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Book answers it all, from K-drama cliches to meaning of 'Gangnam style'

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Kang Woosung, author of
Kang Woosung, author of "Korean Culture Dictionary" and "The K-Pop Dictionary," speaks during an interview at The Korea Times office in Seoul, Wednesday. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

'Promoting Korean culture should start with respecting other cultures'

By Park Han-sol

"Why is there a Pepsi logo on the South Korean flag?" "Why do all Korean names have three syllables?" "Why do I get a year, or even two years, older when I land on Korean soil?"

These are just some of the hundreds of questions repeatedly popping up daily on the internet that the book "Korean Culture Dictionary" aims to answer in an entertaining yet insightful way.

Its author Kang Woosung, 38, who wrote "The K-Pop Dictionary" in 2016, explained in a recent interview with The Korea Times that his new book intends to provide accurate information in English about "how Koreans came to be and why Koreans do what they do." It also attempts to address important questions that often go unanswered or are not clarified due to a lack of reliable resources for foreigners living in Korea.

"While my previous book, 'The K-Pop Dictionary,' was an attempt to take a peek into the psychology of modern Korean people through slang and neologism, this book provides a much broader perspective on Korea and Korean people," Kang said. "And I'm trying to create a record of Korean culture for posterity by making a compilation of snapshots."

The book becomes increasingly relevant amid the exponentially rising wave of global interest in the country, especially with K-pop, a genre once considered minor and "cult-like" now surfacing on mainstream media. Kang said "even in non-K-pop-related popular community websites, K-pop content is popping up more and resonating with more people."

"Korean Culture Dictionary" by Kang Woosung / Courtesy of New Ampersand Publishing
The themes dealt with in the book ― from Korean restaurants' free side dishes and odd compliments on having a small face, to jeonse loans (a form of renting where tenants pay a large lump sum upfront that is returned when they move out) ― mainly come from Kang's own experience as a Korean American often traveling overseas, as well as his foreign friends living and working in Korea.

Among thousands of questions about Korea, he focused on answering what global citizens were curious about the most and what could be of practical help for those residing in Korea. These include the explanation of Koreans' use of the words "yes" and "no," which sometimes means the opposite of when they're used in English; Seoul Metro facts; and the definition of a public key certificate, a web certificate required for online purchases and banking.

To provide reliable cultural facts that do not become another source of widespread misinformation about Korea, Kang stressed that fact-checking in his three-year preparation for the book was essential. In addition to textbooks and research papers available, he consulted Korean experts and people directly involved in topics he wrote about.

Besides his work in the publishing industry, Kang has also launched several campaigns in the United States in the past to promote Korean culture in a novel, eye-catching way. These were part of his efforts of "branding Korea," a journey he wished to embark on when he emigrated to the U.S. in 1997 and saw Korea taking such an insignificant, outdated portion of his world history textbook.

Organized by Kang, bottom right, more than 40 United Nations interns dressed in traditional Korean clothes and Goguryeo armor pose for pictures during New York's Village Halloween Parade on Oct. 31, 2010. / Courtesy of koreabrandimage.com
Organized by Kang, bottom right, more than 40 United Nations interns dressed in traditional Korean clothes and Goguryeo armor pose for pictures during New York's Village Halloween Parade on Oct. 31, 2010. / Courtesy of koreabrandimage.com

During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, he and fellow New York University (NYU) students printed a thousand red T-shirts with Hangeul supporting the Korean national team and handed them out to New Yorkers at Washington Square Park to promote Korea's unique alphabet.

In the same year, Kang organized a crowdfunding campaign in which over 40 international United Nations interns dressed in traditional Korean clothes and armor from the Goguryeo kingdom and took part in New York's Village Halloween Parade, the world's largest Halloween procession. Before then, the most, if not the only, well-known Korean character for Halloween had been North Korea's Kim Jong-il, Kang said.

"Admittedly, there is only so much an individual can do through such campaigns," he said. "What I wanted to achieve was to stir up public interest and suggest one of many possible ways to take action."

Kang said while he will continue to look for opportunities to promote Korean culture, whether they be through another book or awareness campaigns, he would be equally happy if he doesn't come across any field to further contribute to since it would be proof that his goal of "branding Korea" has come to fruition. He is now working with some Korean adoptee organizations in the U.S. by donating his books to the families to help them learn about the country.

"It's just so rewarding to hear my work helped them feel closer to Korea," Kang said. "An adoptive mother wrote me an email saying that reading my book with her daughter became part of their daily study."

He expressed hope also to do the same for relevant organizations here, including multicultural family support centers, migrant community service centers and even U.S. Forces Korea.

One important message Kang wanted to share with the Korean audience was that "promoting Korean culture should start with respecting other cultures." Without a proper sense of reciprocity and mutual respect, such an effort could end up being driven by nationalistic sentiment that belittles and disparages other cultures, he said.

"Culture is not a commodity that requires competition. It shouldn't be about determining each party's ranking like in the Olympic Games, but appreciating the diversity like in art galleries."
Park Han-sol hansolp@koreatimes.co.kr


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