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Korean Culture Dictionary: From Kimchi To K-Pop And K-Drama Clichés. Everything About Korea Explained!
This book is offered in 4 formats:
1. B&W Mass Market Paperback - This item ISBN 9791188195602
2. Color Paperback - ISBN 9791188195619
3. Color Mass Market Paperback (Cheaper) - ISBN 9791188195701
4. Color Hardcover - ISBN 9791188195626
Before reading this book, you probably had some moments of curiosity in your life where you questioned certain things about Korean culture. Why is there a Pepsi logo on the Korean flag? Why do Korean kids in my class only have like… three last names (Kim, Lee, Park)?
If you are a K-Drama addict, and even took the time to watch variety shows with your favorite idols, your thoughts and interest towards Korea may have grown even deeper! Maybe, if you’re a Koreaboo, you may wonder why you become a year older as soon as arriving in Korea, why there's so much drama in those street tent bars, and how Koreans drink so much soju from those green bottles. And, probably the question on everyone’s mind in 2020, why is BTS so dang popular (honorable mention: What the heck does “Gangnam Style” mean)?
Well, if you get lost in translation, you can simply look up the word in the dictionary, but what if you get lost between cultures and there's no one to kindly tell you what's going on? You can get by with a lucky guess, but you are missing a valuable opportunity to learn about Korean culture indepthly!
Regardless of who you are and where you come from – a K-Pop/K-Drama fanatic, an expat living in Korea, a student who just got accepted to study abroad in Korea (congrats!), or even a second-generation Gyopo from the Korean diaspora, you no longer have to stay puzzled and irritated by not being able to understand the peculiarities you find in Korea overall!
With over 350 essential topics and most frequently asked questions that are hand-picked from 27 categories, covering virtually every aspect of Korean culture by laying out all the details on the “Five Ws (Who, What, When, Where, Why) and How”, you can fully understand Korean culture inside and out!
Most importantly, we’ve written this book with people like you in mind, so having zero knowledge about Korea is absolutely fine! However, if you are the proud K-Culture know-it-all of your friend group you can put your knowledge to the test and even learn some new interesting facts to surprise your friends with by jumping between sections of your choice.
To maximize your learning, we’ve included the following in every section!
- QR Code For YouTube Clips : Let’s see how Koreans do it in real life! Simply scan the QR code with your smartphone and you will be taken to amazing YouTube clips.
- Must-See Korean Dramas and Movies: We’ve carefully selected a list of titles that can help you further appreciate the topic.
- Must-Know Terms and People : We’ve marked important Korean terms with Bold and Italics so you can use them as a study aid!
By the time you’ve finished the last chapter, you will have learned so much about Korea, including all the minute details! (E.g., Why do Koreans love sitting on the floor? Why is it rude to pour drinks with one hand?)
An added bonus is that Korean dramas, movies, and K-Pop music videos and lyrics will mean so much more the next time you see them (Hey, you will have the ability to accurately identify all the Korean drama clichés)! So next time you hang out with a Korean friend, you can flaunt your knowledge by telling them why you hit the neck of the bottle with a Taekwondo chop when opening it (don’t forget to turn your body away when drinking with an older person). And if someone compliments you for having a “small face,” you will correctly respond by saying “Thank you.”
Now let’s start this book with an example of “Bbali Bbali” culture - hurry up and start reading!
1. B&W Mass Market Paperback - This item ISBN 9791188195602
2. Color Paperback - ISBN 9791188195619
3. Color Mass Market Paperback (Cheaper) - ISBN 9791188195701
4. Color Hardcover - ISBN 9791188195626
Before reading this book, you probably had some moments of curiosity in your life where you questioned certain things about Korean culture. Why is there a Pepsi logo on the Korean flag? Why do Korean kids in my class only have like… three last names (Kim, Lee, Park)?
If you are a K-Drama addict, and even took the time to watch variety shows with your favorite idols, your thoughts and interest towards Korea may have grown even deeper! Maybe, if you’re a Koreaboo, you may wonder why you become a year older as soon as arriving in Korea, why there's so much drama in those street tent bars, and how Koreans drink so much soju from those green bottles. And, probably the question on everyone’s mind in 2020, why is BTS so dang popular (honorable mention: What the heck does “Gangnam Style” mean)?
Well, if you get lost in translation, you can simply look up the word in the dictionary, but what if you get lost between cultures and there's no one to kindly tell you what's going on? You can get by with a lucky guess, but you are missing a valuable opportunity to learn about Korean culture indepthly!
Regardless of who you are and where you come from – a K-Pop/K-Drama fanatic, an expat living in Korea, a student who just got accepted to study abroad in Korea (congrats!), or even a second-generation Gyopo from the Korean diaspora, you no longer have to stay puzzled and irritated by not being able to understand the peculiarities you find in Korea overall!
With over 350 essential topics and most frequently asked questions that are hand-picked from 27 categories, covering virtually every aspect of Korean culture by laying out all the details on the “Five Ws (Who, What, When, Where, Why) and How”, you can fully understand Korean culture inside and out!
Most importantly, we’ve written this book with people like you in mind, so having zero knowledge about Korea is absolutely fine! However, if you are the proud K-Culture know-it-all of your friend group you can put your knowledge to the test and even learn some new interesting facts to surprise your friends with by jumping between sections of your choice.
To maximize your learning, we’ve included the following in every section!
- QR Code For YouTube Clips : Let’s see how Koreans do it in real life! Simply scan the QR code with your smartphone and you will be taken to amazing YouTube clips.
- Must-See Korean Dramas and Movies: We’ve carefully selected a list of titles that can help you further appreciate the topic.
- Must-Know Terms and People : We’ve marked important Korean terms with Bold and Italics so you can use them as a study aid!
By the time you’ve finished the last chapter, you will have learned so much about Korea, including all the minute details! (E.g., Why do Koreans love sitting on the floor? Why is it rude to pour drinks with one hand?)
An added bonus is that Korean dramas, movies, and K-Pop music videos and lyrics will mean so much more the next time you see them (Hey, you will have the ability to accurately identify all the Korean drama clichés)! So next time you hang out with a Korean friend, you can flaunt your knowledge by telling them why you hit the neck of the bottle with a Taekwondo chop when opening it (don’t forget to turn your body away when drinking with an older person). And if someone compliments you for having a “small face,” you will correctly respond by saying “Thank you.”
Now let’s start this book with an example of “Bbali Bbali” culture - hurry up and start reading!
300 pages, Paperback
First published October 11, 2020
16 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
Woosung Kang
38 books6 followersWoosung is one of the leading experts in the field of nation branding in Korea. He served as a Cyber Advisory Council Member at The Presidential Council of Nation Branding, and as an Overseas Advisory Member at The National Unification Advisory Council.
His blog (www.KoreaBrandImage.com) received multiple awards and its popularity led to the publication of his book "Stand Up to the World 세계를 향해 바로서라 (2010)", written for a Korean audience.
He earned his B.A. in Management from the University of Denver and an M.A. in Consumer Psychology from New York University.
He is a featured columnist of various media and also works as a copywriter/marketing professional. While in New York, he led a series of successful marketing campaigns promoting Korean culture, and made numerous TV/Radio appearances.
His mission is to help readers around the world understand and enjoy Korean culture through literature.
His blog (www.KoreaBrandImage.com) received multiple awards and its popularity led to the publication of his book "Stand Up to the World 세계를 향해 바로서라 (2010)", written for a Korean audience.
He earned his B.A. in Management from the University of Denver and an M.A. in Consumer Psychology from New York University.
He is a featured columnist of various media and also works as a copywriter/marketing professional. While in New York, he led a series of successful marketing campaigns promoting Korean culture, and made numerous TV/Radio appearances.
His mission is to help readers around the world understand and enjoy Korean culture through literature.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 13, 2025
Visually appealing but a lot
Was left out and a lot of questions weren’t actually answered
Was left out and a lot of questions weren’t actually answered
August 2, 2022
This book was interesting and seemed to do a pretty good job explaining and expanding on topics that non-Koreans interested in Korean culture might already be aware of, however...
The author used a very informal tone throughout, trying to joke with the reader but often falling flat. Additionally, the editing was absolutely abysmal. Really basic formatting and editing mistakes were everywhere. The romanizations of the Korean words sometimes changed from sentence to sentence. There were even whole paragraphs repeated on the same page. It felt like no one even gave it a read through before sending it to the printer.
Also, the list of "references" in the back that is almost half made up of wiki pages was not encouraging. Overall read much more like a poorly edited blog than an actual book, but I got it as a gift so I'll give it a small benefit of the doubt.
PS: Dear Woosung Kang, please hire me to edit the next edition. I'd gladly take the job!
The author used a very informal tone throughout, trying to joke with the reader but often falling flat. Additionally, the editing was absolutely abysmal. Really basic formatting and editing mistakes were everywhere. The romanizations of the Korean words sometimes changed from sentence to sentence. There were even whole paragraphs repeated on the same page. It felt like no one even gave it a read through before sending it to the printer.
Also, the list of "references" in the back that is almost half made up of wiki pages was not encouraging. Overall read much more like a poorly edited blog than an actual book, but I got it as a gift so I'll give it a small benefit of the doubt.
PS: Dear Woosung Kang, please hire me to edit the next edition. I'd gladly take the job!
January 6, 2021
Two stars because the information is often useful for a new expat in Korea, like me. But wow, the production on this book is sloppy and amateurish. Mistakes and formatting errors abound, and that’s to say nothing of the repeated Wikipedia citations. It was like reading a poorly edited middle school yearbook.
August 28, 2025
This is a great book for those wanting a non overwhelming but thorough overview of Korean Culture and History. The visuals and YouTube links throughout the book helped the elevate understanding of all the topics. I really appreciated all the recommendations of films, shows, food, and sites to visit.
January 25, 2026
Overall interesting, yet the editing was poor, thus making any information unreliable. For example: incorrect dating on events of the Korean War. Also, there were several duplicate paragraphs and sentences throughout the book.
September 5, 2024
I don't trust a book that lists 95% of its sources of information from Wikipedia. I mean, how did this get published?
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews