Korean for Dummies (41 page)

cinema for a full day of fun and

games.

Memorial Day

June 6

Memorial Day is set aside to honor

the soldiers and civilians who gave

their lives in the service of their country. The largest ceremony is held at

the National Cemetery in Seoul.

Constitution Day

July 17

This holiday commemorates the

proclamation of the Constitution of

the Republic of Korea on July 17th,

1948.

(continued)

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Table 15-2 (continued)

Holiday

Date

Description

Liberation Day

August 15

This holiday commemorates the

Japanese acceptance of the Allies’

terms of surrender and the resulting

liberation of Korea in 1945.

Chuseok, Korean

October 5 to 7

Chuseok
(Choo-suhk) is one of the

Thanksgiving Day

(changes year

year’s most important traditional

to year)

holidays. It is celebrated on the 15th

day of the 8th lunar month.
Chuseok

is often referred to as Korean

Thanksgiving Day. It’s a celebration of

the harvest and a thanksgiving for the

bounty of the earth. Family members

come from all parts of the country to

visit their ancestral homes.

National Foundation

October 3

This holiday commemorates the

Day

founding of the Korean nation in 2333

BCE by the legendary god-king

Dangun
(Dahn-goon). A simple ceremony is held at an altar on top of Mt.

Manisan, Ganghwa island. The altar

is said to have been erected by

Dangun to offer thanks to his father

and grandfather in heaven.

Christmas Day

December 25

Christmas is observed as a national

holiday in Korea.

Naming off the years

olhae
(
ol-hae
) is the Korean word for “this year.”
jaknyeon
(
jang-nyuhn
) is last year, and
naenyeon
(
nae-nyuhn
) is next year.
nyeon
(
nyuhn
) is the Korean word for “year,” so add the appropriate numbers in front of the word and you have the given year. For example,
icheonpaillyeon
(
ee-chun-pall-lyuhn
) is the year 2008.

Koreans also adhere to the Chinese zodiac, though nowadays it’s taken less seriously than in the past. Very much like Western astrology, people born under certain signs exhibit certain personality traits. The difference between the Chinese zodiac and the Western zodiac is that in Western zodiac changes monthly whereas the Chinese zodiac changes yearly. 2008 is the year of the 21_037188-ch15.qxp 6/24/08 11:15 PM Page 255

rat, which marks the beginning of the twelve-year cycle. The Koreans add the word -
tti
(
ttee
) to the various animal names representing the year to describe what sign you are. So, if you were born in the year of the rat, you would be a
juitti
(
jwee-ttee
). Check out your sign in Table 15-3.

Table 15-3

The Animals of the Chinese Zodiac

Korean Word

Pronunciation

Translation

baemtti

baem-ttee

Year of the Snake

daktti

dahk-ttee

Year of the Rooster

doejitti

dwe-jee-ttee

Year of the Pig

gaetti

gae-ttee

Year of the Dog

horangitti

ho-rahng-ee-ttee

Year of the Tiger

juitti

jwee-ttee

Year of the Rat

maltti

mahl-ttee

Year of the Horse

sotti

so-ttee

Year of the Ox

tokkitti

to-ggi-ttee

Year of the Rabbit

yangtti

yahng-ttee

Year of the Goat

yongtti

yong-ttee

Year of the Dragon

wonsungitti

won-soong-ee-ttee

Year of the Monkey

Specifying dates and times

Once you have your itinerary, bags packed and ready to go, you’ll have to know your
sigan
(
shi-gan;
time). There is a 17-hour difference between Chicago and Seoul. When it is 6:30 pm on Thursday in Chicago, it is 9:30 am on Friday in Seoul. You have to remember that when you decide to
yeohaeng
(
yuh-haeng;
travel). You wouldn’t want to call someone at three o’clock in the morning just to tell them what fun you had at the Gwangju Gimchi Festival, or how the visit to the Seokguram grotto was life changing.

You also want to know what time museums and shops open and close, at

what time a show starts, what date and time to set your reservation at, and so forth.
“myeotsieseo myeotsikkaji yeollyeo itnayo?”
(
myuht-shi-ae-suh
myuht-shi-kka-jee yuhl-lyuh eet-na-yo?
), which is translated, “From what time to what time are you open?”, might be a good question to know to make sure to 21_037188-ch15.qxp 6/24/08 11:15 PM Page 256

not find a “closed” sign in front of the attraction you might want to see.
yeyak
(
yae-yak; reservation
) is a good word to know if you want to make sure they save a seat for you.
yeyak
means reservation, and many attractions, especially during peak tourist seasons, have a tendency to sell out quickly, so calling ahead and making a
yeyak
is often good practice.

Trains and buses, as well as other means of mass transit move according to schedule, in a timely manner. Chances are, if you miss a train, one will be along very shortly. However, sitting in a bus stop, or a train station was not what you went to Korea to experience, right? Arriving a little early for depar-tures and giving yourself a little time for boarding and such can save you missed rides, long delays, and needless
gidarim
(
gee-da-rim;
waiting).

Choosing Your Destination

If you’re headed to Korea on business, chances are, you’ll spend quite a bit of time in the capital city, Seoul, or perhaps one of the major port cities like Busan, or Ulsan. If you’re there for pleasure, a vacation, or on a holiday, the whole country is available for your enjoyment. Well, then. Where to go? That depends entirely upon what your interests are. Even though Korea is a
jageun nara
(
ja-geun na-ra;
small country), it is a country with a rich history and culture that can take a lifetime or more to fully explore. Sights and delights of every kind are available for the pickiest of vacationers. Whether you’re looking for world-class resort style pampering, or if you’re ready to experience a monastic, contemplative and Spartan lifestyle at a Buddhist temple, Korea has all kinds of wondrous experiences for the
yeohaenggaek
(
yuh-haeng-gaek;
visitor). You can also find Koreans to be incredibly friendly and warm, inviting people with a giving nature, eager to lend a hand in enhancing your experience of the country.

If it is shopping you crave, staying near Seoul and vicinity is probably a good plan. Itaewon area, Gangnam district, Dongdaemun and Namdaemun markets have an almost inexhaustible supply of goods for the pickiest of consumers.

If it is history you crave, you can take it all in near the Gyeongju area, where the remnants and artifacts of the Silla dynasty still survive in
bangmulgwan
(
bang-mool-gwan;
museums), ancient tombs and temples over a thousand years old. From bird watching and folk festivals, to nightclubs and cafes, whatever it is that you’re looking for, you can probably find it in Korea.

Immersing yourself in a foreign culture can be a great opportunity for you to discover something new, not just in that foreign culture, but something new in yourself as well.

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Try to pick destinations with some of these sites and activities listed in Table 15-4, and you’ll almost be guaranteed a good time on your travels.

Table 15-4

Sites and Activities

Korean Word

Pronunciation

Translation

baekhwajeom

baekhwa-jum

Department store

bangmulgwan

bang-mool-gwan

Museum

geukjang

geukjang

Theatre

gongweon

gongwon

Park

gungjeon

goong-juhn

Palace

haebyeon

hae-byun

Beach

jeol

juhl

Temple

misulgwan

mee-sool-gwan

Art gallery

san

san

Mountain

singmulgwan

shik-mool-gwan

Botanical garden

Is your trip to Korea a part of a travel package? Will you be going to other Asian countries before or after your visit to Korea? How about
jungguk
(
joong-gook;
China)?
ilbon
(
il-bon;
Japan), or
taeguk
(
tae-gook;
Thailand) perhaps? Whereever it is you decide to go, you may want to familiarize yourself with the terms
–eseo
(
ae-suh
, from) and
–ro
or
–euro
(to):
“jeoneun donggyeongeseo bukkyeongeuro gayo”
(
juh-neun dong-gyoung-ae-suh book-gyoung-eu-ro ga-yo
) is translated, “I am going from Tokyo to Beijing.”

“jeoneun nyu yogeseo amseutereudameuro gayp”
(
juh-neun nyoo-yo-gae-suh am-seu-te-reu-da-meu-ro ga-yo
) is translated, “I am going from New York to Amsterdam.”

“jeoneun hyuseutoneseo meksikoro gayo”
(
juh-neun hyoo-seu-ton-ae-suh
mek-shi-ko-ro ga-yo
) is translated, “I am going from Houston to Mexico.”

When do you use
-ro
and when do you use
-euro
? It’s quite simple, actually. If the last syllable of the place name ends with a consonant, like,
ilbon
, or
taeguk,
you use the marker
-euro
, so you say
ilboneuro
, or
taegugeuro
. If the last syllable of the place name ends with a vowel like,
Hawai
(
ha-wa-ee;
21_037188-ch15.qxp 6/24/08 11:15 PM Page 258

Hawaii) or
Pari
(
Pa-ree;
Paris), so you say
Hawairo
, or
Pariro
. Table 15-5 lists a few other places for you to practice “to” and “from” with.

Table 15-5

Places

Korean Word

Pronunciation

Place

hoju

ho-joo

Australia

areujentina

a-reu-gen-ti-na

Argentina

beurajil

buh-ra-jil

Brazil

kaenada

kae-na-da

Canada

jungguk

joong-gook

China

ijipteu

ee-jeep-teu

Egypt

yeongguk

young-gook

England

peurangseu

peurang-sseu

France

dogil

do-gil

Germany

gana

ga-na

Ghana

yeongguk

young-gook

Great Britain

indo

in-do

India

israural

ee-seu-ra-ael

Israel

itaeri

ee-tae-ree

Italy

ilbon

il-bon

Japan

rebanon

rae-ba-non

Lebanon

nyujillaend

new-jil-lan-deu

New Zealand

reosia

ruh-shi-a

Russia

seupein

seu-pae-in

Spain

seuweden

seu-wae-den

Sweden

seuwiseu

seu-wee-sseu

Switzerland

daeman

dae-man

Taiwan

miguk

mee-gook

USA

wollam

wol-nam

Vietnam

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Packing for Your Trip

Well, now that you have the itinerary all ready, I think we’re ready to pack.

Make sure you have your
gabang
(
ga-bahng;
bag) ready, and let’s start packing! Table 15-6 lists some items that you might need. Of course, if you can’t find them, or forget to pack them, I’m sure you’ll be able to pick it up at the nearest
gage
(
ga-gae;
store).

Table 15-6

Things to Pack

Korean Word

Pronunciation

Translation

binu

bee-noo

Soap

bit

beet

Brush

chitsol

chi-ssol

Toothbrush

chiyak

chi-yak

Toothpaste

hwajangpum

hwajang-poom

Makeup, cosmetics

myeondogi

myuhn-do-gee

Razor

sajingi

sa-jin-gee

Camera

shinbal

shinbal

Shoes

yangmal

yangmal

Socks

yeogweon

yuh-gwon

Passport

Getting the Help of a Travel Agency

Don’t think you can manage the countryside by yourself? A little timid? Could use a little help? Information and assistance are readily available at the Korean
yeohangja
(
yuh-haeng-ja;
Tourist) Organization’s Tourist Information Center or at information counters in
gukjegonghang
(
gook-jae-gonghang;
international airports) and at major tourist sites. They provide city maps, brochures and information on tours, shopping, dining, and accommodations.