Let's start learning Korean and Korean culture through a 7-panel comic!
We've prepared something that learners of all levels, from Elementary to Intermediate to Advanced, can enjoy. Don't know Korean? Then just enjoy the culture! English translations are also provided.
March and April are what season? It's the season of spring flowers! Among the spring flowers, cherry blossoms stand out. When the cherry blossom season comes, there's a magical music that suddenly appears with a 'poof'! Enjoy today's Korean stories that you can never learn from books.
📖 Key Words in Comics
- 멜론차트: Melon Chart(⚠️ A music streaming platform in Korea, similar to Spotify.)
- 장범준: Jang Beom-June, A Korean singer-songwriter
- 벚꽃엔딩: Cherry Blossom Ending(⚠️ A signature song by Jang Beom June that features cherry blossoms as its theme)
- ~인데: ~인데도 불구하고, translates to ‘Even though/Although’.
- 연금: Pension
- 벚꽃이 피다: Cherry blossom is blooming
- 한 곡: One song
- 저작권 수익: Royalty(⚠️ Income earned from copyright, also called 저작권료.)
- 어마어마하다: Be enormous
- 머라이어 캐리: Korean phonetic spelling of Mariah Carey.
- 캐럴: Carol
- 봄: Spring
🎁 Essential insights into Korean culture
장범준(Jang Beom June)’s 벚꽃엔딩(Cherry Blossom Ending)
Changes the Korean Music Scene!
Summer had its fast beats and lively dance tracks, while winter was the time for Christmas carols and similar tunes.
What about spring?
Sure, there were songs symbolizing spring, but none stood out in particular.
Then, one day in 2012,
A group called 버스커 버스커(Busker Busker), to which 장범준 belonged, released a song called 벚꽃엔딩, changing the culture of the Korean music scene.
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⚠️ FYI, Busker Busker was an all-duo that gained recognition by finishing second in the audition program Superstar K. Although they've disbanded 😭, 벚꽃 엔딩 composed and written by 장범준, continues to earn him steady love through constant concerts and new releases.
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The re-entry of a song reflecting a specific day or season into the music charts every year started with 벚꽃엔딩!
Even a decade later, as the cherry blossoms bloom, it charts in the TOP 100, earning substantial royalty income, hence the nickname 벚꽃 연금(Cherry Blossom Pension).
📍 Various details on pronunciation and diverse examples are sourced from KONOGRAM.com. Click here!