Korea Goes to the World Cup!

A Korean Primer

The Korean language is both poetic and musical. What better way to start than by learning some of the football terms?

These are typical words that fans from both the North and the South have been using to cheer for their teams:

football

축구 - chuggu

goal

골 - gol

referee

위임받은 사람 - wiimbad-eun salam

defender

옹호자 - onghoja

striker

리시버- lisibeo

goalkeeper

골키퍼 - golkipeo

pass

패스 - paeseu

shoot

촬영 - chwal-yeong

tackle

태클 - taekeul

corner kick

코너킥 - koneokig

penalty

형벌 - hyeongbeol

penalty kick

페널티킥 - peneoltikig

There are few sports that manage to fire up crowds like football. With ninety minutes of compressed passion, excitement and tension, the flight of the ball can drive people to tears of joy. The World Cup is an eagerly anticipated event all around the world. People of different countries put away their differences and gather to root for their team.

This year, we were lucky to have both the North Korean and South Korean teams competing among the 32 best teams in the world. This is a particularly unique experience for the people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) since it's only the second time their team has qualified for a World Cup - their first appearance was at the 1966 World Cup.

With the people of both countries united by feelings of sportsmanship, one can't help but hope that the good will transcends the tournament. The current project seeking to compile a joint dictionary of the Korean language to prevent cross-border communication problems is a positive step. Another encouraging sign is that North Korea is implementing changes to its tight cultural policy. The changes are aimed at promoting the study of English and technology, following the successful model of South Korea. For South Koreans wanting to learn English London has been a popular destination for a long time. Now, for North Koreans interested in taking an English course London represents an attractive option too.