The Korean Mind: Understanding Contemporary Korean Culture

Understanding a people and their culture through code words and language.

Today, South Korea as an economic, technological, and entertainment superpower. How, as a country, did they rebound from war, poverty and political unrest? And how can that success be replicated in other cultures? These answers can, in fact, be found in understanding the beliefs that Koreans hold close and the values they see significant. Author Boye Lafayette De Mente identifies the unique qualities that comprise the Korean identity and articulates their modern expressions of Korean culture and history in this book.

Organized alphabetically by topic, De Mente explains the critical cultural code words that make Korea the country it is today. Anyone interested in Korean etiquette whether for traveling or working will discover that their meanings extend far beyond superficial English translations to deeper interpretations.

Cultural code words include:

• Aboji, Ah-boh-jee — The "Father Culture"
• Anae, Ah-negh — Wives: The Inside People
• Han Yak, Hahn Yahk — The Herbal Way to Health
• Innae, Een-nay — A Culture of Enduring
• Katun Sosuy Pap, Kaht-unn Soh-suut Pahp — Eating from the Same Rice Bowl
• And over 200 more…

This in-depth discussion covers the concepts and principles that are integral to the Korean way of life and provides all the Korean history and insight necessary for those readers eager to learn the secrets of this resilient and burgeoning, yet little-understood nation.