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Quiz about South Korean Culture
Quiz about South Korean Culture

South Korean Culture Trivia Quiz


This quiz covers many different aspects of South Korean culture from sports to dance to food. Some questions pertain solely to South Korea while others can apply to the whole Korean peninsula.

A multiple-choice quiz by Joepetz. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
Joepetz
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
377,618
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
569
Last 3 plays: Luckycharm60 (9/10), Guest 80 (6/10), Guest 112 (4/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. The insanely popular song "Gangnam Style" by South Korea musician Psy refers to what exactly? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. The traditional Korean martial art known as Taekwondo was initially called Tae Soo Do. "Tae" means "to stomp" and "do" means "the way of", but what do "soo/su" and "kwon" mean? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Which of the following best describes the architecture and design of a traditional Korean garden? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. "Shiri" or "Swiri", directed by Kang Je-gyu, is often said to be the film that sparked the modern Korean film industry in 1999? What kind of film is "Shiri?" Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Gong Ji-Young's 2009 novel "The Crucible" takes its name from the Arthur Miller play of the same name. However, instead of witchcraft, what is the novel about? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. The Korean dance called the Nabichum is known by what name in English, because of the costumes worn during the performance? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. The Korean board game known as "baduk" has a name that translates into "go" in English


Question 8 of 10
8. What is the name of the alphabet that is used to speak and write the Korean language? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Jokbal, a popular Korean dish of pig's feet braised in rice wine, is considered an "anju". An "anju" is a dish served alongside what? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. The "Korean Wave" was a term coined in the 1990s that refers to what? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 23 2024 : Luckycharm60: 9/10
Mar 10 2024 : Guest 80: 6/10
Mar 03 2024 : Guest 112: 4/10
Feb 23 2024 : Guest 73: 2/10
Feb 22 2024 : PurpleComet: 7/10
Feb 15 2024 : Guest 96: 5/10
Feb 14 2024 : Guest 77: 3/10
Feb 13 2024 : Guest 194: 9/10
Feb 07 2024 : Guest 76: 5/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The insanely popular song "Gangnam Style" by South Korea musician Psy refers to what exactly?

Answer: A district in Seoul

Gangnam is a district in Seoul famous for its lavish lifestyle, akin to Beverly Hills, California. The phrase "Gangnam Style" was long in existence prior to the song's debut but has since grown in usage. "Gangnam Style" was the very first video to reach one billion views on YouTube and on November 24, 2012, it became the most watched ever video on that website.
2. The traditional Korean martial art known as Taekwondo was initially called Tae Soo Do. "Tae" means "to stomp" and "do" means "the way of", but what do "soo/su" and "kwon" mean?

Answer: Soo/su means hand and kwon means fist

No one knows exactly why the change was made. "Tae Soo Do" was the name given to the martial art during the 1950s when there was a concerted national effort to unify the different schools. One suggestion for the name change was that "kwon" was a more threatening word than "soo" when the martial art was adapted for the military.
3. Which of the following best describes the architecture and design of a traditional Korean garden?

Answer: Simple and natural

Most traditional Korean gardens usually have a lake, some plants, a simple shrine or two and not much else in terms of decoration. The idea is that relaxation and meditation should come naturally and without distractions or forced upon the meditator.
4. "Shiri" or "Swiri", directed by Kang Je-gyu, is often said to be the film that sparked the modern Korean film industry in 1999? What kind of film is "Shiri?"

Answer: Action

"Shiri" was designed to be a tribute to Hollywood action movies but it also combined that with the tradition Asian-style action movies from Hong Kong and Japan. "Shiri" was so popular and successful in South Korea and abroad that it is often considered the beginning of the modern film industry in South Korea, called Hallyuwood.
5. Gong Ji-Young's 2009 novel "The Crucible" takes its name from the Arthur Miller play of the same name. However, instead of witchcraft, what is the novel about?

Answer: Abuse of students at school

Gong Ji-Young's "The Crucible" features Kang, a teacher who had a romantic relationship with a student who committed suicide. When he moves to a new town, Kang discovers that the students at the local school have been involved in a serious of fatal "accidents." When Kang discovers that the principal is behind everything, no one will believe him because of his past actions.

The novel is similar to Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible" in which accusations of witchcraft fly rampantly with absolutely no evidence.
6. The Korean dance called the Nabichum is known by what name in English, because of the costumes worn during the performance?

Answer: Butterfly Dance

The costumes worn are typically white in color with long sleeves that look like wings. The costume is called a jangsam and the conical-shaped hat is called a gokkal. Nabichum is an important dance in Buddhism religion.
7. The Korean board game known as "baduk" has a name that translates into "go" in English

Answer: True

Baduk is a traditional Korean board game, even though it was invented in China. The game is sometimes said to being similar to chess because of the amount of strategy involved. Players place black and white stones on a grid and the goal is to surround a larger area of the grid with your color stone than the opponent. The size of the grid various depending on the experience of the players with more experienced players using a larger one. Baduk is so popular that tournaments are televised nationwide.
8. What is the name of the alphabet that is used to speak and write the Korean language?

Answer: Hangul

It is called "Hangul" in South Korea only, while North Korea calls it "Choson gul". "Hangul" has twenty-four letters, which are written in symbols usually consisting of one syllable of three letters each. It has been in existence since 1443.
9. Jokbal, a popular Korean dish of pig's feet braised in rice wine, is considered an "anju". An "anju" is a dish served alongside what?

Answer: Alcohol

Anju are popularly side dishes but may also be main dishes. American bar food and British pub food are rough equivalents. Soju, a Korean alcoholic beverage, is the most popular alcohol served with an anju.
10. The "Korean Wave" was a term coined in the 1990s that refers to what?

Answer: An increase in the popularity of South Korean culture worldwide

Since the 1990s, South Korea culture has steadily increased in popularity around the world. What exactly brought this about is unknown but likely the internet had something to do with it as South Koreans could share their culture online. Also, during this time period Korean film and television industries were booming after several successes within Korea.
Source: Author Joepetz

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor stedman before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
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