Q 01/05

What does the Korean name of electronics giant Samsung, founded as a small trading company, literally mean?

A) Rising sun

B) Three stars

C) Blue ocean

D) Golden dragon

Answer · why

B) Three stars

Three stars was the meaning its founder gave the name, which is written with the characters 三星. The firm began in 1938 dealing in dried fish, grocerie...

Q 02/05

Which food do Koreans traditionally say aloud when posing for a photo, where English speakers say 'cheese'?

A) Galbi

B) Japchae

C) Kimchi

D) Mandu

Answer · why

C) Kimchi

Kimchi ends in the same smile-stretching 'ee' sound as cheese. In most Latin American countries, the word photographers ask for is 'whiskey'.

Q 03/05

What does 'Gangnam', the Korean district name made world-famous by a Psy hit song, literally mean?

A) City of gold

B) East of the mountain

C) Field of flowers

D) South of the river

Answer · why

D) South of the river

South of the river is the literal meaning, the river being the Han. In everyday use the term also covers the neighbouring districts of Seocho and Song...

Q 04/05

Which fifteenth-century Joseon king is credited with creating Hangul so that ordinary Koreans could learn to read?

A) Sejong the Great

B) Taejo of Joseon

C) Gwanggaeto the Great

D) Yeongjo of Joseon

Answer · why

A) Sejong the Great

Sejong the Great appears on South Korea's 10,000 won banknote. Hangul was unveiled at his court around the end of 1443 and formally published in 1446.

Q 05/05

Which family name, written with a character meaning 'gold', is shared by roughly one in five South Koreans?

A) Park

B) Kim

C) Choi

D) Lee

Answer · why

B) Kim

Kim was recorded for about 10.7 million people in South Korea's 2015 census, which was 21.5% of the population.