Korean. American. Podcast
How does modern day Korea compare to America? Join co-hosts Daniel and Jun every week as they explore a topic and discuss it from both the American and Korean perspective. If you're looking to learn more about Korean society and culture, are a part of the Korean diaspora and curious how Korea has changed since you, your parents, or your grandparents left, or are simply interested in broadening your personal worldview and perspective, then we hope you'll listen in and join us on this journey!
Host Bios
Daniel, a Korean American in his 30s, was born and raised in the US, having lived in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and California. During the pandemic, realizing that time is precious, he moved with his wife and young children to Korea in 2021 to help them connect with their cultural heritage and to expand their global cultural awareness. He has a background in software engineering, works as an investor, and enjoys basketball and gaming.
Jun, a native Korean in his 30s, was born in Daegu, where he also spent his childhood years. After moving to Seoul for college, he went to the US (Boston) for grad school, but returned to Seoul after and has lived there ever since. He has a background in architecture, works as a product designer, makes ice cream, and is a drummer in a band.
Korean. American. Podcast
Episode 86: Chill Guy Ping (Trends)
This week Daniel and Jun dive into the latest trends in Korea, as well as looking into predictions for 2025. They explore what's currently popular across the categories of food, fashion, technology, language, culture, and finance. Food trends include the massive popularity of the Netflix show "Culinary Class Wars," blood sugar monitoring, and protein drinks. In fashion, they discuss the term "demure," the popularity of UGGs, and the trend of customizing personal items called “kku" (-꾸). They also analyze trends from the annual "Trend Korea 2025" book, which predicts shifts toward valuing ordinary experiences ("aboha"), making small incremental improvements ("one-point-up"), and prioritizing real-world experiences over digital ones.
If you're interested in keeping up with the latest changes in Korea, this episode is for you! Daniel and Jun discuss why reading culture in Korea is so different from the US, and debate whether any of the 2025 predictions will come true. Also in this episode, Daniel amazes Jun with his knowledge of Korean children’s cartoons, while Jun once again demonstrates his superior knowledge of scholars and philosophers.
This episode contains a paid sponsorship for KimlyParc, which is 90s Korean instant coffee, reimagined and reinvented. KimlyParc is the premiere instant coffee brand with amazing flavors and the highest quality ingredients. If you’re in the US, head to kimlyparc.com and use the code “KAP” at checkout to get 20% off your order today. If you’re in Korea, search “ 킴리팍” on Naver.
US: https://kimlyparc.com/discount/KAP
Korea: https://smartstore.naver.com/kimlyparc
Welcome to We Just Coolin, The Ultimate Chill Zone
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As a reminder, we record one episode a week in-person from Seoul, South Korea. We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and we're so excited to have you following us on this journey!
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