This week’s newsletter followed honbap (혼밥), or eating alone, through Korean popular culture: dramas, webtoons, variety shows, and coin karaoke booths. This companion episode takes the slower path. Instead of repeating the newsletter, I spend more time with two Korean books that have not yet been translated into English: 혼자 점심 먹는 사람을 위한 산문 (Prose for People Who Eat Lunch Alone) and 나만 잘되게 해주세요 (Please Let Me Be the One Who Makes It). Together, these books show what screens cannot always capture as easily: the inner texture of lunch, labor, family, small talk, exhaustion, and the strange relief of eating alone. So if the newsletter gives you the cultural map, this episode gives you the emotional close-up. Read the full newsletter essay here. 💬 I’d really love to hear what this brought up for you. Come find me here and share your thoughts, stories, or questions. Understanding Korea, One Story at a Time is written and hosted by Jiwon Yoon. New episodes every week, alongside the newsletter. Korean Words and Phrases in This Episode 안녕하세요, 반갑습니다 (Annyeonghaseyo, bangapseumnida / Hello, nice to meet you): A polite Korean greeting used at the beginning of the episode. 혼밥 (honbap / eating alone): A shortened word from honja meokneun bap, meaning a meal eaten alone. 혼자 (honja / alone): The Korean word for “alone.” 밥 (bap / rice, meal): Literally rice, but often used more broadly to mean a meal. 나만 잘되게 해주세요 (Naman jal doege haejuseyo / Please let only me do well): The title of Kang Bora’s book. In Korean, the phrase can sound selfish, funny, tired, and desperate all at once. 도토리묵 (dotorimuk / acorn jelly): A soft, savory Korean food made from acorn starch. 제주도 (Jejudo / Jeju Island): A volcanic island off Korea’s southern coast. 한라산 (Hallasan / Mount Hallasan): The volcanic mountain at the center of Jeju Island. 순대 (sundae / Korean blood sausage): A Korean sausage often made with glass noodles and blood, commonly eaten as street food. 떡볶이 (tteokbokki / spicy rice cakes): A beloved Korean snack food made with chewy rice cakes in a spicy sauce. 잡채 (japchae / stir-fried glass noodles): A Korean noodle dish often made with sweet potato starch noodles, vegetables, and sometimes meat. 눈치 (nunchi / reading the room): A Korean social skill involving awareness of others’ moods, expectations, and unspoken signals. 혼술 (honsul / drinking alone): A shortened word meaning drinking alcohol alone. 혼술남녀 (Honsulnamnyeo / Drinking Solo): A Korean drama about people who drink alone, set around exam-prep and work culture. 밥 살게 (bap salge / I’ll buy you a meal): A common Korean phrase that can mean gratitude, affection, apology, obligation, or an invitation to spend time together. 식샤를 합시다 (Siksya-reul Hapsida / Let’s Eat): A Korean drama centered on food, appetite, and one-person households. 나 혼자 산다 (Na Honja Sanda / I Live Alone): A long-running Korean reality-variety show about celebrities living alone. 혼코노 (honkono / going to coin karaoke alone): Short for honja coin noraebang, meaning solo coin karaoke. 혼자 코인노래방 (honja coin noraebang / solo coin karaoke): A coin-operated karaoke room used alone. 노래방 (noraebang / karaoke room): A Korean karaoke room, usually rented by groups but now also used solo through coin karaoke booths. 우리 (uri / we, our): A deeply important Korean word used to express belonging and shared identity. 우리나라 (uri nara / our country): The Korean way of saying “my country,” literally “our country.” 우리 엄마 (uri eomma / our mom): A common Korean way to say “my mom,” literally “our mom.” 우리 남편 (uri nampyeon / our husband): A perfectly normal Korean way to say “my husband,” though it sounds very funny in English. 오늘도 들어주셔서 감사합니다 (Oneuldo deureojusyeoseo gamsahamnida / Thank you for listening today, too): The closing thank-you line. 다음 주에 만나요 (Daeum jue mannayo / See you next week): The closing farewell. Get full access to Understanding Korea, One Story at a Time at yoonjiwon.substack.com/subscribe
