Introduction
Hello! It’s your favorite Korean tutor, Daily Hangul (DailyHangul.com)! 👋✨
Today, we are going to dive into a slightly more advanced but incredibly important topic. Korea is rapidly becoming a multicultural society (다문화 사회). If you live in Korea or watch Korean news and documentaries, you might sometimes feel that a story is told from only one angle.
Have you ever watched a program and thought, “Hmm, that doesn’t seem fair!” or “That’s not the whole truth!”? 🤔
To help you express these critical thoughts like a pro, we will learn how to critique bias and objectivity in media. These expressions will make you sound super smart and fluent, just like a debate champion in a K-Drama! Let’s level up! 🚀
Key Expressions
Here are 4 key phrases to help you critique what you see and hear.
1. 편파적이에요
- Pronunciation: [Pyeon-pa-jeo-gi-e-yo]
- English Meaning: It is biased / It is one-sided.
- Detail: This is the perfect word when you feel a documentary or news report is favoring only one side. You can use this when the media isn’t being fair to immigrants or foreigners.
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip: Notice the linking sound! The final consonant ‘ㄱ’ in ‘적’ moves over to the next vowel ‘이’. So instead of Pyeon-pa-jeok-i-e-yo, it flows smoothly as [Jeo-gi-e-yo].
2. 객관적이지 않아요
- Pronunciation: [Gaek-gwan-jeo-gi-ji a-na-yo]
- English Meaning: It is not objective.
- Detail: ‘객관적’ (Gaek-gwan-jeok) means ‘objective’. By adding ‘-이지 않아요’ (is not), you are politely criticizing the lack of facts or neutrality. This sounds very professional!
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip: In the word 않아요, the ‘ㅎ’ (h) is silent! Do not pronounce the H. It sounds simply like [A-na-yo].
3. 과장된 것 같아요
- Pronunciation: [Gwa-jang-doen geot ga-ta-yo]
- English Meaning: I think it is exaggerated.
- Detail: Use this when a TV show makes a small problem look huge for drama. In K-Dramas, situations are often ‘exaggerated’ for fun, but in documentaries, we want the truth!
- 💡 Pronunciation Tip: When saying 같아요 (I think/It seems), the ‘ㅌ’ moves to the ‘아’. It sounds like [Ga-ta-yo].
4. 시각이 다양하지 않아요
- Pronunciation: [Si-ga-gi da-yang-ha-ji a-na-yo]
- English Meaning: The perspective is not diverse.
- Detail: ‘시각’ (Sigak) means perspective or point of view. This is a great phrase to use when a program only interviews Korean people about an issue that affects foreigners.
Real Conversation
Let’s see how Alex and his Korean friend Minji talk about a recent documentary on immigration.
Minji: 어제 그 다큐멘터리 봤어? 외국인 노동자에 대한 이야기였어.
(Did you watch that documentary yesterday? It was about foreign workers.)
Alex: 응, 봤어. 그런데 좀 편파적이에요.
(Yes, I saw it. But it is a bit biased.)
Minji: 정말? 어떤 점이?
(Really? In what way?)
Alex: 좋은 점은 없고, 나쁜 점만 나왔어요. 객관적이지 않아요.
(There were no good points, only bad points appeared. It is not objective.)
Minji: 맞아. 나도 내용이 좀 과장된 것 같아요.
(Right. I also think the content is exaggerated.)
Alex: 다음에는 시각이 다양한 프로그램을 보고 싶어요.
(Next time, I want to watch a program with diverse perspectives.)
Culture Tip 🇰🇷
“Netizens and Feedback”
In Korea, internet users (Netizens) are very active in critiquing media. If a broadcasting station airs a documentary that lacks objectivity (객관성), people will immediately post comments on the bulletin board saying “This is biased!” (이건 편파적이다!).
Being able to express critical opinions logically is highly respected in Korean culture. If you simply say “I don’t like it,” it sounds childish. But if you say, “I think this lacks objectivity,” Koreans will be surprised and think, “Wow, their Korean is very high-level!” 😲👍
Wrap-up & Quiz
Today we learned how to be a critical viewer in Korean! Don’t just watch—think and speak your mind! 🧠
📝 Mini Quiz
- Which word means “Biased”?
A. 객관적 (Gaek-gwan-jeok)
B. 편파적 (Pyeon-pa-jeok) -
Fill in the blank: “The content seems too big/drama compared to reality.”
= 내용이 너무 (______) 것 같아요. -
True or False: In the word ‘않아요’, you must pronounce the ‘ㅎ’ sound strongly.
( O / X )
Answers:
1. B (편파적)
2. 과장된 (Exaggerated)
3. X (The ‘ㅎ’ is silent!)
