Korean at Wellesley and Beyond

On April 14th, KOR102 students took part in a special class on Minhwa (Korean Folk Painting). Korean Folk artist In Sun Cho was invited to teach students about Korean Folk art, and students displayed their enthusiasm and art skills as they painted peony flowers.

Welcome to March! March has been an eventful month with Study Night, Cooking Night, Noraebang Night, and Paper Folding Night with lots of learning and connection in the Korean corridor.

Study Night (3/2/23)

Our first event in March was Study Night, where dedicated students came together to prepare for their Korean mid-term oral exams. The atmosphere was buzzing with a sense of focus as students worked on preparing skits with partners, an integral part of the oral exam. They supported and encouraged one another, practicing their language skills and perfecting their performances. The room was alive with collaborative energy, as everyone worked towards their shared goal of excelling in the upcoming exams.

Cooking Night (3/9/23)

Get ready for another mouthwatering Cooking Night! This time we’re taking it up a notch. We’ve decided to cook two iconic Korean dishes: 미역국(Seaweed Soup) and 불고기 (Bulgogi).

미역국, also known as birthay soup, is a nourishing soup made with seaweed, often enjoyed on birthdays. It’s also a personal favorite of Hyun Jeong, our TA teacher, who wanted to share its delicious flavors of this soup with the students. As for 불고기, it’s one of the most well-known and beloved Korean barbecue dish consisting of thinly sliced beef marinated in a sweet-savory sauce.

During the event, students had the opportunity to compare self-made sauce, made from a combination of sugar, soy sauce, minced garlic, hot pepper, and onion with ready-made sauce purchased from H-mart. This hands-on experience allowed them to explore the nuances of flavor and appreciate the art of sauce preparation in Korean cuisine.

Collaborated Noraebang Night (3/17/23)

종이접기 Paper folding (3/23/23)

What an incredible night of creativity we had at Paper Folding Night. This time, we embarked on a special project to celebrate the Year of the Black Rabbit by crafting adorable Hanbok rabbits out of colorful paper. Students followed step-by-step instructions to transform ordinary paper into charming rabbits wearing Hanbok, showcasing their improved paper folding skills. The craft was completed by adding creative faces to the rabbits, giving each one a unique personality.

February was a fun-filled month for the Korean corridor. We had a series of events that showcased Korean culture, food, and entertainment.

과자 파티 Korean Snack Party (2/2/23)

On February 2nd, we started the month off with a Korean Snack Party. Five different popular Korean snacks (허니버터칩, 꼬북칩, 새우깡, 양파링, 조청 유과) were served along with teas. Students were encouraged to try each snack and guess the name of the snacks. This was a great opportunity for students to explore the flavors and textures of different types of Korean snacks.

Cooking Night (2/9/23)

The following week, on February 9th, we had a Cooking Night. This was a hands-on experience where we made 김치전(Kimchi jeon) and 부추전(Chive jeon). These two Korean pancakes are some of the easiest and quickest dishes to make, and they are deliciously hot, crispy, a little sweet, sour, and salty. Students learned how to mix the batter, chop the ingredients, and fry the jeons to perfection. The cooking night was a great bonding experience for everyone, as we cooked and enjoyed the food together.

공기 놀이 Gonggi (2/16/23)

On February 16th, Hyun Jeong introduced the students to the Korean traditional children’s game called 공기놀이 (Gonggi). Gonggi is played using five small pebbles, and the goal of the game is to pick up the stones in a certain order before catching a tossed stone with the same hand. Although some students had never played this game before, they quickly picked it up and had a lot of fun.

Movie Night (2/23/23)

Finally, on February 23rd, we ended the month with a movie night event. We watched the Korean comedy movie ‘극한 직업(Extreme job)’, which tells the story of a team of narcotics detectives going undercover in a fried chicken restaurant to catch a notorious drug lord. As they work at the restaurant, they accidentally become a huge success, and their operation to catch the drug lord becomes more complicated. The movie was a great way to relax and unwind after a busy few weeks. It had everyone laughing out loud and enjoying the unique humor of Korean entertainment. Overall, the February events in the Korean corridor were a great success and left everyone looking forward to more exciting events in the future.

Welcome back to 우리 동네, the Korean Corridor!!

Korean corridor is a dedicated space on a specific floor of Freeman Hall where students interested in Korean language and culture can connect, form friendships, and expand their networks. Our new TA, Hyun Jeong You, organizes weekly events for residents in the corridor to practice their Korean speaking skills outside the classroom and learn more about Korean culture.

First Gathering (9/21/22)

On September 21, we held our first gathering in the Freeman living room. We were thrilled to resume the corridor event after the pandemic and took this opportunity to get to know each other.

Game Night (9/28/22)

At the Game Night, we learned a popular Korean game called ‘딸기 게임 (Strawberry Game)’. Here’s how you play: After singing the intro song, everyone claps and moves their hands in a specific pattern. The first person then calls out another player with a newly chosen name and specifies the number of times they must say their name within four beats. If you forget someone’s name or started/ended off-beat, you would be out of the game. The highlight of the Game Night was when Professor Sun-hee Lee made a surprise visit, bringing with her a delicious strawberry cake that made the evening even more special. We were all excited to see her and grateful for her thoughtfulness.

Drama Night (10/5/22)

We gathered in the McCafee TV room to watch the K-drama ‘사내 맞선(Business Proposal)’ together. It was great to be surrounded by other members of the Korean corridor, sharing comments on the drama and the experience of watching it together.

종이접기 Paper Folding (10/19/22)

Look at this wonderful work! We created beautiful paper Hanbok, traditional Korean clothes, out of coloful paper. Although paper folding was challenging, it was also rewarding, and we all ended up with paper hanbok that we were proud of.

Movie Night (11/9/22)

We watched the fast-paced and suspenseful zombie movie ‘부산행 (Train to Busan). We were all on the edge of our seats throughout the movie as the passengers on a train fought to survive a zombie outbreak. It was a thrilling and intense movie night for all of us.

Cooking Night (11/16/22)

Probably the most awaited event of all, Cooking night!! We made a variety of Korean dishes, including 떡볶이 (tteokbokki), 김치전(Kimchi pancake), and 주먹밥(rice balls). 떡볶이 is a popular Korean street food made with chewy rice cakes and a spicy sauce. We got to make our own sauce, experimenting with different ratios of hot pepper paste, sugar, and soy sauce. We also made 김치전, a savory and tasty pancake made with kimchi and cute rice balls covered with Korean seasoned seaweed. The evening was filled with laughter and fun as we learned about Korean cuisine and enjoyed our delicious creations together.

Tea-time Night (11/30/22)

We enjoyed a relaxing and flavorful Tea-time Night, where we tried out a variety of delicious Korean teas and snacks. The teas we had included 옥수수 수염차 (corn silk tea), 오미자차 (omija tea), 유자차 (Korean citron Yuja tea), and 둥글레차 (Solomon’s seal tea), and we also had a selection of Korean snacks to munch on.

노래방 Noraebang Night (12/7/22)

For our last event of the fall semester, we had a Noraebang Night, which was a collaboration event between EALC department. It was a lively and enjoyable atmosphere where Korean, Japanese, and Chinese corridor members came together and had fun singing their favorite tunes. We had a wide selection of songs to choose from, and everyone was in high spirits.

We’ll be back with more events in 우리 동네 after the winter break. Stay tuned for more fun and exciting gatherings where we can continue to explore and appreciate Korean language and culture together!