This week Jun and Daniel discuss Daniel’s recent experience attending an event at his 4-year-old’s preschool– sports day! Sports day (운동회) in Korea is a classic elementary school tradition that would evoke very fond memories to most anyone who grew up there. For Americans, imagine field day, but even bigger, more official, and standardized across all schools. What were the classic events that all Koreans would know? How were children typically divided up? What is humorous about how the score is kept? How competitive is it? How similar was Daniel’s experience to what Jun recalls from his childhood? What was traditionally the most important and memorable part of sports day that Daniel found surprising? How would this work differently had it been done in America? What about sports day is reflective of Korean society at large? And what remnants continue to be seen in modern Korean corporations and Korean American church communities alike?

If you're interested in any of these questions, tune in to hear Daniel and Jun discuss all this and more! Also in this episode, Daniel finally connects the dots with the name of a famous landmark in Seoul, Jun waxes nostalgic and makes Daniel wish he could have grown up in 1990s Daegu (at least for one magical autumn day), and both bond over a surprising shared memory of youth in the US.

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This week Jun and Daniel discuss the housing payment system of jeonse (전세), or key money deposit, that is unique to South Korea amongst all OECD countries. Roughly 50% of renters in Korea are living with a jeonse, and in 2022 the average jeonse price in Seoul was $500,000. For the first few months after moving to Korea, Daniel had to ask almost every Korean person he met about the jeonse system, because of how foreign and unsustainable it seemed. What is a jeonse, and how does it work? What are some other aspects of the Korean real estate ecosystem that work together with jeonse? How do Koreans and Americans think differently about real estate, at a very fundamental level? How do Koreans manage to get such a high deposit amount? What is appealing about this system to Koreans? What are the other options available to renters besides jeonse? What does the day of look like when Koreans move into a jeonse? What role do real estate agents play in Korea? Is there an equivalent to the escrow system that exists in America? What is an important factor in real estate investing that isn’t important in the US? What are the cracks that are beginning to appear in the jeonse system in particular, and the overall Korean real estate ecosystem more broadly?

If you're interested in any of these questions, tune in to hear Daniel and Jun discuss all this and more! Also in this episode, Daniel and Jun discuss where in Seoul they would want to move, if they were to move out of their current city.

Links
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeonse

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This week Jun and Daniel have another guest interview with their friend and former co-worker, Alex, who is a frequent visitor to Korea. This time, Alex is visiting Korea to celebrate his daughter’s first birthday. What is something that the cities of Ilsan and Bundang share? What was the first food Alex and his wife sought out upon landing? What are some ways that Koreans are innovative, food-wise? What are some things Alex thought was Korean growing up, but is actually Japanese? What does Alex look forward to while he is in Korea? Why are Koreans hesitant to help strangers in public? What is a fear that Alex has as a visitor, that seems to be more commonly held by Korean Americans than Korean Koreans? Do Koreans have a plan in case of an emergency attack from the North? Where has Korea tried to relocate their capital city to, and why? What are some uncomfortable questions one should be prepared to have when meeting with extended family in Korea? What’s one bit of Korean culture Alex would export to America if he could? What stops him from moving to Korea permanently? How can Koreans tell Korean Americans apart from Korean Koreans?

If you're interested in any of these questions, tune in to hear Daniel, Jun, and Alex discuss all this and more!

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This week Jun and Daniel discuss the topic of milestones and celebrations. As Daniel recently passed a significant birthday, our hosts take this opportunity to compare what are the big life events in Korea and America, as well as what is typically done to celebrate. What does your average children’s birthday party look like in Korea, and what is one surprising difference from America? Are birthday parties themselves as big of a deal in Korea as they are in America? What surprised Daniel about how a child’s first birthday (doljanchi) is celebrated in Korea? What is someone’s 60th or 70th birthday called in Korea, and what is typically done to commemorate the milestone? What are the traditional Confucian beliefs about various birthday milestones? How do weddings and the associated events compare across the two countries? What are some other cultural celebrations Daniel got to experience in America, due to its broader diversity? Which country parties harder, and does either country take celebrating too far?

If you're interested in any of these questions, tune in to hear Daniel and Jun discuss all this and more! Also in this episode, Daniel debuts his first ever piece of podcast swag, Jun shares his most memorable birthday party from his childhood, and both share some fun milestones related to the podcast itself.

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This week Jun and Daniel discuss a couple major trending news headlines in Korea. First, Min Hee-Jin (CEO of ADOR, HYBE’s sub-label for the K-pop girl group NewJeans) held a press conference to address her dispute with HYBE (Korean entertainment company behind BTS and other K-pop groups) which went viral for its authenticity and candor about the industry. Despite neither of our hosts being big K-pop fans, they do their best to break down the story for the audience. Why exactly did the press conference go so viral in Korea? What is some important context about Korean society and culture that can help people understand the country’s reaction to this press conference? What else is going viral as a result of the press conference? How is this all going to conclude? Second, Korea’s beloved soccer team failed to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics. What are the most popular events for Koreans during the Olympics? What is the overlap with the most popular events in America?

If you're interested in any of these questions, tune in to hear Daniel and Jun discuss all this and more! Also in this episode, Daniel shares what he’s most looking forward to watching in the upcoming Olympics, and Jun explains what Koreans mean when they call something “hip hop”.

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We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and we're so excited to have you following us on this journey!

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This week Jun-nim and Daniel-nim have a conversation around various topics related to titles in Korea and the hierarchy they create. Our hosts discuss what language Koreans use to refer to each other within family, workplace, and general societal relationships, and the expectations that follow. What is something challenging for Jun when translating the English subtitles into Korean? How are the Korean words for uncle, cousin, and other family members related? How can Koreans communicate without knowing each other’s names? What was King Sejong the Great’s real name? What is a professional ‘announcer’? What other profession has recently ascended to the level of being used as an official title, along with lawyer, doctor, and teacher? What are some shocking ways in which teachers will refer to their students? What are the titles related to birth order, and the corresponding stigmas associated with them? 

If you're interested in any of these questions, tune in to hear Daniel and Jun discuss all this and more! Also in this episode, Daniel and Jun bond over their common birth order and how appreciative they both are of it in hindsight.

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We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and we're so excited to have you following us on this journey!

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This week Jun and Daniel interview their former coworkers who have been living in Korea but are moving back to America. This episode is the first in our “iyagi” (“story” or “conversation” in Korean) series, in which we interview guests about their time living in Korea. Today, our conversations cover such questions as: What brought them to Korea in the first place? What are the first foods that they crave after landing in Korea and America? How do our guests define ‘home’, and where does it feel most like it? What are the top things our guests have come to appreciate about Korea? Does our American feel comfortable leaving their laptop while going to the bathroom at Starbucks? What are some misconceptions that people have about Korea and America? What is something our guests miss most about America after living in Korea for some time? What would it take for our guests to consider settling down in Korea long-term? What gifts do our guests bring with them when they visit Korea or America? What was the first bit of “culture shock” our guests faced in Korea? What bit of Korean culture would our guests like to bring back to America? What was their most memorable experience while in Korea? How does gym culture differ between Korea and America? How does parenting culture differ between the two countries?

If you're interested in any of these questions, tune in to hear Daniel, Jun, Rae, and E discuss all this and more!

Guest Bio
E: Born and raised in the USA. East Asian heritage, but not Korean. Together with his wife, tried life abroad. Ended up in Korea for 2 years. Works in software.

Rae: Rae was born and raised in Korea but always felt that “just being a Korean” doesn’t do justice to her identity. She ended up living 3 different continents and learning 4 different languages in her 20s and is currently located in South Korea with her Korean American husband and son after 10 years of hiatus in the US. Inspired by her personal background, she works as a qualitative researcher helping product builders understand their users. She is planning to move back to the US this summer. 

Links
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sasaeng_fan

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This week Jun and Daniel discuss all things Japan! Given Jun mentions Japan at least once in seemingly every episode, Daniel’s recent family vacation to Kyoto and Osaka presented a golden opportunity to finally dedicate an entire episode to Korea’s easterly neighbor. Did you know that more Koreans visit Japan as tourists than from any other country, and vice versa? What makes Japan such a popular tourist destination for Koreans? What’s changed the most for Koreans visiting Japan, when compared to 20 years ago? What is the go-to snack for Koreans to bring back from Japan as a gift? How family friendly did Daniel find Japan? What stood out in Japan, after living in Korea? What are some things that Daniel only just now realized originated in Japan? What was the worst experience from Daniel’s trip that unfortunately reminded him of life in the US? How do Jun and Daniel’s perceptions of Japan differ, growing up in Korea compared to America? What are some things that Americans would attribute to Japan, that Koreans would not? How are relations currently between Korea and Japan?

If you're interested in any of these questions, tune in to hear Daniel and Jun discuss all this and more! Also in this episode, Daniel shares one way in which he feels more Korean now when traveling abroad, and Jun gets philosophical with regards to beauty.

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This week Jun and Daniel discuss hygiene standards and expectations across Korea and the US. By the end of the episode, our hosts reach consensus on what the root differentiating factor is in hygiene standards between the two countries. What are some things that Americans think are fine, that Koreans would find gross, and vice versa? How strict are Koreans about this concept of “outdoor” vs “indoor” clothes and not mixing the two? What is a very surprising requirement for exercising in a gym in Korea? Which country has dustier homes? While Koreans prefer having wet bathrooms for hygiene purposes, what are some unhygienic consequences of this? What are some common home appliances in Korea that aren’t found in American homes? Are there any differences in food hygiene? What are our hosts' feelings towards public bathrooms in Korea? How about sneezing or blowing your nose in public? Are there differences in oral hygiene standards between the two countries? What is with Korea’s obsession with UV light cleaners? What is a common misunderstanding that Koreans have of Western hygiene standards? What is an “italy” towel? Do our hosts have different feelings towards public baths? 

If you're interested in any of these questions, tune in to hear Daniel and Jun discuss all this and more! Listen as our hosts get vulnerable and reveal their personal hygiene habits that they will most definitely be judged for. Also in this episode, Daniel shares something gross his father does on the regular, while Jun shares something he frequently got in trouble for when he was living with his brother.

Support the show

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This week Jun and Daniel discuss their experiences with Japanese comic books (manga) and shows (anime). Prompted by the sudden and sad death of legendary anime creator Akira Toriyama, our hosts share how Dragon Ball impacted their lives in very different but still meaningful ways. What role did Dragon Ball play in Korean culture in the 80s and 90s? How does Dragon Ball in English differ from Korean? How big of an influence did Japanese manga and anime have in Korea? What are the perceptions of lovers of Japanese culture in Korea vs America? What is the basis of many popular Korean dramas that most Americans would never have heard of? What are some things about American comic books that a Korean person would find surprising?

If you're interested in any of these questions, tune in to hear Daniel and Jun discuss all this and more! Also in this episode, Daniel and Jun share their favorite Dragon Ball characters and moments.

NOTE: This episode contains light spoilers for Dragon Ball Z.

Support the show

We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and we're so excited to have you following us on this journey!

Support us on Patreon:
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Member of the iyagi media network (www.iyagimedia.com)