Politics
History
Pop Culture
Education
Language
100
What kind of government does Korea have?
Democratic republic ("democracy" is acceptable I guess). This has been true at least from 1987, and then on and off before.
100
The name for Korea comes from which Korean dynasty? A) Goryeo B) Joseon C) Baekje D) Balhae
A - The Goryeo dynasty was in power from about 918-1392 AD and was replaced by the Joseon dynasty (lasting until 1392-1897)
100
Which Korean artist wrote Gangnam Style?
PSY
100
What second language is taught in Korean public schools?
English
100
What is "hello" (any form) in Korean?
안녕하세요!, 안녕,
200
The legislative body in Korea is called A) Parliament B) Congress C) National Assembly D) Standing Committee
C
200
Which of the following is a Korean ship famous for its impenetrable defenses? A) Dragon boat B) Dingus dinghy C) Rock ship D) Turtle ship
D - The turtle ship was covered with iron plates and spikes (giving it a turtle look, sorta?) It was an integral part of the navy in the Joseon Dynasty, serving an important role in defending Korea from the Japanese Emperor Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the late 1500s.
200
What the most popular Korean messaging app?
Kakao Talk-- it's used by 49.8 million people and is installed in over 95% of South Korean phones.
200
Many (I even daresay most) Korean students go to "academies" after school (they even have these for Korean-American students) called ____ in Korean.
Hagwon
200
What is "older brother" (if you're a girl) in Korean?
Oppa (오빠)
300
____ is a recently impeached South Korean leader. A) Park Geun-Hye B) Kim Min-ho C) Lee Myung-bak D) Choi Soon-sil
Park Geun-Hye was the first elected female South Korean President and the daughter of former totalitarian "President" Park Chung-Hee. She was impeached after several protests in November 2016 in Gwanghwamun Square outside of the Blue House in Seoul. These protests were each attended by over a million people.
300
Korea-Japan relations are traditionally ones of resentment (it's a nationwide celebration when Korea defeats Japan in the World Cup / US Olympics Soccer). This is partly due to the Japanese occupation during which Korea was a colony of Japan in the years ___ to ____. A) 1890 to 1947 B) 1850 to 1911 C) 1910 to 1945 D) 1876 to 1943
C - It began with the fall of the short-lived Korean Empire with the Japan-Korea treaty of 1910 (though this fall can be traced to the Japan-Korea treaty of 1876). It ended with the end of World War II in 1945.
300
What recently debuted American TV show is an adaptation of a Korean drama?
The Good Doctor (crazy right)
300
The typical high school student's school day ends at __ pm.
11 -- it's kind of a crazy statement. Most schools let out around 4 (or later if there are clubs/meetings/cleaning), at which students take a break to eat out or stop by their house. They then return to school for "self-study," an independent prep time that is monitored by teachers. Some students then go to "hagwons" (prep schools) afterwards.
300
What is the Korean writing system called?????
Hangul (한글)
400
From which political party is the current President? A) The Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) B) Justice Party (JP) C) Liberty Korea Party (LKP) D) People's Party (PP)
A
400
South Korea has had a turbulent history since the Korean War, with both autocratic and democratic rule over six "Republics." The Fifth Republic ended with a civil rights campaign called the _____ A) Mungunghwa Protests (mugunghwa is SK's national flower) B) June Struggle C) 1987 Civilian War D) Free Speech Movement
B - the June Struggle, or the June Democracy Movement or the June Democratic Uprising, was a series of protests that involved upwards of a million people across the country in 1987.
400
Korean pop music is dominated by three major companies. Name two of these countries!
YG, SM, and JYP
400
High school is not required for Korean students. However, __% of Korean young adults do complete high school.
97 -- this is the highest of any nation.
400
"Korea" comes from a word that means A) Mountainous land B) High and clear C) Soft and sweet D) I love Billy
B
500
South Korea's Presidency was recently impeached and replaced with a candidate with a human rights advocacy background. His name is A) Roh Moo-Hyun B) Ahn Cheol-soo C) Moon Jae-in D) Lee Jae-Myung
C. Moon Jae-in took office this past May, winning a plurality of 41% of the vote.
500
The South Korean writing system is famous for being invented over ten years and having one of the simplest alphabets of the world. By which legendary monarch was this accomplished? A) King Taejong B) King Sejong C) King Gwanggaeto D) King Seongjong
King Sejong - among other things, he distributed food to farmers, reformed the Korean calendar, and integrated modern gunpowder into the military.
500
What award did BTS win at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards?
Top Social Media Artist
500
The acronym SKY is used to refer to the three most prestigious colleges in South Korea. Name TWO of these colleges!
Seoul National University Korean University Yonsei University
500
What is Nathan's Korean name?????
김찬영 (Kim Chan-Yeong)
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