Korean Government & K-Culture: Who Does What?

Hello! This is [Daily Korean], here to upgrade your Korean skills to the next level!

Today, we are going to dive into a slightly more advanced but incredibly useful topic: The Political System and Government Ministries.

Does talking about politics sound difficult? Don’t worry! Have you noticed how news about “K-Culture support” or “New Visa Policies for Foreigners” has been trending in Korea lately? To understand these news reports or discuss social issues with your Korean colleagues, knowing who does what in the government is essential.

Today, we will learn how to introduce the major ministries of the Executive Branch and their functions. By the end of this post, you’ll be able to explain which government department handles the topics you are interested in!

Core Expressions (3~5)

Here are the essential expressions you need to discuss government roles.

1. 담당하다 (To be in charge of / To handle)

• Pronunciation: [Dam-dang-ha-da]
• English Meaning: To be in charge of; to handle
• Detail: This is a key verb used in professional settings (B2 level). You use it to say which department or person is responsible for a specific task. It is more formal than just saying “do” (하다).
  • Example: 교육부는 교육을 담당해요. (The Ministry of Education is in charge of education.)

2. 정책을 시행하다 (To implement a policy)

• Pronunciation: [Jeong-chae-geul si-haeng-ha-da]
• English Meaning: To implement a policy
• Detail: ‘정책’ means policy and ‘시행하다’ means to carry out or implement. This collocation is very common in news reports regarding government actions.
• 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
  • Let’s look at 정책을. It is written as ‘jeong-chaek-eul’, but pronounced [jeong-chae-geul].
  • This is due to the Liaison rule (연음 법칙). When a final consonant (batchim) like ‘ㄱ’ is followed by a vowel, the sound travels over to the empty vowel spot. So, it sounds smoother like ‘Jeong-chae-geul’.

3. 협력하다 (To cooperate)

• Pronunciation: [Hyeom-nyeok-ha-da]
• English Meaning: To cooperate
• Detail: Government ministries often don’t work alone; they work together. This word is crucial when describing how different departments solve problems together.
• 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
  • Wait! Why is ‘hyeop-ryeok’ pronounced [hyeom-nyeok]?
  • This is a classic example of Nasalization (비음화).
  • When the stop sound ‘ㅂ(p)’ meets the liquid sound ‘ㄹ(r/l)’, a chemical reaction happens! The ‘ㅂ’ turns into the soft nasal sound ‘ㅁ(m)’, and the ‘ㄹ’ turns into ‘ㄴ(n)’.
  • Trying to say “Hyeop-ryeok” is choppy and difficult. [Hyeom-nyeok] flows much better. Try saying it softly!

Real-Life Dialogue

Let’s see how these words are used in a conversation about the recent “Digital Nomad Visa” trend.

Min-su: Did you hear the news? The government is making a new visa for K-Culture fans!
(민수: 뉴스 들었어? 정부에서 K-컬처 팬들을 위한 새 비자를 만든대!)

Sarah: Really? That’s great news. Which ministry is in charge of that?
(사라: 정말? 좋은 소식이네. 어느 부처가 그걸 **담당해?)**

Min-su: The Ministry of Justice handles visas, but they decided to cooperate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism this time.
(민수: 비자는 법무부가 담당하는데, 이번에는 문화체육관광부와 **협력하기로 했어.)**

Sarah: I see. I hope they implement the policy quickly!
(사라: 그렇구나. 빨리 그 **정책을 시행했으면 좋겠다!)**

Culture Tip & Trend Analysis

“Who is responsible for the K-Wave?”

In the dialogue above, Sarah was curious about the ministries. In modern Korean society, the structure of the Executive Branch (행정부) is often a topic of discussion regarding budget and support.

• Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (문화체육관광부): Often shortened to ‘문체부’. They are the superstars behind supporting K-Pop, K-Dramas, and tourism. Recently, they have been focusing heavily on “Hallyu” (Korean Wave) marketing to attract global tourists.
• Ministry of Justice (법무부): They handle laws, immigration, and visas. As Korea becomes more global, the policies from this ministry are very important for foreigners living in Korea.

Trend Insight: Lately, these two ministries are working together frequently. For example, creating “Workcation” visas to allow foreigners to enjoy Korean culture while working remotely. Knowing the difference between these ministries will make you sound like a local expert when discussing news!

Wrap-up & Practice

Today we learned how to discuss the functions of government ministries using words like 담당하다 (to be in charge of) and 협력하다 (to cooperate). These expressions allow you to talk about social issues and news with confidence!

📝 Mini Quiz

Fill in the blanks with the correct words we learned today!

1. The Ministry of Justice __________ immigration and visa affairs.
   (법무부는 출입국과 비자 업무를 [ ? ].)

2. Several ministries must __________ to solve environmental problems.
   (환경 문제를 해결하기 위해 여러 부처가 [ ? ] 해야 해요.)

(Answers: 1. 담당해요 / 2. 협력)

Please leave a comment below using the new expressions!
I’d love to hear which Korean government policy interests you the most. See you in the next post!