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2017-07 24

[Special]Dokkebi, the Korean Goblins

Korean goblins, known as dokkebi, are often described with high horns, big eyes, clothes made out of tiger leather, and carrying an iron mace. These goblins often appear in old Korean tales and if we take a careful look into these tales, it is not hard to find that the image that people have about dokkebi is quite wrong. The idea of dokkebi with horns came from Japan’s Oni, which is a Japanese version of goblin. The famous story of “old man with a lump” is also what has been spread to Korea during Japanese colonial times. Diverse types of myths exist on where they came from, but it is hard know where they really came from. Different Types of Dokkebi Bride dokkebi is the only goblin with the shape of a beautiful lady. They are known to appear at night to fool around with drunk men. They have the best trait of a dokkebi in that they lure people well. Most of the men who are lured by the bride dokkebi are found under the bridges or inside the bushes talking nonsense. These goblins showed traits of god which rewards the good and punish the bad. One-eyed dokkebi is one of the most famous goblin which are known to appear in Jeolla province or around Jeju island. Other than being one-eyed, they have good appetite which can be guessed from their huge mouth and belly. With their appetite, they sneak into people’s houses and eat up buckwheat jelly, steamed rice cake, and rice wine as much as they could then disappear the next morning. One-legged dokkebi is also one of the most popular characters used in the traditional comics and tales. Although they only have one leg, they love doing Korean wrestling (ssireum). They are known to smell fishy and because they have one leg, it seems easy to beat them but it’s actually harder to win against them for some reason. One tip for winning against them is to push them towards the left since they won’t move an inch being pushed towards the right. Later on, these creatures have been brought back into the spotlight as TV drama characters. This is a commonly mistaken idea of how dokkebi looks like which is actually Oni, a Japanese goblin. (Photo courtesy of Dokkebi in Korean soap opera Dokkebi became quite an issue through Korean drama earlier this year. By recreating the image of dokkebi in the modern world, it depicted the goblin as a god-like figure with ultimate power. Although some scenes described dokkebi different from what it should have been, there were aspects similar with the conventional goblin in Korean traditional tales. Dokkebi has been depicted as a god-like figure in modern day drama (Photo courtesy of tvN) These goblins are known to be well adapted to warfare and they are born from old broomsticks, furniture, or materials that have human blood on it. The dokkebi from the drama is also a great warrior and was born from a sword stained with blood. Real, or older dokkebi is generally depicted as a huge, hairy man who enjoys wearing white trousers and bamboo braided hat. Drama depicted the goblin as tall, handsome man (being hairy yet to be identified) who wears a stylish outfit. As for the characteristics they have, it shares quite similar traits while being quite different suited to modern day style. These goblins are known to be party animals being surrounded by people all night long drinking rice wine. They are quite naïve that they are tricked by humans a lot. In addition, they are known to be playful yet ill tempered. The drama shares a similar trait in that they are competitive yet naive. Other than that, this goblin does not enjoy being around people or drinking alcohol a lot. As such, the character of dokkebi created in the modern drama refers to the original idea of the goblin although changes have been made to suit the modern day viewers. As such, there are diverse types of dokkebi in Korea and the list would go on ranging from baby ones to elderly and even the furniture being a type of dokkebi. Although some of them may seem quite different from humans, a lot of Korean goblins share a similar trait that they reward the good and punish the bad. For they are quite fair and square, it would be best to be kind to people around you to avoid any mishaps. Korean dokkebi would look similar to this picture, a hairy man without horns. (Photo courtesy of Kim Seung-jun

2017-07 12

[Special]Black Enjoyment Given From Nature


2017-07 03

[Special]From Fashionable to Affordable


2017-06 19

[Special][Insight] Art at the Tip of a Brush

A white, prickling brush stained with black ink grinded on a stone embroider a hanji (traditional Korean paper made of mulberry trees). While writing is just an ordinary routine of a civilization, there can be found the art and soul. Seoyae refers to Chinese calligraphy which dates back to when Korea appointed its official language as Chinese- Goryeo dynasty. Based on the artist’s character and skills, the written words gleam their specialty. Continued for centuries, Seoyae is again attracting the public attention for the humanities fulfillment. South Korean calligrapher Hyun Byung-chan is demonstrating the art of Korean calligraphy. (Photo courtesy of YTN) Retracing the course of Seoyae The earliest pieces of Seoyae is found in many Buddhist Sutras of the Goryeo Dynasty. Even though there is documentation regarding the existence of seoyae in the Silla Dynasty, the actual work is not yet found. Seoyae is an expression of the artist’s aesthetic consciousness. The special point in the Korean calligraphy is that not only does Seoyae involve the beauty of the words, but also involves training the artist’s spirit. Goryeo was a devout Buddhist dynasty and thus developed a calm, concentrated Goryeo Font. Then in the Joseon Dynasty, corrupted Buddhism was abandoned and in 1446, King Sejong invented the Korean language. Since then, diversity of characteristics, fonts, and styles of the Korean calligraphy was augmented. Chusa font's characteristics are very harsh and sorrowful. (Photo courtesy of Goodsense Tistory) The beginning was the Gojeon font, meaning traditional. Its peculiarity is that the time spent on writing took longer and the edge of each letter was sharp, but soft. Then during the 15 to 17th centuries of the warring state, the national calligraphy style changed to the Gungseo font, meaning the shape of an archer. It resembles the shape of an archer who needs to quickly shoot an arrow, while concentrating. This font developed in this era, because communication through epistle ought to be immediate but accurate. At the end of the Joseon Dynasty, a scholar of the Realist school and a calligrapher Kim Jeong-hui with his pen name Chusa, developed a daring but unique Chusa font. Kim used to be exiled for political reasons and his sorrow was developed into the Chusa font. It does not have a regular structure, and the touch of a brush is very harsh. Modern Korean calligraphy After the Japanese annexation of Korea and the Korean War, South Korea was not able to enjoy arts and prosperity. After the rapid economic development, South Korea suddenly began to pay a careful attention to traditional arts, and among them was seoyae. There are often two types of people who learn calligraphy- children and the modern adults. The former is the case which their parents force them to learn the Chinese letters through interesting calligraphy. Because learning a language by playing with brush and ink intrigues children’s attention, their parents choose this way of education. In addition, the primary reason of teaching Chinese is because for centuries, Korea’s official language was Chinese letters and many classic literature and history books are written in Chinese. On the other hand, the latter is the case which modern adults who lost the joy in their busy life try to find their hobbies through calligraphy. The new South Korean trend allowed the supply and demand of the calligraphy market prospered which in turn led to the easy and cheap access to it. With a set of seoyae pens and brushes with the calligraphy practicing books sold at book stores, anyone can enjoy expressing their aesthetic consciousness through writing arts. Calligraphy practicing books are easily found at book stores. (Photo courtesy of Glecole) Kim Ju-hyun

2017-06 19

[Special][HY Talk] Sexism in Online Games, What Do You Think?

HY (Hanyang) Talk is a newly opened series in News H, which deals with different societal issues happening inside Korea. With different topics every time, around three to four students of HYU who wish to take part, will be joining. For their freedom of speech, their anonymity will be guaranteed. This week, HY Talk selected a subject which is some of the most serious problem inside a gaming environment, sexism in online games. Discrimination of woman users inside a game is becoming more serious with the advent of a game called ‘Overwatch’ (which is a team-based shooting game from the Blizzards Entertainment) with increasing number of woman users. We have gathered 3 female users and 1 male users who think it is the reflection of gender inequality inside our society and that it should to be solved to create more clean and equal gaming environment. Discrimination against woman users, how and why? Chairperson: Hello everyone, thank you all for participating. Before we start our talk, please briefly introduce yourself. A: Hello, I played computer games since last year. To me, it is a good hobby, I play it about three to four times a week, about 2 hours a day. B: Hi, I also started playing it since last fall and I really enjoy playing games because I can fully concentrate during the short amount of time while feeling extremely excited, just as if I'm working out. C: Nice to meet you all, I started playing games since last summer and Overwatch was my first computer game. It is now one of my good hobbies and I play it about twice a week during the weekends. D: Hello, I also started playing it since the last summer and as I am the only male user in this conversation, I hope I can hear more perspectives of woman users and share mine as a male game user. News H also opened a real Kakao Talk chat room to hear opinions from more people. Chairperson: Now that all of you are active game users, we want to hear your opinions on discrimination towards female users in online games. What do you think? A: People think picking a certain character inside a game has a relation with a user being a woman or a man. Inside ‘Overwatch’, I often play a character named ‘Mercy’ which is in a healer or support position. When I enter into a voice talk while I pick Mercy, users say ‘Oh you picked Mercy because you are a woman’. This, already is quite frustrating. What’s worse is that when the team is losing male users frequently blame women users. ‘We totally lost because of Mercy. Women are no good for the team.” C: I had a very similar experience once. When I joined voice chat once by myself, I heard a member of the team saying “Did you borrowed your boyfriend’s account? Then you better try hard not to lose for him.” It was really annoying but scary at the same time. From that incident, I always join voice talk only when I am playing with my friend. Funny thing is that people don’t say that when I am with other male friends inside a voice chat. Diva and Mercy are the two most frequently played characters by Korean female users. (Photo courtesy of Blizzards Entertainment) B: I didn’t had personal experience like A and C but come to think of it, I think that is the reason why I have never joined voice talk on my own. When I started to play computer games, I saw in other SNSs (Social Networking Services) how woman users are frequently blamed without a legitimate reason. That is absurd and stupid and I thought I do not need to do voice talk if I am prone to be discriminated just because I am a woman. Chairperson: Then, why do you guys think such unreasonable discrimination occurs in a gaming society? Would there be any specific reasons? D: Even as a male user, I cannot possibly understand why they do that. I mean the woman users they encounter in a game is in a similar level or scores. On what standards can they blame women? To be honest, although it might sound a little funny, I think they do that simply because of bad experiences they had with women in real lives. Like, they must have had rejected brutally in a relationship. A: When these users lose the game, they want to blame other people although it could be because of their lack of performance in the game. The target become a woman because they think women just can’t play game as good as male. It’s stupid. B: I agree with what D and A have said. To add, I think it is because some men view women as a subject and image of ‘sex’. While a ‘user’ in a game is supposed to mean both male and female users, it becomes ' a woman user' when a player is a female. A said that the most annoying thing about the discrimination is that she is not allowed to enjoy game as freely as men do. Chairperson: What would be stereotypes woman users have to face because of their gender? C: I think the most representative one is that men can play computer games better than women. It is because men think that games has been the hobby of men for a longer period, and increase of women in a gaming environment somewhat threatens them I guess. B: While there are increasing number of women playing computer games, we are still minorities. I think that is why male users think women just can’t play games as well as themselves. A: I agree, and I think I have to reflect on that too. Even as a woman myself, when I hear that another woman user is in a higher tier, I think ‘wow she is good although she is a woman’. I don’t think I would think the same if a male user is in a higher tier. B said anonymity makes the situation worse. Chairperson: What could be the demerits woman users have to suffer because of such discrimination? A: Participating in a voice talk is very important to win the game as it is a team-based shooting game. While better communication with other members is crucial, it is sad that a lot of woman users cannot do it as often because they are intimidated by male users. D: I agree, the fact that woman users just cannot enjoy the game like other male users is unfair. B: Just like any other users, I think I can be good in some games and not in other matches. Even if I played well in a one match, I have to hear ‘Oh you are good for a woman, which just makes me feel upset. D said that it is unfortunate to equal rights of women cannot be protected, even in a game environment. Chairperson: Thank you all for your frank and honest opinions. For the last question, what do you guys think is the possible solution for the issue? A: I think there should be a policy inside a game where users can report on others who talks hate speech inside a game. C: I agree, there are already other categories like ‘Trolling, bullying, and harassing’. Specific categories for reporting ‘This user disrespected another user because she is a woman’ should be installed inside a game. B: Yes I think that is totally necessary and I hope more female progamers would appear to reduce misconception that a man somewhat has better genetic for games than a woman. Yun Ji-hyun Photos courtesy of Yun Ji-hyun and Choo Hwa-jeong Designed by Kim Hye-im

2017-06 19

[Special]Korean Superstitions about Dreams


2017-05 22

[Special]Confusing Korean Words


2017-05 01

[Special]All About Balling

After having searched for some of the most popular sports around the world, the rankings differ from each media but one thing for sure is that basketball is definitely one of the most beloved sports for sure. I myself also love basketball so much that I play it at least once a week. This editorial would be focusing on some of the differences in regulations and rules of NBA (National Basketball Association) and KBL (Korean Basketball League) and highlight some of the top players in each league. Updates on the playoffs information would also be provided. Rules & regulations Pointing out the rules of basketball from A to Z would be a whole list of boredom. Instead, some of the key differences in regulations that exist between NBA and KBL would be pointed out. First off, there is the differences in the game time between the two leagues. Although both leagues have 4 quarters in a game, NBA has 12 minutes in every quarter while KBL is only 10 minutes per quarter adding up to 48 minutes and 40 minutes of game time respectively. Although KBL has once decided to extend the time into 12 minutes in 2014-15 season, there has been an outcry of opposition among fans and players which made it postpone its decision. Some of the main reason for this was health conditions of players, and with less energy, the game would definitely become loose losing more fans. 2017 Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady (left) and his team mate Yao Ming (right) (Photo courtesy of Some of the most fascinating plays could be the dunks that players slam down into the hoop but nowadays, 3 pointers are being widely loved in the NBA as we could see in the case of Stephen Curry. There was the famous “T-Mac Time” as a lot of NBA fans remember it. It was when Tracy McGrady has scored 13 points in the final 33 seconds against San Antonio Spurs with 3 pointers. NBA has the 3-point line drawn in a 7.24m distance while KBL is 6.75m. 3 pointer regulation have been brought into the NBA in 1979 for a more advantageous play by players with shorter heights. As for the foul-outs, NBA regulates 6 fouls to be fouled out while KBL only allows 5. Technical fouls, which are given with more aggressive and ill-mannered plays, are given twice before a player is ejected from the game which is the same for the both leagues. This could be one reason why KBL basketball players may seem to play with more cautiousness while defending an opponent. Playoff ladder These are the playoff ladders from each league. There are 30 teams in the NBA all separated in either East Conference or the West Conference and it is categorized into smaller divisions - Northwest, Pacific, Southwest, Atlantic, Central, Southeast. KBL does not categorize the teams into divisions since it is a much smaller league compared to the NBA. Current status on NBA playoffs. (Photo courtesy of NBA) KBL consists of 10 teams and 6 teams compete in the playoffs while NBA has 16 teams competing. In the case of NBA, top 8 teams from regular season in each division are selected for the playoffs which makes it sometimes unfair for some of the teams. This is because the 9th team from a particular division may have more wins than some of the teams competing in the playoffs from an opposite division. Although there are some on going arguments on the level differences of East and West divisions, it seems that NBA would keep this system for now. Current status on KBL playoffs. (Photo courtesy of KBL) As of today, NBA’s most of the conference semi-final teams have been decided with only one spot left to go. Being tied at 3-3, Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz would compete for the last remaining spot. Key players It’s not just something about the NBA, but there are so many types of records they keep on players. One of the MVP candidates that we need to eye on this season from the NBA is Russell Westbrook. He has set up some magnificent numbers on the board with a season triple-double (averaging more than 2-digit numbers in scores, assists, rebounds) although Oklahoma Thunder was unable to enter the conference semi-finals. Russell Westbrook's 2016-17 seasonal statistics. (Photo courtesy of NBA) As for KBL, although they keep a separate record from foreign players to domestic players, it seems that Andre Emmett is showing a high performance ranking the 1st in scoring, field goals made, and free throws made. Andre Emmett's profile (Photo courtesy of KBL) After taking a look at some of the differences in the NBA and KBL, it seems that although there have been some minor distinctions between the two leagues, they exist to make the games more exciting to watch. Enjoy the warm weather and breeze and play some basketball games outside as the exam period is over and keep an eye out for who would be the champions of both leagues. Kim Seung-jun

2017-04 24

[Special]Short Getaway to Korean Traditional Villages

While having quite distinctive four seasons, Korea boasts a very hot and humid summer. Traveling outside of crowded Seoul, there are two small yet antique villages which will be able to refresh one along with special memories. Damyang Moowol Village Located in Damyang, South Jeolla province, Moowol Village is where one can feel close to nature. Surrounded by a small mountain at the back, a river flows across, which already makes one feel more relaxed. The name ‘Moowol’ implies beautiful moonlight shining on the village at night. As it is a quiet village only composed of hosts running hanok (Korean traditional house), it is a desirable place to visit for people who want to take their busy mind off things while being inspired by something new. Small and tranquil, Damyang is perfect for people who needs a short getaway with friends and family. (Photo courtesy of On the first day, it is recommended to walk around the village along the course called ‘Dalmaji-gil road’. A 30-minute course is easy for everyone to walk along. A walking course surrounding the village. (Photo courtesy of What is also special about the village is that they provide various programs for every season. As it is the village of bamboo forests, one of the most popular activities is to make bamboo rice. Using beans, cooking rice in bamboo leaves grown and made in the village makes the dish a one of a kind. Ingredients for bamboo rice are neatly set. (Photo courtesy of According to its official homepage, there are other activities to do, such as making Korean traditional snacks, rice cakes and side dishes. If not a big fan of cooking, there are also Korean traditional games on offer, like playing changgu (a Korean drum) and wheel-rolling, to which instructions will follow. Yangpyeong Moggoji Village At the end of spring, Moggoji Village located in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi province, is an optimal place to visit in the season. Moggoji in Korean means gatherings or parties with people to engage in fun activies. As the name implies, the village hosts small festivals in different seasons. In the spring, which is almost coming to its end, the strawberry festival is most popular in Moggoji village. First sight of the Moggoji Village. (Photo courtesy of joohyunri.modoo) Composed of eight separate greenhouses, the village only provides organic strawberries to its visitors. As the trees are very delicate, instructions will be given from a farmer on how to pick the fruit well. It is also advised to wear dark-colored clothes for possible strawberry stains. Visitors picking strawberries in a greenhouse. (Photo courtesy of joohyunri.modoo) The strawberry festival is not the sole reason to visit the Moggoji village. In the coming summer, Moggji village is to open up a natural resort for swimming and rafting. In the fall and winter, there are programs like crop harvesting and Kimchi making. Summer is another festive season in the Moggoji village. (Photo courtesy of joohyunri.modoo) Yun Ji-hyun

2017-04 10

[Special]Korean Couple Culture
