Best products from r/korea

We found 60 comments on r/korea discussing the most recommended products. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 196 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.

Top comments mentioning products on r/korea:

u/endari · 31 pointsr/korea
If you enjoy coffee, make your own coffee and bring some beans with you. The coffee at Korean coffee shops is super watered down...I hate it.

Buy deodorant if you are someone who smells (I'm Korean and most Koreans don't need it).

Beef Jerky is also something that Korean people like but is not very abundant.

Bring a GSM-enabled phone so you can buy a SIM card. A Smartphone is a must!!!

A pebble watch is super useful on the subways to wake you up before your stop. Be ready for the shower an toilet to be in the same room.

Bring some passport sized photos with you as they are necessary to get some ID cards. There are also passport machines in some subway stations.

Bring any medicines you might need as Korean pharmacies might not have the same stuff. There is also that issue of medicines being labelled in Korean.

Bring a Korean phrase book or better yet an app to translate.

LEARN HANGUL (Korean alphabet)!!!!! I cannot emphasize this enough. It is super easy and can be learned in 15 minutes or while on the plane ride! Here is a useful guide: http://9gag.com/gag/3968335/learn-to-read-korean-in-15-minutes

Google maps is not very useful in Korea because there are some regulatory things. Bing maps is suprisingly more useful than Google maps in Korea. Once you learn Hangul, use Daum maps or Naver maps.

Download the App called Kakaotalk. This is the primary means of communication in Korea instead of text messaging.

Learn to take taxis and not get ripped off. Here is an article: http://www.korea4expats.com/article-taxi-korea.html

Buy these: http://www.amazon.com/Delicol-Assorted-Seamless-Bandanna-Headwrap/dp/B00IRVNH3Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1420937004&sr=8-2&keywords=head+buff

Download the app called Jihachul (Korean Subway). It is very useful to learn the subway system. Also while you are there, right before you board, the map different destinations might have a # on it like (3-1). That number corresponds to the train car # that will help you walk the shortest distance. Let's say you are going to Gangnam station, there might be a # on the map like "5-2" right next to Gangnam station which means if you go to that specific car, when you get off, that specific train car will be closest to the exit or transfer point.

Make friends that are American, but also Korean! Please do not isolate yourself from experiencing Korean culture from the Korean native's eyes. Korean friends help you learn Korean, can help buy medications at the pharmacy and even help you if you need to go to the hospital. They are invaluable and will also appreciate speaking english with you.

You can drink in public in Korea, but please don't be flamboyant about it.

Subways are cheapest, taxis are not as cheap but still cheap (especially if you are with a group of people), and don't take the bus unless you know hangul and know what you're doing.

If you wear prescription eye glasses, bring your prescription with you. Eye glasses are super cheap, don't buy them in the states. They can be as low as $20-$50.

I would recommend the KT Olleh telecom company and buy the 2GB/month plan with 25 talk time minutes. This will run you around $20-$25. It comes with unlimited Olleh hotspot data and Olleh hotspots are in every subway car and almost everywhere in the city.

Korea is a gift giving society. Bring gifts from the United States to your employer, friends, or anyone who helps you. They will be in your debt and will be even more helpful in your endeavors to assimilate. Chocolate, coffee, beef jerky, whiskey, and beer are all good gifts for the appropriate person.

Korean Beer sucks, learn to drink soju. Drink it now before you go. My favorite soju is Joeun Day soju. I believe it is from Daegu. http://www.eurohitechsystem.com.sg/content/uploads/photo/resize_1389858508.jpg

Watch eatyourkimchi videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/simonandmartina
Watch Seoulistic videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/SeoulisticVideos

earn Korean customs, etiquette, and superstitions.
Food Table manners: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnWA1_ZSlFY
Drinking etiquette: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plywvyKnU4Y
Bowing etiquette: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJLrEzpzpYA

- Do not use your finger to point (it's rude)
- Learn how to introduce yourself in Korean (they will like you more)

Best phrases to survive once you get there
- Hello= anyonghasayo
- Excuse me (while asking for a waiter or waitress)= Choh Gi Yo
- Excuse me (while trying to get through people in a crowded subway or accidentally bumping)- Jom Shi Mon Yo
- I would like this please= Eee Gah Juseyo
- Beer please= Maekju Juseyo
- I don't speak Korean= Hanguk Mal Mote Heyo
- Where is the bathroom?= Haw Jang Shil Oh Dee Yay Yo
- Thank you= Kamsamnida (General), Komupsimnida (at a restaurant/general), Komawo (Informal with friends)
- Goodbye= Anyongheegasaeyo (When another person is leaving), Anyongheegaesaeyo (when you are leaving)
- Take me to (name of station) exit (exit #)= (name of station) yoke (exit #) baang chul goo
Example: Take me to Hongdae Station exit #7= Hongdae yoke pal baang chul goo. (Usually used in a taxi and your destination is near a subway.

u/woeful_haichi · 15 pointsr/korea

Joseon era:

  • A Review of Korean History, Vol.2: Joseon Era; Woo, Han Young (2010)
  • Sources of Korean Tradition, Vol. 1: From Early Times Through the 16th Century (Introduction to Asian Civilizations); Lee, Peter H. (ed) (1996)
  • Sources of Korean Tradition, Vol. 2: From the Sixteenth to the Twentieth Centuries; Lee, Peter H. (ed) (1996)

    I prefer the 'Review' more, but it might come across as a little dry. I feel that it does a fair job of discussing a number of topics related to the creation and running of the Joseon Dynasty, breaking the dynasty up into smaller components and then focusing on some areas (arts, military, cultural practices) within those smaller time frames. 'Sources' for me came across as more academic than 'Review' but you might enjoy it more. 'Sources' includes translations of primary sources, which is helpful, while 'Review' includes images such as paintings and maps.

    General:

  • Korea Unmasked: In Search of the Country, the Society and the People; Rhie Won-bok (2005)

    A comic book that goes into the 'making' of Korea and Korean culture. I have some reservations about this one but if you don't take it too seriously it can be a fun and easy way to get introduced to a number of topics related to Korea.

    'Modern' Korea:

  • The Dawn of Modern Korea; Lankov, Andrei (2007)
  • Korea Through Western Eyes, Book, Written in English; Neff, Robert (2009)
  • The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History; Oberdorfer, Don (2013)
  • Korea's Place in the Sun: A Modern History; Cummings, Bruce (2005)
  • The Koreans: Who They Are, What They Want, Where Their Future Lies; Breen, Michael (2014)
  • Korea And Her Neighbours...; Bird, Isabella (2011; original 1897)

    Lankov's book is a collection of newspaper articles he wrote entertaining subjects like the story of Korea's first automobiles, the introduction of the first telephones, etc. Easy to digest and they offer a glimpse of what society was like at each point in time; not a 'serious' book on Korean history, though. Neff's book was a chore to get through and it felt like no editing had gone into the book before publishing. If I'm not mistaken this also started out as a series of articles for one of the local newspapers; the transition from article to book did not go quite as well.

    It's probably been 10 years since I read the books from Breen, Oberdorfer and Cummings, which makes it a little difficult to write a lot about them. Cummings I know gets criticized for being pro-North Korea in his writing, so that's something to keep in mind, while Oberdorfer I think was a correspondent living in Korea so may have a more 'eyewitness' approach to some of the events. Bird's book is a description of her travels in Korea during the Joseon period and I remember it being an interesting read. Not a balanced historical account by any means - and it obviously suffers from being written from an outside perspective at a time when ethnocentrism was more prevalent - but it may be an alternative to consider. You should be able to find a .pdf copy of that one online.

  • Fifteen Years Among The Top-Knots: Or Life In Korea; Underwood, Lillias H. (2007, original 1904)

    Haven't read this one, but I've seen others mention it in the past. It's another first-person account from Korea at the cusp of the 20th century, this time from the perspective of a medical missionary. Again, not an objective history book, but if you prefer first-person narratives it may at least be worth a look. A .pdf copy has been published online, this one by the University of Oregon.

    Edit: One I forgot to mention, but which I've also heard is used in some English-language classes on Korean history/studies:

  • Korea Old and New: A History; Eckert, Carter J. (1991) (I just noticed this is also mentioned by seaturtles7777)
u/Morefoodplease · 2 pointsr/korea

This is a list that I saved (from reddit a while back. I wish I could give credit to the original poster, but the person who posted it also quoted the list. So whoever compiled this list. KUDOS! I wish I could give you credit:

>So the broader history book is A New History of Korea and starts very very far back. It will provide a general overview of Korean history. As for modern history if you don't know much about Korea's modern history a good place to start is Korea's 20th Century Odyssey. It starts in around the 1890s and if I remember correctly ends with the democracy movements of the 1980s. It very clearly divides the different periods of Korea's 20th century experience e.g. the colonial period, the war and the Park Chung-Hee regime. It is a very good starting point. If you want to have a deeper understanding of the colonial period there are two books I would recommend, the first being Colonial Modernity in Korea which covers a lot of the developments in Korea during the colonial period. Another book I want to recommend is Under the Black Umbrella which is a collection of first hand experiences and stories of people who lived during the colonial period. As for the Park Chung-Hee period there are two suggestions I have but they mostly focus more on economic policy and development. The first book is Korea's Development Under Park Chung-Hee and the second book is Reassessing the Park Chung-Hee Era. Both are pretty high in economic content but the second book does also have a lot of content focusing on political developments. If you read a few of these you will have a good understanding of Korean modern history.

u/wic0101 · 4 pointsr/korea

Ha-Joon Chang, The East Asian Development Experience: The Miracle, the Crisis and the Future (2007)

This title isn't entirely about South Korea, but it is written by a well-know Korean-born Cambridge economist and offers a non-Marxist heterodox perspective on East Asia in general and has a lot about South Korea. Might be worth checking out for you. But you may already know about this one, since Chang is fairly famous. He has more works that specifically focus on South Korea, but I'm not sure if they're translated into English.

Bruce Cumings, Korea's Place in the Sun: A Modern History (2005)

This one is more about general history of the Korean peninsula, but it still has a fairly extensive section devoted to the post-war economic development of the Korean peninsula, especially the similar yet ultimately divergent economic paths of the two Koreas. For all its detractors, it is definitely a classic in Korean historiography written in the English language, so if you haven't heard of it yet, it is definitely worth checking out.

Atul Kohli, State-Directed Development: Political Power and Industrialization in the Global Periphery (2004)

This one is also a comparative historical study, but it devotes almost a third of its length on South Korea, and provides a very good overview of the link between colonization and economic development in South Korea, in addition to covering the latter years of modern Korean history. It is written by a Princeton political scientist that has extensive knowledge of comparative economic development, so it would be worth a look as well.

One note of caution though is that, if you really want to understand the post-war South Korean economic history, you also have to have some background on the economic impact of Japanese colonization (and this topic is a very, very, very, very contentious one in modern Korean history). The last one may be of help on this count.

u/antman11111 · 1 pointr/korea

according to a really informative and entertaining book I picked up, korean entertainment firms acknowledge the fact that geniuses that can sing and dance in perfect sync like Michael Jackson only surface once in a hundred years, and that members of the Beetles can't meet in the garage and start their own band in korea, because everyone is busy studying, and preparing for their futures instead of practicing guitare. So that's why they train potential idols since elementary school, grooming them for the stage for 10 years! Imagine the risks and dedication involved for such a long-term investment. There are different things to respect for everything. It follows the korean belief that success should be a result of hard work and selfless dedication, not birthright or genetics. BTW the stage is really where these artists shine. You get choreography and moves you never seen in music videos. Personally, I prefer dance practice videos like this over the official music vids any day because they show the work they put into making a simple stage into a living storytelling arena.

u/j__jay · 2 pointsr/korea

I'd suggest this book for a great holistic and logical overview of pretty much the whole language and an excellent reference moving forward..well worth the money and from what I've seen, one of a kind.
https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Korean-Language-Bruce-McDonough/dp/1514717328

in the appendices of this book is a good recommended book list too. it's a very good place to start, i think.

for vocab, i'd just get this book: https://www.amazon.com/Korean-Essential-Vocabulary-6000-Foreigners/dp/8955184891 and focus on the "A"-level words first, then the "B", then the "C" later. I can tell you that at least 97% of the words in this book are useful and contemporarily used....i have used this as my main vocab list and used many of these words in speaking and writing with no real problems.

u/Skinnyred1 · 3 pointsr/korea

Here are a few books I recommended to someone else that you might find useful

>So the broader history book is A New History of Korea and starts very very far back. It will provide a general overview of Korean history. As for modern history if you don't know much about Korea's modern history a good place to start is Korea's 20th Century Odyssey. It starts in around the 1890s and if I remember correctly ends with the democracy movements of the 1980s. It very clearly divides the different periods of Korea's 20th century experience e.g. the colonial period, the war and the Park Chung-Hee regime. It is a very good starting point. If you want to have a deeper understanding of the colonial period there are two books I would recommend, the first being Colonial Modernity in Korea which covers a lot of the developments in Korea during the colonial period. Another book I want to recommend is Under the Black Umbrella which is a collection of first hand experiences and stories of people who lived during the colonial period. As for the Park Chung-Hee period there are two suggestions I have but they mostly focus more on economic policy and development. The first book is Korea's Development Under Park Chung-Hee and the second book is Reassessing the Park Chung-Hee Era. Both are pretty high in economic content but the second book does also have a lot of content focusing on political developments. If you read a few of these you will have a good understanding of Korean modern history.

u/kulcoria · 1 pointr/korea

"The New Koreans" is a recent publication (copyrighted 2017, although the narrative ends right before the juiciest moment of the decade, choigate, so more like 2016) that goes deep into korea's past and present. Even some points I never considered before.

However, read it with a grain of salt, because some of the things it says are just flat out wrong or biased (like claiming that korea's panic over pyramid scheme con artistry were an act of protectionism against western soap products, and implying that comfort women issue is nothing to bat an eye about because Joseon was a patriarchal society at the time. REALLY? ).

The summary says it outlines the three miracles of korea, each reportedly blew the author's mind as it happened. Economic miracle of the 70s, then democratic miracle of the 90s, then the miracle of breaking out in the world stage as a cultural powerhouse in the last decade. He doesn't really go into the last part in detail, and I can't blame him because he's been alive since the days of Park Chung Hee.

If you want a nice, entertaining and also informative reading on the cultural part, then pick up Birth of Korean Cool

u/robobob9000 · 2 pointsr/korea

You should use this subreddit instead: https://www.reddit.com/r/Korean/

I think the best advice is don't procrastinate pronunciation. Korean is extremely difficult to pronounce despite being easy to read. Learning pronunciation will make it much easier to retain new vocabulary and grammar. If you don't learn proper pronunciation then yeah you can load vocab and grammar into your short term memory. But it will never get converted to long term memory.

There's two learning tracks. The free track, and the paid track.

Here's the free track: ($0)

  1. Pronunciation: http://www.memrise.com/course/365575/korean-pronunciation-skeleton/

  2. Vocabulary: http://www.memrise.com/course/534607/every-ttmik-lesson-levels-1-9/

  3. Grammar: http://www.talktomeinkorean.com/category/lessons/level-1/

    Here's the paid track: ($55)

  4. Pronunciation: https://fluent-forever.com/pronunciation-trainers/#.VqB2x-h96Uk (with this software: http://ankisrs.net/ )

  5. Vocabulary: http://www.amazon.com/Korean-Essential-Vocabulary-6000-Foreigners/dp/8955184891/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453356797&sr=8-1&keywords=korean+vocabulary+6000 (with this method: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWDKXLvyJNc )

  6. Grammar: http://www.amazon.com/Korean-Grammar-Use-Beginning-Intermediate/dp/8959951986/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453356821&sr=8-1&keywords=korean+grammar+in+use (with this method: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC12tluKB3U )

    The paid track will get you there quicker. But manage your expectations. On average it takes approximately 2200 hours of studying to become proficient in Korean, compared to 500 hours for Spanish. You will probably need to spend 4x the amount of effort to learn a new word or grammar point in Korean than you did with Spanish. It's definitely a challenge, but if you succeed you'll have a very unique skill.
u/b_r_u · 1 pointr/korea

I recommend you read Camp 14 (https://www.amazon.com/Escape-Camp-14-Remarkable-Odyssey/dp/0143122916) if you haven't already. You will realize how little you actually saw, compared to harsh realities many people face.

Do you have a picture of the slaves? I'd like to see that..sounds fascinating.

Also, in South Korea, there is nothing stopping anyone from visiting the some of the poor rural areas, some of which can be viewed from public trains. I got drunk one night in Seoul and wandered into some pretty nasty areas north of the river...that was pretty eye-opening.
That is a major difference between a free country and a fascist (or whatever word you want to use) one.

Just sayin'...anyways I'm glad you got a lot out of your trip and appreciate you sharing with the reddit community.

u/Not_Korean · 2 pointsr/korea

I don't know of one book that fits all of those descriptions, but individually, here is a sampling of the books I have in my collection.

Korea Old and New : History

Korea's Place in the Sun, by Bruce Cumings

The Park Chung Hee Era, edited by Byung-Kook Kim and Ezra F. Vogel

​

I hope these help!

​

u/aN_h0NEST_mAN · 3 pointsr/korea

A New History of Korea by Ki-Baik Lee has been my favorite introduction to Korea and Korean history to date. It is missing modern (post 1960) history, so you'll need to supplement it, but it is otherwise great.

u/chunklight · 3 pointsr/korea

Korea's place in the sun by Bruce Cummings and Korea's 20th century Odyssey by Michael Robinson are both good overviews of modern Korean history starting in the late 19th century.

Sources of Korean tradition is a good collection of primary sources with background and analysis.

u/pinewind108 · 2 pointsr/korea

This is a pretty good collection, https://www.amazon.com/Tiger-Burning-Bright-Truths-Korean/dp/1565910036


Also, the Samgukyusa is one of the oldest sources that has a fair number of folk stories in it. There's one edition, titled, Overlooked Historical Records of the Three Korean Kingdoms , and another older one titled just "Samguk yusa," iirc. Both are okay, but they both have their issues.

u/DomDomW · 1 pointr/korea

https://www.coupang.com/np/search?component=&q=nintendo+2ds+xl&channel=auto

Not sure what you mean? It's absolutely available on coupang.

Though if you don't speak Korean, you will have to hack it. They are region locked.

https://www.amazon.com/-/de/dp/B075BD7RYX/ref=sr_1_4?__mk_de_DE=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&keywords=nintendo%2B2ds&qid=1573340073&sr=8-4&th=1

I recommend it from Amazon. It is bellow 200 USD so no import fees.

u/[deleted] · 2 pointsr/korea

I recommend this book for those who want to know about the unique business strategies some of korean chaebols used to achieve an extremely diversified portfolio without sacrificing diseconomies of scale

u/adamsw216 · 1 pointr/korea

When I studied at Yonsei, we had to read Korea Old and New. It's filled with great information, but it is not the most exciting history book I've read...