강우성 작가는 뉴욕에서 활동하며 다양한 한국 문화 홍보 활동을 펼쳤고, 지난 2016년 ‘대박’, ‘아재 개그’와 같이 외국인들이 이해하기 힘들어하는 신조어와 유행어를 모아 알기쉽게 설명한 ‘케이팝 딕셔너리’를 선보이며 외국인 독자들의 폭발적인 반응을 이끌어냈다. 그 후, ‘글로벌 한류 열풍’으로 인해 한국에 대한 관심에 급증하는 것에 비해 한국 문화를 올바르고 정확하게 소개하는 자료가 절대적으로 부족하다는 점에 문제의식을 느꼈고, 해결책 마련을 위해 고심한 끝에 오랜동안 매진한 이번 작품을 내놓게 되었다. 외국인 독자들의 이해를 돕기 위해 다양한 사진자료와 삽화는 물론, QR 코드를 통해 유튜브에서 곧바로 관련 영상을 시청 할 수 있도록 했고, 반드시 봐야 할 한국 드라마나 영화 리스트 또한 구석구석 집어넣은 것을 보면 한국 문화를 조금이나마 더 제대로 알리고자 하는 그의 열정을 느낄 수 있다. 이와 함께 외국인들이 한국에서 생활하며 겪었던 재밌는 에피소드를 소개하며 문화적 유사성과 차이점을 설명, 독자들의 고개를 끄덕이게 만든다. 기존의 ‘케이팝 딕셔너리’가 그러했듯, 이번 ‘코리안 컬쳐 딕셔너리’또한 기존에는 없었던 종류의 책으로서, 한국을 알고자 하는 많은 이들에게 도움을 주고 한국 문화를 세계에 알리는 역할을 충실히 해내리라 믿어 의심치 않는다.
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! What does ‘Korea’ mean, and who are the people on the Korean currency notes? Why do Koreans love kimchi so much?
Maybe, if you’re a Koreaboo (no shame in the game) you may wonder how and why you become a year (or two years) older as soon as arriving in Korea? Why so much drama in those street tent bars (pojangmacha)? How do Koreans drink so much soju from those infamous green bottles? And, probably the question on everyone’s mind in 2020, why is BTS so gosh 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 or on the latest phone app. But what if you get lost between cultures and there"s no one to kindly fill you in on what"s going on? You can get by with a lucky guess, but not only is there no guarantee that you will get lucky next time, but you are also 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! This book is jam-packed 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.” After reading, you can fully understand Korea and appreciate its culture inside and out
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 (perhaps the most important one) 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). Oh, 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!!
