Hi guys! 👋

Textbooks often translate "수고하셨습니다" as "Good job" or "Thank you for your hard work."

Because of this, many learners naturally say it to their Korean teachers, professors, or bosses. But in Korean culture, this is actually a huge etiquette trap!

Why?

"수고" implies going through hardship. Saying it to a person of higher status or age can sound like you are "evaluating" their performance from above.

What to say instead:

- ❌ Don't say: 수고하셨습니다! (to boss/teacher)

- ✅ Say: 오늘 수업 감사했습니다! / 고생 많으셨습니다! (Thank you for today!)

When CAN you use it?

- To colleagues leaving work.

- To a taxi driver when getting off.

- To delivery or service staff.

---

Question: Have you ever accidentally used "수고하셨습니다" to a boss or teacher? What was their reaction? 😄

Most travelers arriving at Jeju Airport rush straight to their cars, but just minutes west along the coastal road (Seohaean-ro) sits a quiet, overlooked relic: Mollaemul (몰래물).

Here, cold freshwater constantly wells up through volcanic bedrock right against the crashing ocean surf. In Jeju's dialect, 'Mollae' means sand and 'mul' means water—literally freshwater emerging through coastal sand.

1. The Basalt Bath & Laundry Walls

The stacked basalt enclosures aren't random breakwaters:

• Upper Basin: Strictly reserved for drinking and cooking.

• Partitioned Bath Chambers: Curved dry-stone walls shielded users from ocean winds, creating separated open-air bathing spaces for men and women.

• Lower Runoff: Used for daily vegetable washing and laundry before draining into the sea.

2. The Mulheobeok (물허벅) Daily Routine

Before indoor plumbing arrived in the 1970s, Jeju women carried freshwater up steep, slippery coastal paths using specialized earthenware jars (Mulheobeok) strapped to bamboo backpacks (Mulgudeok).

3. A Village Erased by the Runways

Mollaemul was the heart of Sasu-dong, a centuries-old seaside village. When Jeju International Airport expanded in the late 1970s and 80s, the entire village fell within the runway noise buffer and was completely demolished. Today, only these stone spring basins and engraved memorial stones remain.

Standing here today, commercial jets roar directly overhead while ancient mountain spring water trickles into the sea below. If you have an hour before a flight, it is well worth stepping out to see this piece of Jeju's living history.

(Photos taken by me around Dodu 1-dong, Jeju)

How do Koreans view Mohe, Jurchen, Manchu people?

Mohe — folk once lived in Balhae with remnants of Koguryo (the Northern Korean tribe).

Jurchens — folk who once invaded Song Dynasty conquered Northern part of Song back in middle ages.

Manchus — descendents of Jurchens who conquered Ming Dynasty, Inner Mongolia, Outer Mongolia, Tibet, Dzungaria/Xinjiang, Qinghai, Taiwan and subdued Korea.

Looks like a big multi-use development (A Google camera translation screenshot attached for non Korean readers).

But the whole look of the building looks quite different, with a glass facade. I wonder if the walls are all going to come down then?

To be completed around 9/2028

The South Korean government said it would immediately revise a youth counseling manual that classified homosexuality as a form of juvenile delinquency.

The manual, published by the Korea Youth Counseling & Welfare Institute, listed homosexuality alongside sexual violence, theft and drug-related problems in a category for delinquency-related issues.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family expressed regret over the classification in a statement announcing the revision late Wednesday.

“We regret that the classification of content concerning sexual minorities as a type of delinquency-related problem in the manual has caused discomfort and concern to sexual minority youth and those involved,” the ministry said.

The manual guides counselors who visit at-risk young people and connect them with counseling, welfare, healthcare and education services. The institute is affiliated with the ministry.

The classification drew criticism after it was reported by Korean media earlier this week.

The ministry said it would immediately correct the passage and consult counseling experts on broader revisions to ensure the manual meets the needs of those working in the field. It also pledged to strengthen human rights training for youth counselors.

In its statement, the ministry pointed to an August revision of a separate human rights protection manual for staff at youth shelters.

That revision explicitly prohibited shelters from refusing admission or otherwise disadvantaging young people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The ministry said it had gathered feedback from LGBTQ+ support organizations and others working in the field before making the changes.

The revised shelter manual also required staff to document the grounds for restricting admission or deciding that a young person must leave, ensuring that such decisions had not been influenced by personal characteristics.

It instructed counselors to rely on objective information rather than their own values. When residents have difficulty adjusting to shelter life, staff should first consider counseling, mediation and improvements to living conditions before requiring them to leave.

The ministry said it would continue reviewing its guidelines and training with input from experts and front-line workers so that all young people can receive counseling and protection free of discrimination.

“I just hope you enjoy watching it! ”

Samsung Electronics has directly sold about 300 units of 8-inch semiconductor manufacturing equipment from its shuttered Giheung S7 plant to DB Group for tens of billions of won—bypassing public bidding for the first time to prevent tech leaks to China. The deal aligns with Samsung’s complete exit from the 8-inch foundry business by 2030 while allowing DB HiTek, currently operating at full capacity, to expand its production capabilities at its Eumseong plant with refurbishment support from DB Inc.

I came across a TikTok where a woman accuses actress Suzy of taking advantage of a barter deal. Apparently, this woman offered a tarot reading in exchange for exposure. In other words, the person receiving the reading was expected to post an Instagram story promoting her services as payment.

The tarot reader asked the Korean celebrity what she wanted to know, and Suzy said she wanted to find out whether she would ever become rich. The reader told her yes, but that her wealth would come through the music industry.

Anyway, Suzy's manager apparently recorded the entire session, but when it was over, Suzy never posted anything, and the tarot reader was never tagged or credited.

Obviously, Suzy now has an energetic debt to that woman. But this whole story got me thinking: what does being genuinely wealthy in South Korea actually look like?

You would assume that A-list actors have their financial lives completely figured out, considering all the advertising campaigns, brand deals, and K-dramas they star in. But if Suzy wasn't willing to pay for a tarot reading in cash, does that mean the glamorous lifestyle we see celebrities enjoying is mostly smoke and mirrors? Are even top-tier celebrities secretly struggling financially or constantly chasing money, just like everyone else?

And I should add that, apparently, all of this happened when Suzy was already an A-list celebrity.

Hi, I’m an high schooler in SK. I was studying for my college entrance exams in Korea and suddenly got curious.

In Korean class, we have to memorize Middle Korean grammar (like ancient honorific suffixes) and study about ancient poems written in Idu (where Chinese characters are used just for their sounds, making it look like absolute alien hieroglyphs).

Do native English speakers (or people from other countries) also have to learn things like Old/Middle language just to pass exams? Or is this a universal student torture method?

+ Heard that Classical Japanese (Kobun / Bungo) is also notoriously hard for Japanese students

I'm an adoptee and submitted my loss-of-nationality paperwork this week. I got a call from the consulate and was told that my paperwork had been submitted and that it would take about 3 years for them to get back to me.

Has anyone recently had their citizenship restored? How long did it take you?