Korean Cuisine (Food & Drink)
This staple side dish, which often accompanies every single meal, consists of fermented, spicy vegetables—most famously cabbage.
What is Kimchi?
King Sejong the Great created this uniquely scientific and phonetic alphabet in 1443 to increase the country's literacy rate.
What is Hangul?
This massive body of water, separating the peninsula from Japan, is referred to as the East Sea in Korea.
What is the Sea of Japan?
The insanely popular 2012 music video "Gangnam Style" by Psy is a satirical nod to the wealthy lifestyle in this specific district of Seoul.
What is Gangnam?
This traditional, elegant two-piece Korean garment is brightly colored and typically worn during festivals and traditional ceremonies.
What is Hanbok?
Translating literally to "mixed rice," this signature dish combines a bowl of warm rice, sautéed vegetables, and a fiery gochujang paste, often served in a sizzling stone pot.
What is Bibimbap?
This term translates to "Butterfly Dance" and is a traditional ceremonial performance deeply rooted in Korean Buddhist culture.
What is Nabichum?
Often called the "Hawaii of Korea," this volcanic island off the southern coast is a highly popular vacation spot and is home to a dormant volcano.
What is Jeju Island?
This famous, globally dominant boy band released "DNA" in 2017 and later became the first Korean-language act to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Life Goes On".
What is BTS?
South Korea's highly demanding, make-or-break university entrance exam is known in Korean as this.
What is the Suneung?
On New Year's Day, Koreans eat this traditional rice cake soup to symbolize gaining a year of age and good luck.
What is Tteokguk?
The Three Kingdoms era of ancient Korean history featured the Goguryeo, Baekje, and this prominent southern kingdom.
What is Silla?
The fiercely fortified, 150-mile-long border that separates North Korea from South Korea is known by this acronym.
What is the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone)?
his genre of Korean soap opera dramas—characterized by highly stylized fashion, emotional storylines, and massive international appeal—is sweeping the world
What are K-Dramas?
Like the number 13 in Western culture, this number is widely considered unlucky in Korea because its pronunciation sounds identical to the Korean word for "death".
What is the number 4?
This popular, spicy Korean street food consists of chewy rice cakes and fish cakes braised in a sweet and spicy red chili sauce.
What is Tteokbokki?
This four-character idiomatic expression, derived from Chinese, represents Korean proverbs that offer quick wisdom or moral lessons
What is a Sajeong or Sajeong-eon
Situated on this prominent body of water, the famous Incheon International Airport serves as the main gateway to the capital.
What is the Yellow Sea?
In 2020, Parasite made history as the first foreign-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. It was directed by this visionary filmmaker.
Who is Bong Joon-ho?
he art of kicking and punching, this is the national sport of Korea and an official Olympic event.
What is Taekwondo?
Koreans traditionally eat this seaweed soup on their birthdays to honor and remember their mothers, but avoid it on test days because it is "slippery."
What is Miyeok-guk?
This legendary figure, the son of a bear-woman and a heavenly prince, is historically credited as the founder of Gojoseon, the first Korean kingdom.
Who is Dangun?
This tallest peak on the Korean Peninsula rises proudly at 6,397 feet on Jeju Island.
What is Mount Hallasan (or Halla-san)?
A district in Seoul erected a massive bronze statue of overlapping hands specifically to pay homage to this massive K-Pop dance move.
What is the "Gangnam Style" gallop/horse dance?
This traditional board game, which translates into English as "go," involves placing black and white pebbles to claim territory.
What is Baduk?