기사 요약: 다소 모호할 수 있는 우리나라 호칭 문화 '님,' '씨' 등에 대한 고찰
[1] President Yoon Suk Yeol scrapped Korea’s traditional way of counting age, in which a person is considered one at birth, and grows a year older on the first day of the new year. The revised law will go into effect in June. Some may wish the same might be done about Koreans’ way of addressing each other.
- go into effect 효력이 발생되다, 실시되다
- addressing ~에게 말을 걸다, 다루다
[2] Over the past two decades, a growing number of South Koreans have been using “nim” as an honorific suffix after names, or as a respectful but informal form of “you.”
- honorific 존경을 나타내는, 경칭의
[3] There are some reasons behind the proliferation of “nim.” Traditionally, Koreans had a highly ordered system of addressing each other, with a single person often having multiple appellations. He or she would have an informal one for the home and among friends; an official one which people of lower ranks or age could not use without adding a title or appropriate honorifics; and a “ho,” which is similar to a pen name.
[4] It is still considered rude to call an adult by his or her first name today, despite drastic changes in society. Thus, addressing someone can be rather wordy, awkward or risky -- especially in non-familial and non-professional circumstances.
기사 원문: http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20230314000501
2. Naturalization exam: How difficult is it?
기사 요약: 귀화 목표 외국인 대상 주어지는 귀화 시험, 실제 한국인에게도 결코 쉽지 않은 난이도
[1] To become a naturalized citizen of South Korea, applicants must have a basic knowledge of the Korean language, customs and culture, which is evaluated through a written test and an interview.
- naturalized (외국인을) 귀화시키다, 귀화한
[2] The Korea Immigration and Naturalization Aptitude Test comprises multiple-choice questions, a writing test and an oral test, which must be completed within 60 minutes. To pass, one must score at least 60 points out of 100. According to the Justice Ministry, Korean children in the fourth to sixth grades should be able to pass the test.
[3] As a Korea Herald reporter and a South Korean citizen of 36 years and counting, I decided to try my hand at the multiple-choice question section of the ministry’s latest sample test posted September 2022. This section accounted for 65 of the 100 total points.
[4] The special process for those who are deemed to have exceptional abilities has the least number of requirements, and are not subject to requirements like a mandated period of residency, as well as a certain level of assets and income. They are also exempt from written tests.
- deemed to (…로) 여기다, 생각하다
[5] Of course, very few qualify for this since they must be someone who is expected to contribute greatly to the country’s interests through their expertise in fields such as science, economy, culture and sport. It was only in April of 2021 that 200 people got citizenship through this process, 10 years after the system’s introduction in 2011. In comparison, the number of newly naturalized citizens is around 10,000 people a year. In comparison, the number of newly naturalized citizens is around 10,000 people a year.
기사 원문: http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20230314000683