Uptempo Global

Hello, this is Uptempo Marketers! For Korean women, the holidays may be one of the most stressful times of the year. Most Korean women experience ‘holiday blues’ as a result of the intense effort of cooking, serving, and cleaning. Some husbands make an effort to help, but it’s difficult since some elder Koreans in the family believe that men shouldn’t be allowed in the kitchen. Even though fewer people believe it now and conditions have improved, the culture still exists. The problem is that, despite all of their efforts on behalf of their husbands’ families, women often don’t get enough time to visit their own families.  Photo by   AJ   on   Unsplash There’s even an idiom ‘ 처갓집 세배는 앵두꽃을 꺾어 가지고 간다 ’.  ‘ 세배 ’ is a deep traditional bow where people wish their elders (grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles) a happy new year by performing a deep traditional bow and saying ‘ 새해 복 많이 받으세요 ( Wishing you the best of luck in the new year) ’. ‘ 처갓집 ’ is the ‘ wife’s pa...

Hello, this is Uptempo Marketers! The Korean pop music industry has grown significantly in recent years, but it is not without its shady side. Several male K-pop artists, as well as one of the industry’s major producers, have been found to be involved in illegal gambling and prostitution, and many superstars commit suicides. Also, celebrities receive both positive and negative attention from people. 악플(Cyberbullying) has always has been one of the biggest causes of celebrity deaths.  욱(UGH!) by BTS illustrates this problem. The following are the lyrics: 진실도 거짓이 돼 The trutth becomes a lie 거짓도 진실이 돼 A lie becomes the truth 이곳에선 모두가 도덕적 사고와 판단이 완벽한 사람이 돼 Everyone believes they are the most ‘moral’ and ‘rational’ person on here (internet) 웃기시네 It’s funny. 이 세상 (hi) 분노가 지배함 (hi hi) Anger rules this world 분노가 없음 다 못 사나 봐 (hi hi) I guess they can’t live without anger 분노하고 또 분노하고 분노하고 (hi hi) They get angry, angry, and angry. 그리 미쳐가고 (hi) 욱 욱 욱 욱 They’ve all gone insane. Ugh, ugh, ugh. 분...

Hello, this is Uptempo Marketers! Instagram is a popular photo-sharing app that lets people connect with brands, celebrities, thought leaders, friends, family, and more. Instagram allows users to post pictures and videos with fun and creative filters, connect with like-minded people, promote their businesses, and even make money.  When used to connect with others, it seems to have good mental health benefits. However, unlike Facebook or Twitter, Instagram is a completely visual platform that has been linked to high levels of anxiety, depression, bullying, and a “fear of missing out (FOMO)”. They are even associated with poor sleep patterns and a negative body image of self. According to the Wall Street Journal, 32% of teenage girls ‘felt bad about their bodies, and Instagram made them feel worse.” Sadly, many people who use social media have an intrinsic urge to compare themselves to others. Dean, a popular South Korean singer-songwriter, has a song titled ‘인스타그램 (Instagram)’ that ...

Hello, this is Uptempo Marketers! Some people are more extroverted and comfortable around strangers than others. Many people who were shy as children ‘grow out of it’ and become more social as they become older. However, others prefer to remain shy.  ‘ 낯을 가린다 (picky with faces) ’ means ‘ shy or afraid of strangers ’ in Korean. ‘ 낯 ’ means ‘ face ’, ‘ 가린다 ’ means to ‘ hide ’ or ‘ picky ’. Since these people are picky about who they are shy around (usually, strangers), the expression ‘낯을 가린다’ makes sense. Ex) 저희 아이는 낯을 안 가려서 모든 사람에게 잘 웃어요. My baby isn’t picky with faces ( isn’t afraid of strangers ), so she smiles at everyone. Ex) 제가 처음 보는 사람과는 낯을 가려서 , 죄송합니다. I’m sorry, I’m picky with faces ( I’m shy around strangers/ I’m introverted ) 가리다 can also be used for food. Ex) 음식 가리지 말고 다 잘 먹어야지 You shouldn’t be picky about food.  Ex) 나는 음식을 가리지 않아 I’m not picky about food Below video illustrates ‘ 낯 가리는 사람 특징 (The traits of the people who are introverts/shy around strangers ) ’...

Hello, this is Uptempo Marketers! Have you ever felt as if you’re standing on the edge of a cliff? Or have you ever been too exhausted to even cry? One of the best ways to cope with negative feelings is to wait for them to pass. However, allowing oneself to fall deep can also help you get back up faster. IT also helps to have a supportive friend at your side.   AKMU sings ‘ 낙하(NAKKA) , ’ which means ‘ fall ’:   말 했잖아 언젠가 이런 날이 온다면 난 널 혼자 내버려두지 않을 거라고 I told you that I would never leave you alone when a day like this comes. ‘ 혼자 내버려두지 않는다 ’ means ‘ I’ll never leave you alone ’ 죄다 낭떠러지야, 봐 Look. There are cliffs everywhere around us 예상했던 것보다 더 아플지도 모르지만 It might hurt more than we imagined. 내 손을 잡으면 하늘을 나는 정도 그 이상도 느낄 수 있을 거야 But if you hold my hands, you’ll feel like you’re soaring. Or maybe it will even feel better than soaring. 눈 딱 감고 낙하, 하 Just close your eyes and let yourself fall 믿어 날 눈 딱 감고 낙하, 우 Trust me. Close your eyes and let yourself fall 눈 딱 감고 낙하, 하 Just close your...