyPanda . (2024) 'Korean War: History, Causes, and Effects'. 1 April.

IvyPanda . 2024. "Korean War: History, Causes, and Effects." April 1, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/lees-korean-war/.

1. IvyPanda . "Korean War: History, Causes, and Effects." April 1, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/lees-korean-war/.

IvyPanda . "Korean War: History, Causes, and Effects." April 1, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/lees-korean-war/.

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Essay on Korean Culture

Students are often asked to write an essay on Korean Culture in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Korean Culture

Traditional clothing.

In Korea, the beautiful and colorful traditional dress is called hanbok. People wear it on special occasions like festivals and weddings. The hanbok has bright colors and simple lines without pockets. The dress is a symbol of Korean culture and is becoming popular again.

Delicious Food

Korean food is famous worldwide, especially dishes like kimchi, which is spicy fermented cabbage. Meals often include rice, vegetables, and meat. Korean barbecue is a favorite, where people cook meat right at the table and share with friends.

Popular Music and Drama

K-pop, short for Korean pop music, is a global sensation with bands like BTS and Blackpink. Korean dramas, or K-dramas, are TV shows that have captured hearts around the world with their interesting stories and emotions.

Important Holidays

Korea has unique holidays like Chuseok, which is like Thanksgiving. Families come together, eat special food, and remember their ancestors. Another holiday is Seollal, the Lunar New Year, when families celebrate with traditional games and food.

Respect for Elders

Respecting older people is a big part of Korean culture. Young people bow to their elders as a greeting and use polite language. This respect is shown at home, in school, and even in business.

250 Words Essay on Korean Culture

Introduction to korean culture.

Korean culture is a rich tapestry that combines traditional customs with modern life. It has a long history, and today, it is known worldwide because of music, movies, and food.

Traditional Korean Clothing

One of the first things you might think of is the hanbok, a traditional Korean dress. It’s colorful and worn on special days like festivals and weddings. The hanbok shows the beauty of Korean fashion from a long time ago.

Korean Food

Korean food is famous for being both tasty and healthy. Dishes like kimchi, which is spicy fermented cabbage, and bibimbap, a bowl with rice, vegetables, and often meat, are popular. Meals in Korea are usually shared, showing the importance of community in Korean culture.

Music and Drama

K-pop music is a huge part of Korean culture that has fans all over the world. Korean dramas, or K-dramas, are TV shows that many people love to watch. They tell stories about love, family, and sometimes even history.

Respect and Family

In Korea, respect for others, especially older people, is very important. Family is at the heart of Korean life, and big family gatherings are common for celebrations and holidays.

Korean culture is a blend of old traditions and new trends that attract people from everywhere. It’s a culture that values beauty, togetherness, and respect, making it unique and fascinating.

500 Words Essay on Korean Culture

Korean culture is a rich tapestry woven with history, traditions, and modern influences. It comes from a country called South Korea, located in East Asia. This culture is known for its colorful festivals, delicious food, and famous pop music called K-pop. In this essay, we will explore different parts of Korean culture that make it unique and interesting.

Traditional Clothing: Hanbok

One of the most beautiful parts of Korean culture is its traditional clothing called hanbok. Hanbok has bright colors and simple lines without pockets. The women wear long dresses with short jackets, and men wear baggy pants and a top. People usually wear hanbok on special days like New Year’s Day or family celebrations. When you see hanbok, you can feel the grace and history of Korea.

Korean food is famous for being tasty and healthy. The most well-known dish is kimchi, made from fermented vegetables with a mix of spices. Another popular dish is bibimbap, a bowl of rice with vegetables, meat, a fried egg, and spicy sauce. There’s also Korean barbecue, where you cook meat right at your table. Korean meals often have many small side dishes called banchan, which you share with everyone.

Music and Dance

K-pop is Korean pop music that is loved all over the world. Bands like BTS and Blackpink have many fans who enjoy their music and dance. Traditional Korean music and dance are also important. They tell stories and express emotions. Instruments like the drum, flute, and stringed gayageum create the sounds of Korea’s past.

Festivals and Holidays

Korea has many festivals that celebrate the seasons, history, and traditions. One of the biggest holidays is Chuseok, which is like Thanksgiving. Families come together, eat special food, and remember their ancestors. Another holiday is Seollal, the Korean New Year, when people wear hanbok, play traditional games, and wish each other good luck for the new year.

The Korean language is called Hangul. It was created so that all people could learn to read and write easily. Hangul looks different from English because it has shapes that represent the sounds of the language. Learning a few words in Korean can be fun and help you understand more about the culture.

Respecting older people is a big part of Korean culture. Young people bow to their elders as a sign of respect. In Korea, people also use polite words and actions when they talk to someone older or in a higher position. This shows the value Koreans place on respect and good manners.

Korean culture is a mix of old and new, where ancient traditions meet the modern world. From the beautiful hanbok and tasty food to the exciting music and important family holidays, there is so much to learn and enjoy. By understanding different parts of Korean culture, we can see the beauty in how people live and celebrate life in South Korea.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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an essay about korea

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Home — Essay Samples — Geography & Travel — South Korea — Cultural Diversity in South Korea

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Cultural Diversity in South Korea

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Published: Aug 30, 2022

Words: 1136 | Pages: 2 | 6 min read

  • Yu, W., Lee, C., Lew, Y., Im, H., Hahn, B. (2020, May 21). South Korea. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/place/South-Korea/Plant-and-animal-life
  • Nour, M. (2017, October 09). South Korea: Culture and Tradition. Retrieved from https://www.globalizationpartners.com/2017/10/09/south-korea-culture-and-tradition/
  • Meyer, E. (2014). The culture map: Breaking through the invisible boundaries of global business. Public Affairs.
  • Coleman, G. (n.d.). Korea VS. USA; 10 Biggest Cultural Differences. Retrieved from https://wanderingravens.org/korea-vs-usa-10-cultural-differences/
  • Korea.net. (2020). About Korea - Religion. Retrieved from http://www.korea.net/AboutKorea/Korean-Life/Religion
  • Cultural Atlas. (2020). South Korean Culture. Retrieved from https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/south-korean-culture/south-korean-culture-business-culture

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an essay about korea

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Resolving Tensions Between South Korea and Japan: An Essay Series

South Korea and Japan normalized relations in 1965, but unresolved historical disputes continue to undermine genuine bilateral reconciliation and optimal diplomatic, security and economic cooperation. Past efforts, both between the two countries and trilaterally with the United States, to help improve relations have generally emphasized a “future-oriented” approach that focused on common security and economic interests. However, the lack of a fundamental and permanent resolution to the historical grievances has also meant chronic bilateral unease and periodic flareups of heightened friction.

A Background on Japan-South Korean Relations

The areas of historical tension between South Korea and Japan range widely, including over the name of the body of water separating Japan and the Korean Peninsula (Sea of Japan or East Sea); sovereignty over a group of rocky islets between the two countries (Dokdo/Takeshima); the legality of Japan’s colonization of Korea from 1910-1945; and the treatment of sexual slaves (also known as “comfort women”) by the Japanese imperial military during the wartime period, as well as how the victims’ claims should be compensated and remembered.

These historical grievances often extend into other non-historical disputes, such as Japan’s 2021 decision to release wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and its 2019 tightening of export controls on chemicals necessary for South Korea’s semiconductor industry.

The recent flashpoint for bilateral friction was a 2018 decision by the South Korean Supreme Court requiring two Japanese companies to compensate a group of Korean forced laborers from the wartime period. This decision directly challenged the Japanese government’s view that a 1965 bilateral agreement had settled all claims, including individual laborer claims, “completely and finally.”

Without a fundamental resolution to the historical issues, “future-oriented” bilateral cooperation on diplomatic, security, and economic matters will likely be limited and suboptimal. For the United States in particular, poor relations between its two closest regional allies are not only an irritant but a direct threat to its longstanding aims of developing a network of allies in the region and its present goal of achieving integrated deterrence as part of its Indo-Pacific strategy.

This ongoing USIP essays series seeks to explore new and creative approaches for finding an enduring resolution to Japan-South Korea tensions. USIP’s Northeast Asia program invited subject matter experts to offer a fresh perspective on the challenge by either examining a new approach or a creative take on an existing approach. In particular, the goal was to examine ideas that could have practical policy value for policymakers.

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Tom Le argues that any strategy to achieve reconciliation between Japan and South Korea must take seriously the compounding costs of delayed justice on bilateral relations, and will require extraordinary restitution and investment.

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Beyond the Courts: History-Related Lawsuits and South Korea-Japan Relations

Celeste Arrington explains how litigation related to colonial-era disputes between Japan and South Korea have had impacts beyond the courtroom, and how understanding these effects can help policymakers design solutions to historical disputes that are more likely to gain traction.

Veterans and youths wearing Imperial-era military uniforms march into the Yakusuni Shrine, the Shinto memorial where Class A war criminals are enshrined along with the war dead, in Tokyo on Monday, Aug. 15, 2005. (Ko Sasaki/The New York Times)

How to Address the Racism at the Heart of Japan-South Korea Tensions

Sayaka Chatani examines the origins and prevalence of anti-Korean racism in Japan, the unwitting role that the United States has played in perpetuating anti-Korean prejudice in Japan, and how U.S. actors can help fight such racism and improve the conditions for South Korea-Japan reconciliation.

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Erin Chung examines how the ambiguous legal status of descendants of colonial-era Korean migrants in Japan has spurred anti-Korean sentiment among the far-right in Japan, and how reforms to Japan’s citizenship and immigration policies could help resolve this situation and even create openings for greater cooperation between Japan and South Korea.

President Yoon Suk-yeol of South Korea, left, speaks during a meeting with President Joe Biden of the U.S. and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan, not pictured, at the NATO summit in Madrid on Wednesday, June 29, 2022. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times)

The 1963 Franco-German Reconciliation Treaty: A Guide for Japan and South Korea?

Lily Gardner Feldman reviews the 1963 Élysée Treaty of Friendship between Germany and France, which enshrined the goal of reconciliation between the two countries, and whether there are useful lessons for Japan-South Korea relations.

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Alexis Dudden describes three key aspects of the comfort women issue that the United States should recognize if it is to play a helpful role in resolving bilateral tensions between Japan and South Korea.

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Achieving a More Durable Japan-South Korea Rapprochement

Gregg Brazinsky argues that creating a durable sense of goodwill between Japan and South Korea will require the two countries to listen to dissident voices, look at their history in new ways and convince the United States to play a productive role.

Lee Hee-ja, a South Korean activist whose father died as a forced laborer for the Japanese military, displays photos of other forced labor victims in Seoul, South Korea. December 7, 2018. (Jean Chung/The New York Times)

Resolution of Korean Forced Labor Claims Must Put Victims at the Center

Nathan Park examines three issues stemming from ambiguities in the 1965 normalization treaties between Japan and South Korea that would arise if the two countries pursued arbitration to resolve the forced labor dispute.

The Japanese photographer Tsukasa Yajima with portraits he took of former Korean “comfort women” at the history museum of the House of Sharing shelter, in Gwangju, South Korea. July 3, 2022. (Woohae Cho/The New York Times)

Different Wartime Memories Keep Japan and South Korea Apart

Daniel Sneider describes how Japan and South Korea have developed separate memories of the wartime period and the colonial rule that preceded and shaped the experience of war, and then offers potential ideas for civil society-based reconciliation efforts that could help bridge the disparate national memories.

A museum exhibit of pro-Japanese posters from the imperial era, 1910 to 1945, in Seoul, South Korea. December 13, 2004. (Seokyong Lee/The New York Times)

Acknowledging U.S. Missteps Can Ease Japan-South Korea Relations

Syrus Jin delves deeper into the history of U.S. influence on the relations between the two countries and argues that greater U.S. acknowledgment of its complicating historical role could help alleviate the blame that typically falls on Japan and South Korea.

The ruins of the Kitazawa flotation plant on Japan’s Sado Island, Feb. 2022. A bid for a UNESCO World Heritage designation is the latest flash point between Japan and South Korea over Japanese abuses during World War II. (Shiho Fukada/The New York Times)

A Formula to Resolve the South Korea-Japan Wartime Forced Labor Issue

Tim Webster analyzes three key elements that have been present in past conciliation agreements related to Japan’s wartime actions and a potential U.S. role in facilitating negotiations between Seoul and Tokyo.

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South Korea and Japan Need to Reset Relations. Can the United States Help?

Frank Aum, former South Korean Supreme Court Justice Park Sang-ok, and Joseph Yun examine the forced labor court cases that gave rise to the recent flareup in Japan-South Korea tension, and argue that a joint fund idea may be the best of five difficult ways forward.

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Mended Ties Between Japan and South Korea Would Boost Regional Security

Frank Aum looks at the state of South Korea-Japan relations, how they can be improved, and the geopolitical implications of continued tensions amid the challenges posed by China and North Korea.

a blog about learning & translating Korean

Tips for improving Korean essay writing

an essay about korea

After more than a year of attending advanced Korean classes and regularly writing and reviewing 500-800 character essays with my teacher, I’ve accumulated a few useful tips for improving long-form writing that I thought I’d share here.

I’ll preface this by saying few people write well in any language, even among native speakers. I’m a writer and storyteller in both my professional and personal life and I know just how hard it is to build compelling rhetoric using effective, engaging language on any topic. So, following these “quick tips” won’t make you a good writer in Korean — that will take years of practice reading and writing, just as it would in English. But it may help you get started on the road to sounding more natural.

Caveat : This is only one language learner’s experience (mine) and one language instructor (my teacher)’s advice, so take with a grain of salt.

Master written language

This means practicing and getting comfortable with plain speech. Plain-style Korean, or 해라체, is used in books, newspapers, blogs — basically any form of writing where you’re not directly addressing someone else. For example, you’d use plain style to write a blog post in Korean, but use proper politeness (i.e. -요 or -ㅂ니다) levels when responding to comments. Sentences in plain-style Korean end with -(ㄴ)다 (present/future) or -ㅆ다 (past).

There are a number of useful textbooks out there that cover Korean grammar; I’m personally a fan of 빈도별 토픽 for more advanced learners and the Integrated Korean series for beginners and intermediate learners. When going through these books, keep in mind that not all verb endings are appropriate for written Korean. Endings like -지요 and -잖아요, for example, only make sense when you’re talking to someone else.

Use inductive reasoning

Obviously not a hard and fast rule (depends on the discipline, writer’s style, etc.), but after reading a number of Korean op-eds and personal essays, the biggest difference between Korean and English essay writing that I’ve noticed is the underlying logic of the work.

Korean essays are mostly built on inductive reasoning: they start out with anecdotes, examples, and research to draw the reader step-by-step to the main point of the essay. If you’re reading a long opinion piece in Korean, you might make it through 50% or more before you realize what exactly the author’s trying to say.

This is counter to the typical “five paragraph essay” taught in American high schools, where you’re told to state a main point for each paragraph and then support it with evidence (more deductive than inductive reasoning).

Tip! I’ve found that because of this logic structure, skimming long chunks of Korean prose — especially during TOPIK — is challenging for me.  If you’re pressed for time, read the last couple sentences of every paragraph to get a decent tl;dr.

Memorize transition words and phrases

These are words like 그런데, 그리고, 게다가, 반면에, etc., that link one sentence to the next or one paragraph to the next. When you’re reading essays, news articles, or even TOPIK passages, take a second to identify and write down these transition words/phrases. Memorize them and practice using them in your own writing, so you won’t default to the boring ones I listed as examples above.

Put the most important part of the sentence first

One of my favorite things about Korean writing is the flexibility of word order within a sentence. That said, I often get told by my teacher to not be so careless about it when writing essays. A writing tic of mine, for instance, is to include every relevant detail that I possibly can into a relative clause that modifies the topic or subject of my sentence; that means my sentences are “top heavy” with the most important part usually coming near the end. In longer compositions, though, it’s important to make sure your key point shows up at the  beginning of the sentence for clarity.

For example, take a look at these two sentences. The first is what I wrote and the second is a revision.

(1) 마지막으로 직장 관련 이야기가 듣기 싫다는 대답을 선택한 여성들에 비해 2배 이상 많은 남성들이 있다는 결과가 나왔다.

(2) 마지막으로, 여성들에 비해 2배 이상 많은 남성들이 직장 관련 이야기가 듣기 싫다는 대답을 선택한 결과가 나왔다.

I was trying to describe that, according to the results of the given survey, more than twice the number of men versus women said they did not want to discuss work [with their extended families during the holiday]. In sentence (1), the key point ‘여성들에 비해 2배 이상 많은 남성’ shows up at the end of the sentence; in sentence (2), it shows up right after the transition word.

Use! The! Right! Particles!!

Believe me when I say that it is worth investing time into understanding the difference between topic particles (은/는) and subject particles (이/가). For a lot of beginners, this is one of the most difficult concepts to grasp, especially if English is your native language. If you’re only writing a couple short sentences at a time, to a limited (!) extent, you can get by mixing up the two without dire consequences.

For example:

(1) 그 남자 는 나를 좋아한다고 고백했다. (2) 그 남자 가 나를 좋아한다고 고백했다.

Both sentences have differences in nuance but more or less mean the same thing.

When sentences get long with different topics, subjects, and clauses, using the wrong particle can really mess up the meaning of your sentence. And when you’re introducing different points in an essay, mastering 은/는 and 이/가 will help direct the logical flow of your writing and lend it clarity. The best way to grasp particles? Write a lot, but don’t just write disparate sentences. Write a paragraph or two on one idea and then have your writing reviewed by a native speaker.

Synonyms are your friend

This is good writing advice no matter what language you’re writing in. No one wants to read the same adjective or verb over and over again, so it’s good to pay attention to different ways to say the same thing. This is particularly important, I think, for the analytical writing part of TOPIK, which asks you to describe the results of a survey or research study. You’ll be using a lot of phrases like “X increased by Y%” or “A decreased by B%” or things like “it was revealed that XX,” “the results showed ,” “the participants chose , ”  etc.

Tip! Compared to the longer essay in TOPIK II, the analytical essays are actually where you can improve your score the fastest, in my opinion. One easy way to do that is by diversifying your sentences with different synonyms and phrases related to analysis and trends. On one of my early practice tests, I used the word 증가하다 three sentences in a row — don’t do that.

Last but not least: read actively

An obvious one, but worth mentioning. Now, when I read non-fiction in Korean, I don’t just read for comprehension. I read for writing style. And I mean, I really break down the structure of the composition. I start out by picking out where the main idea shows up in each paragraph and then jot it down. Then I try to pay attention to how the sentences are connected to one another, noting specifically how the author shifts topics and subjects from sentence to sentence and how transition phrases/words help build the logic of the narrative. And then I try putting in any new words and sentence structures/phrases I’ve learned into practice.

In order to build your vocabulary, it’s important to read widely. But in order to become a better writer, I think it’s important to read closely .

Closing thoughts

I think being able to write naturally, using standard grammar, is an important tenet of fluency. But I don’t think you have to be a “good” writer to consider yourself fluent — though, of course, it depends on what your ambitions and/or goals are.

In English, writing is like breathing for me. So it’s important to me that I can write something that would be considered generally good writing in Korean, not just comprehensible or “good for a foreigner.” That’s what I’m working toward, at least.

To that end, I do have a ((new)) blog in Korean, up on the interwebs somewhere. I’m waiting until I write a few more posts before I officially share it here, but if keep your eyes peeled if you’re interested!

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10 responses to “tips for improving korean essay writing”.

what do you think about the hanguel-only thing as it relates to writing?? do you find it limits your writing ie changing a word because there’s a lot of homophones?

That’s an interesting perspective. I don’t think I’ve ever felt limited by Hangeul as a writer. If I’m worried about being misunderstood because of a homophone issue, I just look up the hanja and put it in parentheses. As a reader, though, I can see how Hangeul might seem limiting, e.g., looking up hanja is an extra step I have to go through to understand whatever I’m reading, or worse, if there is no hanja, I expend more mental energy trying to figure what the author means.

Like Liked by 1 person

also have you noticed bad writing in Korean in korean newspapers, articles etc now that you’re more skilled in writing?? Or are there certain things you see korean writers do that annoy you ??

I was reading the japanese internet about reading korean and of course there’s negative stuff. I would love to hear your thoughts about it. if you use rikai-chan or some pop-up dictionary i’m sure you can understand it… i’ll paste it…

漢字を無くしたから意味を文字で伝えるのが難しい なので平易な言葉で伝えないと読み手に書き手の意思を伝えられない 冗長になり論点がぼけるのはハングルの特徴だから仕方ない

書くための文字→ハングル 読むための文字→漢字

これが言語や単語にまで影響及ぼしてるだけ

++ 南朝鮮の新聞記事は長文駄文意味不明が多いよね 文章「表現力」以前に、思考回路に何かしらの障害がありそう 目の前の事象を「しあわせ回路」や「反日回路」に入力し、「願望」の粉かけて、ビビンパのようにまじぇまじぇしないとあんな文章は出力できないよ

なんかの調査で韓国人は平均IQが高いと言われてホルホルしてたけど (1位香港 2位韓国 3位日本・・・・) IQテストのためのテスト勉強させてる国がどこかにあるとかw IQ高くてもあんだけ非論理的だし 自前でロケットさえ飛ばせない ノーベル賞なんか皆無だし(金で買える平和賞は除く) ああ、むしろIQなんて全然意味ねえじゃんて気づかせられた件でした

++ 韓国の新聞の社説を読んでると、論旨が不明瞭で様々な故事を出した後に何の論理的な展開も無く○○が悪いという結論で終ってる事が多くて何を伝えたい文章なのかさっぱり分からない事が多い。

普通の新聞記事でも、感情的な言い回しが多くて、記者はニュースを伝えたいのか、怒り嘆きを伝えたいのかよく分からない文章になってる事が多い。

そんな文章を日常的に読んでいたら、文章を読むのが苦手になっても不思議ではないし、論理思考が出来なくなっていくのも無理は無い。

++ だからなのか、韓国の新聞て論説委員からして文章力がない。ただダラダラ長いだけで何が言いたいのかさっぱり伝わらない。記事タイトルと書いてる内容がズレてることも多々ある。こんなレベルの低い文章ばかりなのに、読解力を求めらても何の意味もないから、そのままで良いと思う。

+ 韓国の新聞のコラムでも 読みたくなるような、読ませる文章ではないよね。ドヤ顔でどこかの国の引用から始まるのが ほとんど。 ++

童貞 同情   同志 冬至   史記 詐欺 紳士 神社   郵政 友情   首相 受賞 火傷 画像   市長 市場   風速 風俗 映画 栄華   戦死 戦士   歩道 報道 犬喰 見識   日傘 量産   数値 羞恥 お腹 お船   烈火 劣化   主義 注意 読者 独自   団扇 負債   停電 停戦 大使 台詞   諸国 帝国   諸島 制度 声明 姓名   無力 武力   全員 田園 定木 定規   全力 電力   代弁 大便 捕鯨 包茎   地図 指導   素数 小数 対局 大国   誇張 課長   インド 引導 初代 招待   朝鮮 造船   駅舎 歴史 発光 発狂   定額 精液   火傷 画像 反戦 反転   反日 半日   武士 無事 大便 代弁   無力 武力   電車 戦車 連覇 連敗   恨国 韓国   祈願 起源 競技 景気   放火 防火

ハングルでは全部同じ。 同音異義語というのみならず表記も全く同じ。 前後の文脈で区別するしかない。

例: 釣船の操船で有名な朝鮮人たちの祖先が造船した商船に率先して乗船し商戦に挑戦 ↓ チョスンのチョスンで有名なチョスン人たちのチョスンがチョスンしたチョスンにチョスンしてチョスンしチョスンにチョスン

http://u1sokuhou.ldblog.jp/archives/50389367.html

kaikaiの他所でも書いたが、 文章のプロである朝鮮日報・中央日報・等々の文章が下手で驚く。 コラムを書く役職の有る記者ですら、無駄な前振り、論点が行方不明など酷い。

さらに酷いのは新聞記者ではない何かの教授や研究員・学者の類が描く時だ、 目が回るほどに下手だ。 日本のそこいらの素人のblogの方が上手い。

他の国ではそういうことは無い、朝鮮だけの大きな特徴でとにかく文章が下手糞だ。 翻訳の問題ではない。 文章の構成能力や論理的な組み立てが出来てない性質のものだ。

一言で言うと「馬鹿」としか思えない。 いや、馬鹿なんだろう。

62名無し1年前ID:QxMDg2NTE(1/2) >>59 >>58 >>60 向こうの記事読んでそれ感じる。漢字捨てたせいか専門的な単語を使うのにためらうというか使えないというか。そのために意味を分かりやすくしようと変な例えを出してやたら文章が長くなってしまう。 その変な例えの殆どが詩的なんだが自分からすると状況が一致しないか書いた記者自身の文章酔ってるかのように感じてしまい気持ち悪い。

起承転結の起に入るまでが長かったり承が訳が分からなかったり転に至っては絶対間違ってない自信なのか存在しない、それとなぜかなんの脈絡もなく日本が出てきたりと。 ここに来る韓国人の文章は機械翻訳ではあるが変な比喩が無く言いたい事が分かる読みやすい文章なので全然記者よりも文章が優れてるように見える。

i FORGOT THIS この人の発言は、韓国人の文章(新聞記事等)に通じるものがありますね。言い訳と希望的観測を交えて、整合性のない事を平然と悪びれる事なく(息を吐くように)言う。

2018/04/02 [05:52:03] jk 一方、韓国の新聞記事は、的を得ているとは思えない故事や格言、故人の言を引いて、中身の薄い内容を難しく伝える。

Whoops your last two comments got flagged as spam so I’m seeing them just now. Hmm, I wouldn’t say that I’m skilled enough to differentiate between good and bad journalistic writing just yet. I /can/ tell the skill difference between, say, a newbie writer who publishes web novels on Naver and more experienced novelist.

In terms of annoying things Korean writers do… hm… I don’t think I’m widely read enough to make too many sweeping judgments here but I have noticed that in a lot of literary writing, Korean authors tend to use adjectives that are near synonyms of each other, one after the other in the same sentence. e.g. “her face was pale and white” or “the rain fell heavily and strongly.” Sometimes I think the slight nuance helps add atmosphere but when it happens sentence after sentence it becomes tedious to read (and translate). The other thing I personally like in my fiction is varying sentence lengths. It changes up the . cadence of the prose and keeps things interesting. I find that a lot of Korean sentences are similar in length (longggg) one after the other.

Interesting… I’ll take a look at those Japanese comments (let’s see how far I get before the Kanji kicks my ass and I need to use a dictionary lol). Thanks for sharing!

WelL theres lots of cool popup dictionaries to save you time like rikaichan and yomikun.

From my limited experience of reading Korean articles I have to agree with the Japanese people lol. They were just describing what I was thinking but wasn’t confident enough to say since reading Korean isn’t that comfortable at times. Like you I don’t think I’m good enough to decide whether someone’s writing is bad or good

here’s one of the original sites in case you were curious https://kaikai.ch/board/2377/

韓国の新聞メディアや教授のコラムって、その論文全体を通して主張したい1つの軸が不明瞭で、一貫性がなく、要点がないんだよね。 だから「韓国人の書く文章は無駄に長い」「読むだけ無駄だった(重要な事が書いてない)」という感想持つ日本人は多い。

“起承転結”あるいは“起転結” これを韓国人は文章として成立させてない。 日本だと、大学で論文の書き方は骨身に叩き込まれるんだけど、韓国は何をやってるんだろ?

this is post 60 韓国の新聞のコラムとかって 内容の核心に入るまで長くて 余計な知識披露が多い、文字スペース 考えろよ。

they were the posts that post 62 responded too.

I love this! My long term goal is also to write as well and with as much confidence in Korean as I do in English, so this was extremely helpful. Can’t wait to check out your Korean-language blog — I started one a few months ago but only have three posts so far ㅎㅎ 화이팅!

I’m just a beginner but I think these are very valuable advice even for beginners to keep in mind as they progress.

The point about plain style especially hit home for me, because for the longest time I didn’t even know it existed. Every single textbook I have only ever mentioned -이에요/예요 and -(스)ㅂ니다. This made it very difficult to search for anything online as most blogs and websites are written in plain style, and I wasn’t able to read even the simplest stories written in Korean because I was not familiar with the endings.

I wish textbooks would at least mention the existence of this style sooner.

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I’m so glad found the post valuable, Luna! Thanks for reading. :)

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English Compositions

An Essay on My Favorite South Korean Person [With PDF]

Hello Readers, Today we came with a very demanding essay named My Favorite South Korean Person. So let’s dive into the essay!

My Favorite South Korean Person feature image

This is a very difficult topic to write about. Out of the 60 million, give or take a few million, South Koreans currently alive today, it is very hard to select just one South Korean as my favorite.

Then when I factor in all the Koreans who have done so much for their country throughout its history that just makes this task even harder to do. There are just too many people to select for.

For example, there is Hyeokgeose the founder of the Silla kingdom that had Gyeongju as its capital for 1000 years. Then there was Janggeum who was the only Royal female doctor in Korean history.

Or Empress Myeongsong who led the Korean nation through her husband the king to modernization. She also worked hard to stop the Japanese from invading Korea and annexing it. Unfortunately, her efforts failed as she was assassinated in her palace in Seoul in the early 20th century.

Finally, there is King Sejong who was the 4th King of the Joseon dynasty. He was credited with a number of inventions as well as updating the Korean language making it simpler to learn, read and write. He did this by creating the Hangeul alphabet.

With so many top people to choose from it was not easy in deciding who my favorite Korean was. But in the end, I found I needed to find someone closer to modern times who most people had heard of and who also did a lot more than be a singer or actor.

I finally settled on Kim Dae-Jung the former president of South Korea. He was born in 1924 on a small Korean island in South Cholla province. During his life, he was able to achieve and complete many accomplishments that previous Korean leaders did not receive.

He grew up in a Japanese controlled Korea and graduated from Mokpo High School in 1943. He started working in a Japanese owned company that same year and in 2 years was able to take it over, turning himself and the company into very wealthy entities.

The Korean War was not kind to him as he was captured by the communists and sentenced to die. Yet that was not his destiny. He was able to escape and his experiences helped him become a supporter of democracy.

He did not like some of the policies early Korean presidents held to and that may have been the reason that it took him 5 tries before being elected to a seat in the National Assembly in 1961.

Unfortunately, he lost that seat when Gen. Park Chung-Hee successfully led a coup against the president of the country. His career is marked more by losing than winning. After democracy was restored Kim Dae-Jung became president of the National Democratic Party, he ran for president of Korea against Gen. Park but lost again.

His struggle did not end there as his pro-democracy fight had him arrested twice in the 70s and once in the 80s. A short exile kept him out of South Korea for 5 years but when he was allowed to return he continued to fight for proper democracy.

After his return, he ran for the national presidency twice more but lost both times. It wasn’t till his third attempt in 1997 that he finally won the president’s office. The best is yet to come.

During his term in office, he was able to bring his country out of the financial crisis that had struck it before he became President, He did this through restructuring the banking, business, and labor industries removing the corruption that permeated those sectors.

After that, he created his sunshine policy which strived to reunite North and South Korea and bringing to back to one nation again. Because of his persistence, hard work, and solid policies, Kim Dae-Jung won the Nobel Peace Prize. The only Korean to win a Nobel award.

His life and character are what make him stand out from all the Koreans that have lived or are living today. He never gave up and worked hard for his country even when it cost him dearly.

So I hope you like this essay on my favorite south Korean personality. Feel free to share your thoughts regarding this essay in the comment section, I would love to hear from you guys.

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Guest Essay

A Small Group in South Korea Has a Big Homophobic Agenda

Women wearing traditional Korean dresses, seen from behind, raise their arms in the air as if dancing. Some wear yellow vests, with signs on the back that read, “No!! Same-sex marriage.”

By Raphael Rashid

Mr. Rashid has been a journalist in Seoul for 12 years. He is the author of “The Korea We Refuse to See,” published in Korean.

Since South Korean voters delivered a full-throated rebuke of their conservative president this month, a small but influential group has been on edge. It fears the more liberal opposition’s landslide in the April 10 parliamentary elections could signal the country’s wrongheaded move toward what they call a homosexual dictatorship .

Though South Korea projects a modern, diverse image through its gay - friendly global entertainment industry, as a nation it has long tolerated homophobia and other forms of discrimination. The country has no national law that explicitly prohibits unfair treatment based on race or ethnicity, language or sexual orientation. Alongside Japan and Turkey, it’s ranked among the least L.G.B.T.Q.-inclusive countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Now these prejudices are manifesting in a coordinated attack on young people’s rights. In a campaign orchestrated by South Korea’s powerful radical Christian lobby, anti-gay protesters have been working relentlessly to cancel a set of regional bylaws that protect schoolchildren and teenagers from discrimination on several grounds, including sexual orientation and gender identity.

The bylaws’ critics argue that the so-called student human rights ordinances overemphasize students’ rights and downplay the rights of teachers. But that’s just a smoke screen for their anti-gay agenda, which so far is proving effective. Votes to abolish two of the seven bylaws were passed last week, and the others face similar votes or are the target of abolition demands. The conservative campaign must be seen for what it is: part of a concerted effort to erase L.G.B.T.Q. visibility from schools and ultimately, South Korean society .

In recent years, South Korea’s L.G.B.T.Q. community has been subject to censorship , witch hunts and blame for the spread of Covid. Local officials have targeted Pride events, such as in Daegu, where last year the mayor ordered 500 civil servants to obstruct the festival. In Seoul, the mayor tacitly supported pushing Pride from its customary plaza after an anti-gay Christian group applied to hold an event in the same place on the same day. Lectures on gender equality have been canceled, queer films stopped from screening, books on sex education purged from libraries and plans to outlaw hate speech abandoned. Concerns about weakening and inadequate protections — raised in recent years by the United Nations , Human Rights Watch and South Korea’s own human rights commission — have been mostly ignored by successive governments.

In Seoul the Christian lobby’s messaging looms in the trucks blasting Bible verses while circling busy blocks and placards around shopping areas declaring “Homosexuality is sin.” Its most harmful achievement to date has been blocking the passage of a broad anti-discrimination law, which would provide protection to L.G.B.T.Q. people, women, people with disabilities and racial minorities. Since 2007, Christian campaigners have obstructed seven attempts to pass such legislation. Four more bills offering similar protections pending in the National Assembly will die if not passed before the Parliament session ends in May.

Officials repeatedly excuse the legislative stalemate under the pretext of insufficient social consensus, a phrase suggesting they haven’t reached agreement with enough segments of society. Yet South Koreans largely say they support equality legislation: A nationwide survey by the National Human Rights Commission in 2022 found 67 percent were in favor of the measure.

The Christian lobby’s members are mainly Protestant. They are well organized, wealthy and wield outsize influence in a majority secular country. Most but not all Korean Protestant denominations hold anti-gay views, including the major Presbyterian orders and the Methodist Church . High-profile pastors and strident groups like Anti-Homosexuality Christian Solidarity are loosely affiliated with church coalitions that have a direct line to politicians and pressure them to uphold a homophobic agenda.

That agenda has already had some big wins in the current government. In September 2022, President Yoon Suk Yeol’s Gender Equality Ministry overturned a plan that would have expanded the legal definition of “family” to include common-law couples, cohabitating households and foster families. Three months later, the Education Ministry decided to delete the terms “sexual minorities” and “gender equality” from the national school curriculum.

For years, the Christian lobby’s rallying cry has been centered on a bigoted conspiracy theory: that just talking about discrimination could bring South Korea under a homosexual dictatorship. In sermons, street banners and on Christian media and YouTube, they predict that young Koreans will be coaxed into embracing nonheteronormative identities, transforming the social order. Family structures would crumble, they warn; even fewer babies would be born in a country already recording the world’s lowest fertility rate. Gay relationships in the armed forces would jeopardize national security against North Korea, they say. And an ensuing AIDS epidemic would bankrupt the state.

Such prophecies appear to be part of an effort to stave off a larger crisis: South Korea’s waning interest in Christianity, which took off in the country after the Korean War — seen both as a beacon of hope that symbolized Western modernity and as an antidote to Communism. But Protestant denominations have splintered, and membership is declining. To create unity, extremist Protestants seem to be rallying around an invented enemy: L.G.B.T.Q. people and the laws that would protect them.

Churches say the proposals for equality legislation pose a genuine threat to their freedom of speech and religion. The United Christian Churches of Korea, one of the country’s largest coalitions of Protestant churches, maintains that any prospective anti-discrimination legislation would legitimize homosexuality, contrary to its interpretation of the Bible. “If such a law is enacted, it is certain that the activities of churches that teach the Bible will be restricted,” the coalition secretariat wrote in a translated email, “as it does not even allow criticism of homosexuality.”

The recent election results have sparked fresh concern among the Christian lobby that opposition lawmakers may push ahead with equality legislation, despite the fact that churches in which anti-gay preaching may occur are not included in the scope of any of the draft anti-discrimination bills. An editorial in Christian Daily on April 15 warned politicians against touching the issue: “No matter how overwhelming the majority party is, they could face backlash if they recklessly push out legislation that causes social chaos.”

Indeed, the lawmakers who have dared to advocate equality have endured text bombing , and related online message boards have been invaded by trolls .

It’s a worrying development not just for those who are directly affected by the Christian lobby’s anti-L.G.B.T.Q. crusade. As in other societies where homophobia is on the rise, the anti-equality campaign is a red flag for other minority groups. Foreigners, migrant workers , people with disabilities and North Korean defectors all lack unambiguous protection from discrimination under South Korean law.

“Anyone can be the next target,” said Heezy Yang, a queer artist and activist. “Fighting for equality is about protecting all of society.”

Raphael Rashid ( @koryodynasty ) has been a journalist in Seoul for 12 years. He is the author of “ The Korea We Refuse to See ,” published in Korean.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

Follow the New York Times Opinion section on Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , WhatsApp , X and Threads .

an essay about korea

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Korean Honor Scholarship (KHS) 2024 Announced (Essay Title Change)

2024 Korean Honor Scholarship(KHS) Guidelines.pdf fileDownload

■ There is the change in the essay title, please refer to the amened Guideline 

Korean Honor Scholarship (KHS) 2024 Announced

- 80 KHS recipients will be selected in 2024

The Korean Honor Scholarship Committee extends an invitation to Korean and Korean-American undergraduate and graduate students to compete for the year 2024 Korean Honor Scholarship.

    The Scholarship was first established in 1981 with the gift fund of one million US dollars donated by the government of the Republic of Korea to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the opening of diplomatic relations between Korea and the U. S. A. Now the total amount of fund is 2.90 million US dollars. The scholarship is awarded to encourage outstanding students who have Korean heritage to achieve their highest academic performance and develop leadership qualities for their future professional careers in the global society.

     The Korean Honor Scholarship Committee has awarded 3,388 scholarships to outstanding Korean and Korean-American students over the past 42 years.  To be eligible for consideration, applicants must be attending college or university at least both 2023 fall and 2024 spring semesters in the U. S. A. and must have an overall grade average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 basis. In addition to the academic achievement, an essay, a letter of recommendation, awards, honors, performances and extracurricular activities are reviewed for selection. Approximately 74 scholarships* in the U.S. and 6 scholarships in Canada will be awarded in the U. S. this year. Scholarship will be awarded once in undergraduate and graduate level respectively.)

 *They include special scholarships for U.S. Presidential Scholarship winners

The following dates are important for undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in applying the Korean Honor Scholarship in the U.S.

  - Application period: April 22 ~ June 28, 2024   - First round evaluation at regional consular offices: July 1 ~ July 5, 2024   - Final round evaluation by Central Selection Committee: July 23   - Scholarship Award presentation: After September 30

 The amount of scholarships is as follows: 

  - Best Honor Scholarship: $ 5,000 (2 students)    - Excellent Honor Scholarship - $ 3,000 (4 students)   - Honor Scholarship: $1,500 (58 students or so)

    Students who are interested in applying the KHS need to refer to the Embassy's website, in  https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/us-en/brd/m_4513/view.do?seq=761569&page=1     or in any search engine(*using search for 'korean honor scholarship'), or Korean Education Center in Washington, DC,   http://www.kecdc.org , to download the application form and the guideline. Applications also must be submitted to the regional consular office CLOSEST TO his or her HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION. 

Applications for the scholarship in Arts, Adoptee and Special must be directly submitted to the Office of Education Minister Counselor at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, Washington, D.C. The KHS Committee asks the applicants who need further information or inquiry to contact the Office of Education Minister Counselor at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, Washington, D.C.(202-939-5679~5681) or one of the regional Consular Offices closest to their college or university.

● Contact Information

o Korean Education Center in Washington DC : 202.939.5679/5681, [email protected]

     (Washington D.C.,Maryland,Virginia,West Virginia)

    Korean Education Center -2320 Massachusetts Ave. Washington DC , 2000 8

  o Korean Education Center in New York : 646.674.6051 [email protected]

     (Connecticut,Delaware,New Jersey,New York,Pennsylvania)

  o Korean Consulate General in Los Angeles : 213.385.9300(ext.202), [email protected]

     3243 Wilshire Blvd #204 Los Angeles CA 90010

     (Arizona,Nevada,New Mexico,Southern California)

  o Korean Education Center in Chicago : 847.777.8830, [email protected]

    (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin)

  o Korean Education Center in Houston : 713.961.4104, [email protected]

    (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Texas)

  o Korean Education Center in San Francisco : 415.590.4058, [email protected]

     (Colorado,Northern California, Utah, Wyoming)

  o Korean Education Center in Atlanta : 770.686.3949, [email protected]

     (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina,South Carolina, Tennessee)

  o Consulate General of the Republic of Korea(Boston) : 617.641.2830, [email protected]

     (New Hampshire,Rhode Island,Maine,Massachusetts,Vermont)

  o Consulate General of the Republic of Korea(Seattle) : 206.441.1011, [email protected]

     (Idaho,Montana,Oregon,Washington,Alaska)

  o Consulate General of the Republic of Korea(Honolulu) :  808.595.6109, [email protected]

     (American Samoa,Hawaii,Guam)

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    South Korea, also referred to as the Republic of Korea, is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. It shares land borders with North Korea and oversea borders with China to the west and Japan to the east. At the end of the 16th century, Korea had survived many invasions by Japan and in the early 17th ...

  8. The Value and Meaning of the Korean Family

    The close family ties and dependencies valued so highly in Korea might seem unhealthy to us; we think a child's sense of autonomy necessary to mental health. To Koreans such autonomy is not a virtue. "A life in which egos are all autonomous,separate, discrete and self-sufficient [is] too cold, impersonal,lonely and inhuman."

  9. Korean Culture: History and Principles

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  10. Essays on South Korea

    The Impact of War on Korea. 2 pages / 1080 words. Korea is a country that has been impacted by war, more specifically, the Korean war. The Korean war had a big impact on the country such as the effects it had on the economy, socially and environmentally. Made-to-order essay as fast as you need it...

  11. Essay on South Korean Culture

    Essay on South Korean Culture. South Korea is one of the most homogeneous countries in the world, in which it has its own culture, language, and customs that are different from other Asian countries. In South Korea, the citizens greatly value hard work, filial piety, and humility in their daily lives. South Koreans are very proud people in ...

  12. South Korea- My Favourite Destination.

    Keeping the things said in mind, my ideal/favourite destination is South Korea. South Korea, officially theRepublic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital, Seoul, is a major global city and half of South Korea's 51 million people live in the Seoul Capital Area, the fourth ...

  13. TOPIK Essay Writing Guide with Model Essays

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  14. Essay on How South Korea Inspires Me

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  15. Korean War: History, Causes, and Effects

    Introduction. The Korean War which is termed as the forgotten war was a military conflict that started in June 1950 between North Korean who were supported by peoples republic of China backed by Soviet Union and South Korean with support from the United Nations and the American forces. The war was an episode of cold war where by the United ...

  16. Essay on Korean Culture

    100 Words Essay on Korean Culture Traditional Clothing. In Korea, the beautiful and colorful traditional dress is called hanbok. People wear it on special occasions like festivals and weddings. The hanbok has bright colors and simple lines without pockets. The dress is a symbol of Korean culture and is becoming popular again.

  17. Essay On South Korea

    Essay On South Korea. 1270 Words6 Pages. South Korea. Overview: South Korea is in eastern Asia and occupies the southern half of the Korean Peninsula and many islands. It borders both the Sea of Japan (also known as the East Sea) and the Yellow Sea. Its only land border is with North Korea along the 238 Km Korean Demilitarized Zone, a 4,000m ...

  18. TOPIK Essay Writing Guide (쓰기 가이드)- Beginner Level

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  19. Cultural Diversity in South Korea: [Essay Example], 1136 words

    In the terms of religious belief, South Korea is a country where Christianity, Buddhism, Confucianism, Islam, and other major religions coexist peacefully with shamanism. According to 2015 statistics, 44 percent of South Koreans are religious. Buddhism and Confucianism have had the greatest impact on South Korean life, with more than half of ...

  20. Essay about Korean Culture

    This essay sample was donated by a student to help the academic community. Papers provided by EduBirdie writers usually outdo students' samples. Cultural identity can be defined by different aspects of a culture, including but not limited to, language, food, and clothing styles. I will be focusing primarily on traditional Korean cuisine, why it ...

  21. Resolving Tensions Between South Korea and Japan: An Essay Series

    South Korea and Japan normalized relations in 1965, but unresolved historical disputes continue to undermine genuine bilateral reconciliation and optimal diplomatic, security and economic cooperation. Past efforts, both between the two countries and trilaterally with the United States, to help improve relations have generally emphasized a "future-oriented" approach that focused on common ...

  22. Tips for improving Korean essay writing

    After more than a year of attending advanced Korean classes and regularly writing and reviewing 500-800 character essays with my teacher, I've accumulated a few useful tips for improving long-form writing that I thought I'd share here. I'll preface this by saying few people write well in any language, even among native speakers. I'm a…

  23. An Essay on My Favorite South Korean Person [With PDF]

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  24. A Small Group in South Korea Has a Big Homophobic Agenda

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  25. Stephen Kotkin: The Five Futures of Russia

    North Korea faces a rival Korean state in the form of South Korea, making it more akin to East Germany (which of course is long gone) than to Russia. Despite these and other differences, Russia could become something of a gigantic North Korea: domestically repressive, internationally isolated and transgressive, armed with nuclear weapons, and ...

  26. Korean Honor Scholarship (KHS) 2024 Announced (Essay Title ...

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