Korea put up a solid fight but was eliminated in the round of 16 in the World Cup on early Sunday morning, when Uruguay beat Korea 2-1. But the team made great strides in South Africa, reaching the second round for the first time on foreign soil. Although Lee Chung-yong equalized the match 23 minutes into the second half, Korea surrendered to the winning goal 12 minutes later. But Korea’s confident play against football powerhouse Uruguay impressed fans all over the world and went some way to saving the face of Asian football. Only a decade ago playing against Korea meant a guaranteed victory for the opponents, but no longer.

Korea’s offense was in the top group among the 32 teams in the World Cup. It scored an average of 1.5 goals per game, with six goals in four games, ranking sixth after 50 games played as of Monday. Korea scored four goals in set-piece situations such as free kick or corner kick where a ball is not moving — first among the 32 teams. Korea also recorded an average of 12.75 attacks per game, ranking 11th. However, the story is different when it comes to defense. Korea allowed six goals in three games at the group stage, second only to North Korea’s 12.

Experts say that systematic nurturing and managing of the players is essential to prepare for the next World Cup in Brazil in 2014. It is highly likely that the key players behind the success of the 2002 — captain Park Ji-sung, Lee Young-pyo, Ahn Jung-hwan, Kim Nam-il and Lee Woon-jae — will retire by then, which means that Korean football has to break out of the shadow of 2002, when it made it to the quarterfinals. Park Chu-young, who displayed potential as striker, and World Cup rookies Lee Chung-yong and Ki Sung-yueng will be at the core of the new generation. However, experts say that without efforts to discover and train potential replacements for Park Ji-sung or Lee Young-pyo, Korea will not stand a chance next time. First of all, there is the problem of nurturing good defenders. In Korea, players with good defensive skills are rare. Most of defenders end up taking position under inevitable circumstances or when they lose in competition for offensive positions. They mostly want to play attacking midfielder or forward positions until middle or high school. “We should nurture players with good defensive skills from an early age,” said Choi Kang-hee, manager of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

Although Korea’s offensive skills improved, it still lacks something. The fact that the team scored many set-piece goals conversely means that it was unable to produce field goals. In the end, more attackers will have to make inroads into the European League and grow through fierce competition. The importance of qualitative improvement of Korea’s K-League cannot be stressed enough. The future of Koran football is dim unless the K-League, which is the lifeline for many of the key players in the national team, finds way to develop further.

Better luck next time you guys. See you in 2014.

Using your fingers to count in Korea is no longer considered hip and cool. You could get by with number under 10 but what if you have to point out 37 or 183? This is why we all need to learn how to count in Korean. It’s actually pretty easy. In Korean there are two sets of numbers which are used when counting, the first set are known as pure Korean numbers, and the other are Sino-Korean which is based on the Chinese numerals.

0 = gohng
1 = il
2 = yi
3 = sahm
4 = sah
5 = oh
6 = yook
7 = chil
8 = pahl
9 = goo
10 = ship

11 = ship il
12 = ship yi
13 = ship sahm

Get the drift? The last number stays the same so you just have to learn how to say the first digit.

10 = ship
20 = yi ship
30 = sahm ship
40 = sa ship
50 = oh ship
60 = yook ship
70 = chil ship
80 = pahl ship
90 = goo ship

Unlike Spanish, you don’t have to remember different numbers. “ship” meaning 10, stay behind the first number. So saying 47 would be “sah” meaning 4 + “ship” meaning “10″ + “chil” meaning “7″ Pretty easy right?

Now we will learn how to count to 100 so we will cover this part as well.

100 = baek.

So how would you count 158? Baek (100) oh ship (50) pahl (8) would be the correct answer. Counting to 999 isn’t that hard in Korean. Just add the numbers and the ship (10), baek (100)

999 would be……….goo (9) baek (100) goo (9) ship (10) goo (9)

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This song is pretty easy to sing along because there are less words and it is a pretty slow song overall. The lyrics don’t make that much sense to me (maybe its too deep for me?) but I do like the melodic side of the song. I also want to point out that Seotaiji doesn’t pronounce the lyrics very clearly in this song so you will be able to get away with enunciating the entire song. Learn to sing this song and impress a girl, guy, cat, dog, uncle, frog, etc.

olaen sigani jinagabeolyeossji
eoddeohge nan amuleon gieogdeuli najil anhneun geolgga
su manhdeon jeo inpadeul sogeseo
bon jeog eobsneun jeo nacseon punggyeongi naleul nolyeo bone

nopge ollyeo ssaheun dam i danjeol sogyi nan
nayi ggume geojiseul gohan ihu
geu hyanggeushaessdeon yagsogyi i dopiceolo dolaon naneun
dan haludo pyeonhi jamdeulji moshaessneungeol
geu nugudo i can’t keep going
amuteun nan jeo inpae..
jeo inpa soge nan eojjaeseo
dasi sangceoleul ibeulgga
You See The Lie?
nuneul gameun cae muli sogeul da’hollo geodgo isseo

mulyeogham jeo TVga naege yagsoghal ddae
eocapi nan amuleon maldo moshan cae geujeo usji
nopge ollyeo ssaheun dam i danjeol sogyi nan
nayi ggume geojiseul gohan ihu
geu hyanggeushaessdeon yagsogyi i dopiceolo dolaon naneun
dan haludo pyeonhi jamdeulji moshaessneungeol

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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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Hanglish (한글리쉬) became popular after a Korean rap artist, Tyfoon did a small skit in one of his music videos featuring this “language.” Hanglish is not a literal mix between English and Korean but pronouncing Korean like English. This takes tremendous amount of skills because not only you have to speak Korean but you have to make it sound like English. For example, you would say “놀러” which means “to visit” in Korean. In Hanglish, you would say “놀러” like “No Love?” in English.

There are a number of copycats on Youtube who attempted this feat but failed miserably. Check out Tyfoon’s original skit.

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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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With all eyes on Tiger Woods’ return and then Phil Mickelson’s late surge, two South Korean golfers KJ Choi and YE Yang made quiet yet impressive runs, both finishing in the top-10 at the Masters. With Mickelson winning his third title at 16-under, Choi, 39, had sub-par rounds throughout the four-day tournament to tie for fourth with Woods, his four-day playing partner, for an 11-under 277 and 38-year-old Yang finished in a tie for eighth at 7-under.

In addition, Anthony Kim, an American of Korean heritage, made a late surge in the final round into a lone third place, four strokes off the lead. Choi, who entered the final day in a tie for third, had a bogey-free 3-under on the front nine and added another birdie on the 10th hole to briefly join Mickelson in a share of the lead, but back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 13 and 14 after a pace-of-play warning on the 12th dropped him out of the title mix.

“We (Choi and Woods) were told about our pace on the 12th hole, so that kind of got to me mentally,” said the seven-time PGA Tour winner. Choi, who joined the top professional men’s golf circuit in 2000, has competed at Augusta National for eight straight years and his career-best finish was a tie for third in 2004.

“Definitely, it was exciting like 2004, but only this year, it was, on a personal level, better for me because my playing level has improved a lot. So, I’m more satisfied,” he said.

“It was more gratifying for me this year and the fans were very supportive. Just playing with Tiger for the last four days was a very good experience.”

Yang, the only Asian-born major champion on the PGA Tour, got off to a slow start, making two consecutive bogeys on the fifth and sixth, but he closed the back nine with four birdies to go to 7-under.

“I am satisfied that I finished in the top-10,” Yang said of his third Masters appearance.

“The front nine, I was two-over for the day really fast but then on the fifth hole I missed a makeable putt, and then on the next I hit it a bit short and made bogey.

“I am a bit of streaky player, so I like having my birdies early, and if I don’t, then it sort of frustrates me and it just impacts my whole game. The short putts that I missed affected my whole game throughout.”

Kim, 24, who won last week’s Shell Houston Open in a playoff, came out of nowhere and fired a tournament-record 65 to prove he has talent enough to challenge for the title.

The three-time PGA Tour winner played a four-hole stretch starting on the 13th in only 12 shots – an eagle and three birdies ― and finished with two strong pars into a 12-under.

“I knew I was coming from pretty far back and Phil’s obviously playing great and Lee was playing well,” Kim said. “But I grinded. I hung in there and I’m proud of the way I stuck it out.”

Meanwhile, Choi hopes that the top-10 double is likely to motivate Asian golfers in their title bid at major events.

“In the past, it was the mindset of the Asian players that when it comes to the Masters, there was a fear factor there, that we can’t do it,” he said.

“But now I hope that this gives motivation for the younger players, other players, that they can do it at big tournaments like the Masters.”

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Korean is written by syllables. You should be able to write the syllables correctly if you remember three major and three minor rules. Before these are reviewed, several introductory points may be helpful: (1) There are three basic shapes of vowels, which I will call “vertical vowels,” “horizontal vowels,” and “w-vowels.” (2) Within the syllable, on must distinguish between an initial consonant (one before the vowel) and a final consonant (one after the vowel).

Three Major Rules
1. A “vertical vowel” (one of the tall and narrow vowels: ㅏ ㅑ ㅐ ㅒ ㅓ ㅕ ㅔ ㅖ ㅣ) is always written to the right of the initial consonant in the syllable, as in English: 가 (ka).

2. A “horizontal vowel” (one of the wide and short vowels: ㅗ ㅛ ㅜ ㅠ ㅡ ) is always written under the initial consonant in the syllable, it always goes on the bottom: 노 (no).

3. If there is a final consonant in the syllable, it always goes on the bottom: 각 (kak), 녹 (nok).

Three Minor Rules
The three minor rules are just special cases of the three major rules.

1. In Korean, the first character in a syllable is never a vowel. If the first sound in a syllable is a vowel, you must use “ㅇ” as a silent place-holder first (in the position of an initial consonant).

2. Each of the “w-vowels” (ㅘ ㅙ ㅝ ㅞ ㅚ ㅟ ㅢ ) is in fact simply a combination of a “horizontal vowel” and a “vertical vowel.” For example, notice that “ㅘ” (wa) is constructed from “ㅗ”(o) and “ㅏ”(a). As one might expect, the horizontal component of the “w-vowel” (fro example, the “ㅗ” part of “ㅘ”) goes under the initial consonant, and the vertical component (the “ㅏ” part of “ㅘ”) goes to the right: 과 (kwa), 와 (wa).

3. ‘Double consonants’ (ㅃ ㅉ ㄸ ㄲ ㅆ ㄳ ㄵ ㄶ ㄺ ㄻ ㄼ ㄽㄾ ㄿ ㅀ ㅄ ) are treated as single consonant. This is true regarless of whether they are in the initial position in the syllable (ㅃ ㅉ ㄸ ㄲ ㅆ) or in the final position (ㄲ ㄳ ㄵ ㄶ ㄺ ㄻ ㄼ ㄽ ㄾ ㄿ ㅀ ㅄ ㅆ).

As you may have noticed in the exmaples, each individual character changes shape in order to “fit well” with the other characters in the syllable; the overall shape of the syllable should be such that squares can be drawn around them of approximately equal size.

The three major and three minor rules are summarized in the following charts, through example:

Major rules: no final consonant vertical: 가 (ka) horizontal: 노 (no)

Major rules: no consonant vertical: 각 (kak) horizontal: 녹 (nok)

Minor rules: no final consonant vertical 아 (a), 까 (kka) horizontal 오 (o) w-vowel 과 (kwa), 와 (wa)

Minor rules: final consonant vertical 앙 (ang), 없 (up) horizontal 온 (on) 곽 (kwak), 왔(watt)

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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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