About easykorean

Designers are a Semiconductor Robotics Instructor and a Fine Arts/Graphic Designer -'Easy to Learn Korean' newspaper series since 2009 (published in the Korea Times Englisher Newspaper Tues-Fri each week) -Monthly contributing writers to the Gangnam Newspaper

Garment alterations and laundry services

Posted on April 23, 2025 by easykorean

No neighborhood would be complete a Dry cleaning/Laundry/Alterations (clothing mending) shop.

The turnaround time at the local shops is often 1-2 days and prices are very affordable. Any type of alterations is possible, including shortening pants/jeans while retaining the original hem line. Such service are typically under 15,000 Won ($10.50USD).

Neighborhood dry cleaning/laundry/alterations shop

명품세탁 전문점 – (myeong-pum jeonmun-jeom) Luxury/high quality laundry specialty shop

수선 전문점 – (suseon jeonmun-jeom) Alterations specialty shop

Here’s our related arricle on running errands.

Yangjae Stream cherry blossom and lantern festival

Posted on April 20, 2025 by easykorean

The 7th Annual Yangjae Stream Cherry Blossom and Lantern Festival takes place April 3 to 27, 2025, in Seoul. The event features games for children, crafts, live music, food trucks, and beautiful natural scenery. Special attractions include an outdoor cinema, fireworks, and more. Lined with cherry blossom trees, Yangjae Stream offers a more relaxed setting for enjoying nature, walking, and cycling.

Cherry blossoms suffered some heavy wind and rains during their blossoming and so there’s no a whole lot left at this point. Still, a fantastic festival to attend.

양재천 벚꽃 등 축제 (yangjae-cheon beot-kkeot deung chuk-je) – Yangjae Stream Cherry Blossom & Lantern Festival.

Continue reading →

The last of the cherry blossoms

Posted on April 19, 2025 by easykorean

The 2025 cherry blossom season was shortened this year by rain and strong winds. Still, some that can be spotted around Seoul.

cherry blossom – 벚꽃 (beot-kkeot)

See our recent post marking the beginning of cherry blossom season.

And our subsequent post on a cherry blossom festival in Seoul.

IKEA opens first store in Seoul.

Posted on April 12, 2025 by easykorean

Seoul’s first IKEA store opens April 17, 2025. Though IKEA entered the Korean market in 2014, this will be their first store in Seoul. This location is in Seoul’s Gangdong (강동) neighborhood within the IPark The River shopping complex. IKEA now has five locations in Korea though all of their other locations here are of the typical large stand-alone blue box type.

As the company tries to cater to the Korean market, the Swedish retailer setup 44 demo rooms for single-person households. They will compete with other furniture retailers, such as Japan’s Nitori and Korea’s Emart, in the same shopping complex.

IKEA is open daily 10AM-10PM.

51, Godeokbizvalley-ro, Gangdong-gu, Seoul

IKEA Gangdong website.

Our article on single person households.

South Korean Presidents and controversies

Posted on April 6, 2025 by easykorean

With the impeachment of President Yoon Sun-Yeol (December 2024 to April 2025), many have reflected on the downfall of several modern leaders in South Korea. The Korea Herald featured a visual highlighting the controversies of these leaders.

A special election will be held on 6/3/2025 to select the next President. “Under South Korean law, a presidential election must be held within 60 days of a president’s removal from office.”

We have covered several Korean Presidents in our series.

President – 대통령 (daetong-lyeong)

To impeach – 탄핵하다 (tanhaek-hada)

Free WiFi on Korea’s bus networks

Posted on April 5, 2025 by easykorean

Starting April 8, 2025, all express bus passengers in Korea will have access to free WiFi without any login pages or passwords. There are eight bus companies in Korea and the Wi-Fi network name will be the English name of the bus company.

Free WiFi will cover 240 express bus routes and 1,724 buses at speeds up to 400Mbps. Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

KTX, SRT high-speed rail, subways, and city buses already offer free-WiFi.

Korean exports to the U.S. and Trump’s Reciprocal tariffs.

Posted on April 3, 2025 by easykorean

President Trump has enacted 25% tariff’s on goods coming from Korea to the U.S. And beginning at 1pm on April 3, 2025, a 25% tariff began on Korean automobiles imported into the U.S.

According to the Korea Times, “No U.S. tariffs had been imposed on Korean cars since 2016 under a bilateral free trade agreement.” In all, Korea has the highest tariff rate among all free trade agreement countries with the U.S.

Imports – 수입 (su-ip)

Exports – 수출 (su-chul)