TRANSLATIONS


-ah/-yah (-아/-야)
a 'friendly'/'informal' suffix, attached to the end of someone's name when talking to/calling that person; only used if that person is the same age or younger than you, and if you're already familiar with them

ajumma (아줌마)
"auntie" (no familial relationship); "mrs." (a respectful word for a married, or marriage-aged woman)

ajusshi/ajeossi (아저씨)
"middle-aged man"; "mister" (casual way to address middle-aged men, usually strangers, much older than you)

banchan (반찬)
small "side dishes" served along with cooked rice (and, if there is one, the main dish)

banmal (반말)
"half-speech" in the Korean language; an informal, casual, and potentially disrespectful way of speaking that is appropriate between close friends/relatives, between people of similar age, and from older persons when talking to younger persons. Contrast with jondaemal (존댓말), "polite/formal speech"

Chungmudong/Choongmoodong (충무동)
Chungmu (충무) neighborhood (동) in Seo-gu; borders the largest central business district in Jung-gu (중구, Central District)

Chuseok/Chooseok (추석) and Seollal (설날)
Mid-Autumn Festival and Lunar New Year, respectively

doryun-nim (도련님)
young unmarried gentleman, Young Master (form of address); also, unmarried younger brother of one's husband

dumok/doomok (두목)
gang leader/boss, kingpin

Gangnam-gu (강남구)
Gangnam ("south 남 of the river 강") District; an affluent district in Seoul

geondal (건달)
"thug/gangster/mobster" and often used interchangeably with 'kkangpae'; "good-for-nothing"

gisaeng (기생)
courtesans/young female artists (fine arts, poetry, prose, music, etc.) who work to entertain others (sort of like Japanese "geisha"); gisaeng are not necessarily prostitutes/escorts, and gisaeng houses are not brothels

gisaeng (기생) house = an establishment that provides traditional food and companionship/entertainment by gisaeng

Gwanse'eum-Bosal (관세음보살)
the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, or Guanyin/the Goddess of Mercy

Gyeongsang accent/saturi (경상 사투리)
regional dialect/accent/intonation/vernacular used in Busan and other parts of southeastern Korea (i.e. Gyeongsang province)

Gyeongsangnam-do (경상남도)
South Gyeongsang Province, in which the cities of Busan and Ulsan are located

hanbok (한복)
traditional Korean clothing

hanok (한옥)
a term used to describe traditional Korean houses

Hwejang-nim (회장님)
"Mr. Chairman"; hwejang (회장) is "chairman"; the -nim (-님) honorific suffix is attached to titles and connotes a sense of 'esteem'/indicates a relatively high level of respect

hweshik (회식)
"company dinner" from a combo of "company/business" and "meal"; pretty much a mandatory gathering, due to the collective nature of Korean society and the corporate hierarchic structure, and often more than just dinner

hyung/hyeong (형)
"elder brother"; also, often used by males to address (slightly) older males who aren't necessarily blood-related

Hyung-nim/hyeongnim (형님)
"respected older brother"; 'hyung' means "elder brother" and is often used by males to address older males who aren't necessarily blood-related, while the honorific suffix '-nim' shows formal respect towards the addressee; an honorable term for hyung (형); also used as a respectful way to address any superior (in rank and/or age) male

In gangs: often used to address the mob boss, but also used as a respectful way to address any superior (in rank and/or age), since in Korean culture, one doesn't casually call people by name; the kinship implication is meant to be there due to close relationships between gang members.

hyungsu-nim/hyeongsoo-nim (형수님)
"hyung-nim's wife"; sort of like "the missus", a way to politely address/indicate the wife of a hyung-nim; older brother's wife

Inho (인호)
[some wordplay] -ho (호) has various meanings depending on its Chinese character; 'tiger' is one

The actual hanja for ho (豪) means "strong, brave, heroic, chivalrous". Inho and his siblings all share the same generation name/marker (dollimja), in (仁), meaning "benevolence, humaneness, kindness"

jaebol/chaebol/jaebeol (재벌)
a form of business conglomerate, typically multinational and controlled by a chairman who has power over all the operations; some are family-controlled

jjimjilbang (찜질방)
large pubic bathhouse furnished with gender-segregated hot tubs, showers, saunas, and massage tables, and unisex areas such as snack bars, lounges, exercise rooms, and sleeping quarters

jondaemal (존댓말)
"polite/formal speech" in the Korean language, used to speak to adults/strangers/anybody above you/a social peer; basically, it keeps a person at arm's length, i.e. maintains a 'polite distance'

kayageum (가야금)
traditional Korean zither-like string instrument

kkangpae (깡패)
"thug/gangster/mobster"; completely interchangeable

kkangpae-sekki (깡패 새끼) = 'kkangpae' means "gangster" (lit.), 'sekki' means "bastard/son of a bitch/rascal"; mashed together into an emphatic insult

makgeolli (막걸리)
an alcoholic beverage made from rice/wheat mixed with a fermentation starter; has a milky, off-white color and sweetness, 6-8% ABV; traditionally served in a jar from which individual cups/bowls are filled using a ladle

maknae (막내)
the youngest in age among siblings, among a group, etc.

manhwabang (만화방)
"comic book room" where patrons can read and/or borrow comics (and other types of books) from, for a small fee

matseon (맞선)
blind date with a potential spouse; formal marriage interview/meeting

moktak (목탁)
a wooden percussion instrument, also called a wooden fish or Chinese temple block

Nampodong (남포동)
Nampo (남포) neighborhood (동) in Busan city's Central District

noona/nuna (누나)
"elder sister", used by males to refer to/address (slightly) older females, who aren't necessarily blood-related; gender equivalent to 'hyung'

noraebang (노래방)
karaoke place, (lit.) "song room"

oppa (오빠)
"elder brother" used by females; also used to address older males who aren't necessarily blood-related

pojangmacha (포장마차)
"covered wagon"; a commercial establishment based out of a small tent (sometimes on wheels) or street stall that sells popular street foods

Seo-gu (서구)
West (서) District (구) in Busan (부산); Busan is the 2nd largest city in South Korea

soju (소주)
popular Korean alcoholic beverage made of ethanol (from sweet potatoes/tapioca; due to food shortages, use of rice in alcohol production was banned mid-1960s~late-1990s) and diluted with water

sunbae/seonbae (선배)
word that refers to people with more experience (at work, school, etc.)

yangachi (양아치) vs. geondal (건달)
both mean "gangster" but have different connotations, with yangachi being marginally more negative (e.g. "two-bit hoodlum, petty thug")

yangban (양반)
the upper classes/nobility/aristocracy of old, pre-Japanese occupation, Korea


OTHER NOTES


Some names in Korean [+ alternate spellings], because romanization and pronunciation are sometimes tricky:

최인호 = Choi [Ch'oe], Inho

이상준 = Lee [Yi], Sangjun [Sangjoon]

이혁준 = Lee [Yi], Hyukjun [Hyukjoon]

김혜철 = Kim [Gim], Hyechul [Hyecheol]

유민식 = Yu [Yoo], Minshik

백두한 = Baek [Paik], Duhan [Doohan]

임태규 = Im [Lim], Taegyu [Taekyu]

미림 / 장혜진= Mirim [Mi-lim] / Jang, Hyejin

허윤성 = Heo [Hur/Huh], Yoonseong

전재용 = Jeon [Chŏn], Jaeyong

전승환 = Jeon, Seunghwan

잔승연 = Jeon, Seungyeon

Ms. 박 = Ms. Park [Bak]

...

The South Korean school system goes 6-3-3: elementary school is grades 1-6; middle school, grades 7-9; and high school, grades 10-12.

"Says the crap-stained mutt..." refers to a Korean version of 'pot calling the kettle black'. The full idiom is 똥 묻은 개가 겨 묻은 개 나무란다, or: The dung-stained dog reproaches the chaff-stained dog.