Meeting a Korean person for the first time? Do you want to impress some of your friends with some basic and useful Korean phrases? Well, we could hep you out here at LetsLearnKorean.com. Speaking (or trying to) other person’s native language always breaks the ice and it always enlightens the mood. I think this is probably better than asking if he or she knows “Kim Yu-Na” or “Kim Jung-Il” The intention is good – Yes, you want to relate to some Korean culture but trust me, this is not the way to go.

Here are some of basic and useful Korean phrases to learn. There are a lot of websites out there who mispronounce the phases and I want to say that this is the most accurate way to pronounce these phases. If you are still having problems pronouncing these words, please be on the look out for video series.

Welcome = 환영합니다 (hwahn young hahp nee dah)
Hello = 안녕하세요 (ahn nyung hah seh yo) frm. 안녕 (ahn nyung) inf.
How have you been? = 어떻게 지내세요? (uh dduh keh gee nae sae yo)
Long time, no see = 오랜만이에요 (oh ren mahn yi eh yo)
Sorry = 미안합니다 (mee ahn hahp nee dah)
I love you = 사랑해 (sah rahng hae)
Thank you = 감사합니다 (gahn sah hahp nee dah)
Thank you (to friends) = 고마워 (go mah wuh)
What’s your name? = 이름이 뭐에요 (yi rum yi mouh ae yo)
My name is … = 제 이름은 (jae yi rum eun…)
Good bye = 안녕히 가세요 (ahn nyung hee gah seh yo) frm. 안녕 (ahn nyung) inf.

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There are 14 consonants and 10 vowels and there are further 5 double consonants and 11 double vowels. In addition, there are 11 final double consonants in Korean. In this lesson, I am going to teach you how to pronounce each Korean alphabets so please become familiar with these beautiful geometric shapes.

Consonants (자음)

ㄱ = g
ㄴ = n
ㄷ = d
ㄹ = l, r (ㄹ is a sound somewhere between l and r)
ㅁ = m
ㅂ = b
ㅅ = s
ㅇ = “no sound” when used as a first consonant, “ng” when used as a final consonant.
ㅈ = j
ㅊ = ch
ㅋ = k
ㅌ = t
ㅍ = p
ㅎ = h

Vowels (모음)

ㅏ = a
ㅑ = ya
ㅓ = eo
ㅕ = yeo
ㅗ = o
ㅛ = yo
ㅜ = u
ㅠ = yu
ㅡ = eu
ㅣ = i

Double Consonants (쌍자음)

ㄲ = gg Click on the link to hear the difference between the sounds of ㄱ, ㄲ and ㅋ.
ㄸ = dd Note the difference in sounds; ㄷ, ㄸ and ㅌ.
ㅃ = bb Note the difference in sounds;ㅂ, ㅃ and ㅍ.
ㅆ = ss Note the difference in sounds; ㅅ and ㅆ
ㅉ = jj Note the difference in sounds; ㅈ, ㅉ and ㅊ

Double Vowels (쌍모음)

ㅐ = ae
ㅒ = yae (rarely used)
ㅔ = e
ㅖ = ye
ㅘ = wa
ㅙ = wae
ㅚ = oe
ㅝ = wo
ㅞ = we (rarely used)
ㅟ = wi
ㅢ = ui

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-il suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure and receives kidney dialysis once every two weeks, the head of a think tank affiliated with the National Intelligence Service claimed Wednesday.

Nam Sung-wook of the Institute for National Security made the claim in a lecture on the future of inter-Korean relations organized by the Young Korean Academy. “The reason why Kim’s fingernails are white seems to be chronic kidney failure,” he said.

Medical experts agree with the assessment. If the kidneys fail, the body becomes unable to discharge toxic substances. The condition affects melanin cells in the skin and causes it to turn dark. Experts say the unusually dark color of Kim’s hands in recent photographs is probably a symptom. Meanwhile the fingernails, which do not contain melanin cells, are not affected by color changes and end up looking whiter. For several years, experts have been saying symptoms of edema apparent in Kim’s body are due to chronic kidney failure.

The North Korean leader is believed to have suffered from diabetes, the main cause of chronic kidney failure, for some time. Kidney functions can usually be maintained through dialysis for five to seven years, but eventually a transplant is needed. Even after a kidney transplant, it is uncertain whether Kim’s body will be able to withstand the rigorous treatment with immunosuppressants that follows since he already had a stroke and has high blood pressure and diabetes. In a closed-door meeting last month, Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said he believes Kim only has about three years to live.

“Kim, who is about 165 cm tall, weighed 86 kg before his stroke around August 15, 2008 and was widely expected to develop problems with his circulation,” Nam said. “He went on a three-month diet after recovering in January of 2009 to prevent another stroke and now weighs between 70 kg to 73 kg.” Kim was born in 1942 and his age makes complete recovery difficult, Nam added. “Footage of him applauding during a March 7 rally in Hamheung shows him using his right hand to hit an immobile left hand,” he recalled.

Speaking about the transfer of power from Kim Jong-il to his third son Jong-un, Nam said, “The power transfer process gathered momentum after Kim’s stroke, but it appears that efforts have slowed down a bit since June.”

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Carlos Slim Helu has become the richest person in the world. The 71-year-old Mexican telecom tycoon rose from third place last year to first place on Forbes magazine’s 2010 World’s Billionaires list, dethroning Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. Riding a 35 percent surge in the stock price of mobile operator America Movil, in which he is the largest shareholder, Slim’s net worth rose US$18.5 billion over the past year to $53.5 billion. It is the first time a non-American has ranked atop the list since the U.S. business magazine began ranking the world’s richest people 16 years ago, the BBC said.

Gates, who held the no.1 spot 14 times over the past 15 years, made $13 billion in 12 months thanks to a rise in Microsoft’s stock price, but his fortune of $53 billion was $500 million shy of that of Slim. Investor Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway came in third with $47.9 billion, followed by India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani ($29 billion), the chairman and largest shareholder of Reliance Industries, and steelmaker ArcelorMittal’s chief Lakshmi Mittal ($28.7 billion).

The number of Koreans on the list almost tripled from 4 last year to 11 this year. Former Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-hee ranked 100th with $7.2 billion, and his son Jae-yong came in 536th with $1.9 billion. Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group chairman Chung Mong-koo was the world’s 249th richest man with $3.6 billion, while Kyobo Life Insurance chairman Shin Chang-Jae and Grand National Party lawmaker Chung Mong-joon shared 616th place, each with a fortune of $1.6 billion.

Lotte Group vice chairman Shin Dong-bin and his younger brother Dong-joo, the vice chairman of Lotte Japan, both ranked 655th with $1.5 billion each. Shinsegae Group chairwoman Lee Myung-hee came in 721st with $1.4 billion, and Hyundai Motor vice chairman Chung Eui-sun 773rd with $1.3 billion. LG Group chairman Koo Bon-moo and SK Group chairman Chey Tae-Won shared 880th place with $1.1 billion each.

Some 218 people were added to the list this year, bringing the total of billionaires in the world to 1,011.

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More than 14 percent of children and adolescents aged between nine and 19 are addicted to the Internet and have difficulties leading a normal life, a survey shows.

According to a survey conducted in 2008 by the Korea Agency for Digital Opportunity and Promotion, 168,000 or 2.3 percent of children and adolescents over nine years old are serious Internet addicts and in need of treatment, and a further 12.1 percent or 867,000 are potential addicts who need counseling.

Another survey conducted last year by the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs found that 12,000 or 2 percent of fourth graders in the country are high-risk Internet addicts and 22,000 or 3.8 percent are potential addicts, showing that an increasing number of younger children are falling victim to the problem. “The reality is likely to be far more serious than the figures,” said Seong Yoon-sook, a researcher at the National Youth Policy Institute.

Internet addiction is especially a problem among children who do not receive proper parental care. “In many cases, children from low-income, single-parent, or double-income families don’t receive good parental guidance of their habits,” said Kim Seong-byuk, a Health Ministry official.

Lee Hyung-cho, an expert in the field, said, “The government has helped more than 100,000 low-income families get computers and cover their Internet costs in order to help narrow the education gap. But the measure has ended up increasing the number of Internet addicts among children from those families, who lack parental control.”

To detect the problem as early as possible the Health Ministry will test some 1.27 million fourth graders and first-year middle school students for Internet addiction this year. Next year it will begin annual testing of fourth graders, first-year middle school students, and high school freshman. Those found to be in need of counseling will be sent to local youth counseling centers, while high-risk addicts will receive treatment at mental health centers or clinics.

“Children of negligent or authoritarian parents are more prone to becoming addicted to the Internet,” said Seong of the NYPI. “Parents should have frequent conversations with their children and raise them with consistent discipline.”

Lee Hyung-cho said, “Young Internet addicts also suffer depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. When their children begin using computers, parents should set rules on the use of the Internet, track which websites they are visiting, and install software to block harmful ones.”

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More than two-thirds of Koreans consider money the most important sign of success, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Tuesday. Korea and China topped the poll of 24,000 people in 23 countries on the question at 69 percent.

They were followed by India (67 percent) and Japan (63 percent).

But respondents in Western countries regard money as a less important indicator of success. A mere 27 percent of Canadians thought money spells success, followed by Swedes (28 percent), Dutch (29 percent), and French (32 percent).

Even in the U.S., only 33 percent of Americans agreed that money means success, and 67 percent disagreed. The worldwide average is 43 percent.

The young are more materialistic, with 48 percent of the under-35s seeing money as the hallmark of success, compared with 35 percent of those aged 55 and older.

Eighty-four percent of Koreans, Japanese and Chinese said money is more important than it used to be.