Online Videos About Korean Heritage
Korean Heritage Channel (YouTube)
This channel has 96 videos (as of Feb. 2012) about different aspects of Korean cultural heritage. They are very short, so they don’t take long to watch, and they are really well made.
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Flickr Photostreams Worth Browsing
Eric Lafforgue’s Photostream
This is the absolutely best collection of photos from North Korea ever.
SJ.Kim’s Photostream
A Korean man and a professional photographer. Always posting stunning photos from around Korea.
Smothers52′s Photostream
Sets of photos from Korea from 1958 through the 1960′s.
Cornell University Library’s Photostream
Photos of Korea from around 1904.
Helje’s Photostream
Prolific and excellent photographer living on Jeju Island.
Seoul South Korea’s Photostream
Loads of photos of Korea.
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Useful Korea Tourism Organization Articles
Jeongwol Daeboreum Celebrations and the Best Places to View the Full Moon
Celebrating Seollal (Lunar New Year) in Korea: Glimpse of Local Seollal Customs
Four great bird-watching spots near Hangang River
Recommended Hiking & Trekking Trails in Korea
Winter Getaways: Ski Resorts in Korea
Korean Treats to Warm the Winter Season
Recommended Autumn Destinations
Gangwon-do Mini Trips by Theme
Chuseok – Korean Thanksgiving Day
Best Outdoor Recreational Sports Ultimate Challenge: Whitewater Rafting and Kayaking
Recommended Hiking Course! The Seoraksan Mountain Autumn Foliage Hiking Course
13 Natural Recreational Forests in Korea
12 Beaches Worth Visiting this Summer – The East Sea
Boyangsik – Heart-warming and invigorating Korean food
Exploring Ulleungdo Island: A volcanic island formed by wind & fire
Nine Jeju Geological Sites Named UNESCO Global Geoparks
Andong Hahoe & Gyoengju Yangdong Clan villages from the Joseon Dynasty
Rediscovering Korean Mountain Spirituality
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The following articles are from CCN GO.
33 beautiful temples to enlightenment
Best 5 winter surfing spots in Korea
Seven dazzling days in South Korea
7 best ski and snowboard resorts in Korea
Seoul: 24 hours, 24 adventures
50 beautiful places to visit in Korea
40 Korean foods we can’t live without
50 must-visit traditional markets in Korea
50 reasons why Seoul is the world’s greatest city
Seoul’s 5 best Korean barbecue restaurants
5 best low-key jazz bars in Seoul
5 best makgeolli bars in Seoul
6 best bingsu to beat the heat
5 best Italian restaurants in Seoul recommended by an Italian
3 best Seoul dim sum restaurants
Best Seoul bindaetteok: Flipping good Korean ‘pancakes’
Buldak: South Korea’s torturous but irresistible dish
Eat like a local in Seoul’s nighttime alleyways
Healthy twist: How to eat beef intestines in Seoul
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The following articles are from various sources.
Korea’s 7 “Can’t Miss” Festivals
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Korean History Articles by Robert Neff
This historian uses records kept by the first foreigners who lived in Korea at the end of the 19th century as a window into the past. Very readable.
OhmyNews International (List of 96 articles)
The Jeju Weekly (List of 68 articles)
The Korea Times (List of 58 articles)
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Learning Korean
It is very difficult to become fluent in Korean, at least for native speakers of English. Well, at least for me. I’ve been studying Korean for 5 years and I still struggle. The following resources are the ones I think are the best available.
Talk To Me In Korean
This is by far the best resource for learning Korean EVER. First, it’s free. Second, it’s in podcast form so you can listen to lessons anytime, anywhere. They provide PDF study aids for every lesson. They have lessons from beginner to high-intermediate, and are still adding more. They have a special podcast called Iyagi (이야기) or “conversation” in English where two native speakers talk for a few minutes in 100% Korean about some topic and a PDF transcript of the entire conversation is provided.
Language Programs In Korea
Taking classes can be a good source of motivation to study since you have to sit in class and do homework. I didn’t like classes for the first 3 years or so because I couldn’t understand what the teachers were talking about and the frustration was too much to handle. I’m not very good with ambiguity. These days I can handle classroom Korean, but my major problem with Korean classes now is that there is very little emphasis on spontaneous verbal communication.
Sogang Korean Program (Online)
This is a very well made online Korean program. It makes a great supplement to textbooks at the beginner to low-intermediate levels.
TOPIK Test
This is the Test of Proficiency In Korean (TOPIK). It is a test administered by the government. There are 3 tests (beginner, intermediate, advanced). Each level is divided into two. Beginner 1 & 2, Intermediate 3 & 4, Advanced 5 & 6. When you take the beginner test, for example, you can receive a certificate for level 1 or 2 depending on how many correct answers you give. I took the intermediate test and received a level 4 certificate, so the next time I take the TOPIK, I will take the advanced test and hope to do well enough to earn a level 5 certificate. All of the old tests can be downloaded from the TOPIK website for study.
Anki
Anki is an online flashcard program. I highly recommend using flashcards to help learn new vocabulary. I find that when I am reviewing new words, I tend to hear them on tv or read them in the newspaper. I don’t use Anki myself because I have an iPod and use Flashcards Deluxe App.
Flashcards Deluxe App
This iPod app is awesome. Not hard to use. Very effective learning tool.