Dr. Jiwon Yoon

My very pleasure!!! So thrilled that my comment helped you learn some Korean expressions, because I also learn a lot from you and get inspired! 🤗🤩

Actually, it’s coming😁 (after essays on postpartum care!!!) I will explore 얼죽아 (얼어죽어도 아메리카노!)
I knew someone would ask about it 🤩😆

When the Floor Heals You How Korea Built Warmth Into Its Floors, Its Medicine, and Its Way of Caring for People

Dive into the history of Korea's cozy (and yes, scorching) floors here: yoonjiwon.substack.com/p/the-warm-f...

#CultureNotes #Warmth #KoreanCulture

An atmospheric, dimly lit child's bedroom where a young blonde girl sits on a patterned quilt bed, clutching a teddy bear in fear. Two massive, hairy, clawed monster hands emerge from under the bed onto the wooden floor among scattered blocks, creating a menacing contrast to the childhood setting.

A humorous viral Korean meme image. A man in a blue jacket sits by a tea set in a room, pouring tea. Adjacent to him on the floor is a large, deep dark scorch mark on the floor covering, implying extreme heat. Korean text at the bottom reads: "나약한 괴물이 누울 자리는 없다" (There is no place for a weak monster to lie down), humorously referencing Korean 'Ondol' heated floors.

#Korea doesn’t have “monsters under the bed.”
Because the floor is lava. 🔥

Unless that monster is ready to get slow-cooked like a brisket, it’s not surviving the night.

This #meme went viral in Korea years ago, and I kept thinking about it while writing about Korea’s obsession with warm floors.

At my daughter’s Lacrosse practice now! Will see this with my hubby and daughter later ❤️🥰😍

Just checked it and saved it!! Deeply appreciate your generous sharing of such a rich resource that you collected over time 🙏🏻❤️

The really cool one here is you. Thanks to you, I learned things I wouldn’t have even thought to notice. You genuinely expanded how I think about this topic.

Thank you for reading so closely and for keeping the conversation so alive. I’m really grateful you’re here 🙏

Oh wow, I didn’t know there was an explainer video like this too. Thank you for sharing🙏

And yes, Arirang really does have that pull. It’s one of those songs that can feel like history, grief, and hope all braided together. I’m excited to watch this. 💜

Exactly. The more you understand what Arirang carries, the more that album title feels heavy in the best way.

And honestly, when I first heard they were naming the next album ARIRANG, I got full-body chills. It felt like choosing not just a word, but a root.

So I was thrilled to hear that #BTS’s 5th album is titled #ARIRANG, dropping March 20.

This is their return. And they chose this word. This song. These roots.

For #ARMYs around the world, it’s a chance to hear the heartbeat of Korean history through a modern lens.

YouTube video by Mnet K-POP [KCON 2016 France×M COUNTDOWN] Opening Performance _ Arirang Medley(아리랑 연곡) M COUNTDOWN 160614 EP.47

Today is Samiljeol (March 1st), Korea’s Independence Movement Day.
So I’m sharing #BTS performing “Arirang.”

#Arirang isn’t just “traditional.” It’s a song Koreans have carried through grief, separation, and resistance.
It holds #history inside it, even when no one explains the footnotes.

It explains why these protective reflexes remain so much more visible in K-and C- media compared to modern Western dramas, where such risks have often been abstracted away.
This dialogue is a true gift to me as a researcher and writer. Thank you for looking so deeply into these shared stories🙏❤️

It is exactly those tiny, physical gestures that speak volumes about our underlying ideas of bodily fragility and familial duty.
I also find your point about 'famine and freeze' being a collective cultural memory so compelling.

Thank you for adding these incredible layers to the conversation! Your observation about the 'arms under the blankets' versus keeping them outside is such a poignant illustration of the different cultural architectures of care.

Thank you so much for this generous note. It truly means a lot.
I’m honored you shared the essay with your friend, and touched that she felt the medical, philosophical, and anthropological threads came through. And wow! legal anthropologist turned therapist is such an incredible path!!!

Thank you so much for the share 🙏
I am so happy to hear you found the explanation helpful. There is so much more to explore about how these historical moments built the Korea we see today.
I am glad to have you learning along with me! 📚

Thank you so much for sharing. 🙏 And ah, of course, #OTD and #OnThisDay are a thing. I love that. I still have a lot to learn on #Bluesky 😅

Marking March 1st by revisiting the roar of a nation that refused to be silenced.
This is the story of how millions of ordinary people in 1919 built the bedrock of Korean democracy.

Resharing this for those who want to understand the roots of our resilience.

#March1st #History #KoreanCulture

15 (5) The Roar of a Nation — How the March 1st Movement Forged Modern Korean Identity The day Koreans found their voice—and made it impossible to silence.

March 1st, 1919.
Millions of #Koreans stepped into the streets and made one thing undeniable:
A nation is not a flag. It's people, acting together.

Here's why Koreans defend #democracy like their lives depend on it — because once, they did. 🧵

yoonjiwon.substack.com/p/march-1st-...

Totally. I feel that too. Lately, it’s like the sense of “this is a safe place” keeps slipping away. 😔

Thank you so much! ✨ I love the word “magical.”
I’ll tell my dad. You definitely made him smile 😊📷

There truly are no words for this kind of heartbreak. It is incredibly hard to wake up to this kind of news and not feel completely untethered. I am so sorry your community is going through this...
Sending so much love and strength to you and your city today.

There’s something so revealing about how quickly language becomes identity in public spaces. The second you speak, people start “placing” you. Also, I love that you were actually speaking Chinese. You weren’t pretending to belong, you were communicating 💙

Haha, oh wow. What a moment. 😅 Ending up in rice fields is already a story, but that line takes it to another level.

I’m really glad you can tell it now as a “best memory,” even though it must have felt strange in the moment.

Thank you so much! 😊 He usually does add a watermark. I think this time he was a little disappointed the birds didn’t show up, so he doesn’t quite see it as “his best work.” (I disagree!) I’ll tell him what you said 🤗

Thank you so much, Carrie. I’m really glad it resonated with you 😊

This spot is also known for flocks of migratory ducks that sometimes fly in and “dance” over the water.

They didn’t show up this time, so he was disappointed.

But honestly? I think this quiet, golden moment is more than enough.

A serene landscape of a solitary, bare tree standing in the shallow waters of Yedang Reservoir at sunrise. The morning sun glows bright orange on the horizon, casting a vibrant golden light across the calm water and the tree’s intricate branches. A near-perfect reflection of the tree is visible on the glassy surface of the lake, with soft mountain silhouettes in the distant background under a clear, pale sky.

A golden sunrise bursts from the multi-trunk, bare-branched tree standing partially submerged in water. Its reflection stretches out on the water, while bushes frame the foreground.

My dad retired and picked up a camera.

The locals call this single, majestic tree the “Golden Tree.” 🌳✨ It earns its name at dawn when the first light transforms its silhouette into shimmering, pure gold.

📍 #Yesan, #SouthChungcheong Province, #SouthKorea

#Korea #LandscapePhotography #Sunrise

I don’t speak Japanese, but 'So desu ne' is actually one of those phrases that is almost universally famous among Koreans, often used as a playful or deeply empathetic way to signal agreement 😆

That is such a rich background to bring to the conversation! Studying classical literary Chinese provides such a unique lens for seeing the deep connections across East Asian cultures.
I couldn't agree more about calligraphy: it is where language truly transcends into art.