Caveat: Korean Reference Grammar

These are the grammar points from the first two volumes of the Korean language textbook I was using in February and March, 2010.  Given that I finished the courses, I should, in theory, know all this grammar perfectly.  So much for theory.

미친
외국인의 문법
– Things from the textbook, that I
should already know

1.01.1

종결
어미
(terminative inflections), formal register

declarative: Vc+습니다
/ Vv+ㅂ니다

interrogative: Vc+습니까
/ Vv+ㅂ니까

imperative: Vc+으십시오
/ Vv+십시오

propositive: Vc+읍시다
/ Vv+ㅂ시다

1.01.2

honorific V-stem infix (precedes most
other affixes): Vc+으시+
/ Vv++

1.02.1

“how” Adv: 어떻게

1.02.2

“too, also” topicalizing N
suffix particle (follows most other affixes): N+

1.03.1

“the, as for…, speaking of…”
topicalizing N suffix particle (follows most other affixes): Nc+
/ Nv+

1.03.2

predicate affirmative suffix / copula,
“be”: N+이다

(this makes a noun “N” into a
conjugable predicate [verb] “to be N”)

1.03.3

deferential 1st person sing. pronoun,
“I”:

1.03.4

contraction “my”:
<= 저의
(deferential “I” + genitive case particle)

1.04.1

demonstrative prefixes

“this”: +N

“that [near listener]”: +N

“that [over there]”): +N

1.04.2

“who”: 누구
(note obligatory contraction 누가
<= *누구가)

1.04.3

“we”: 우리
(note that this word often doesn’t seem to accept case
particles)

1.05.1

demonstrative pronouns (derived from
demonstrative prefixes +
“thing”)

“this”: 이것

“that [near listener]”: 그것

“that [over there]”): 저것

1.05.2

subject case particle: Nc+
/ Nv+

1.05.3

interrogative pronoun, “what
[thing]”: 무엇

1.05.4

object case particle: Nc+
/ Nv+

1.06.1

note that +
(1.2.2) “overwrites” subject and object (an
perhaps others?) case particles

1.07.1

“where”: 어디

1.07.2

dative case particle “to [action
verbs toward a place], at [a time], in [stative verbs in a place]”:
N+

1.07.3

locative case particle “at [a
place], from [a place], in [action verbs in a place]”: N+에서

1.08.1

“when”: 언제

1.08.2

past/perfective finite verb infix
(invokes vowel harmony with verb stem): V+{//}+

(and note common contractions [some
mostly obligatory, with asterisk]:

<= 하였,
<=
*보았,
배웠 <=
*배우었,
etc.)

1.08.3

숫자
(numerals, chinese origin)

(used for money, minutes, dates,
months, calendar years, phone numbers, addresses, etc.)

1.09.1

predicate negative suffix / copula,
“not be”: Nc+
아니다
/ Nv+
아니다

(this makes a noun “N” into a
conjugable predicate [verb] “not to be N”)

1.09.2

“which”: 어느

1.10.1

non-finite verb oppositional suffix,
“but, however”: V+지만

1.11.1

1.12.1

1.13.1

1.14.1

1.15.1

1.16.1

1.17.1

1.18.1

1.19.1

1.20.1

1.21.1

1.22.1

1.23.1

1.24.1

1.25.1

2.01.1

2.02.1

2.03.1

2.04.1

2.05.1

2.06.1

2.07.1

2.08.1

2.09.1

2.10.1

2.11.1

2.12.1

2.13.1

2.14.1

2.15.1

2.16.1

2.17.1

2.18.1

2.19.1

2.20.1

2.21.1

2.22.1

2.23.1

2.24.1

2.25.1

2.26.1

2.27.1

2.28.1

2.29.1

2.30.1

Caveat: The Republic of Samsung

I read in The Economist that the Samsung chaebol (business conglomerate) represents 20% of South Korea's GDP.  This is utterly stunning, if true.  But I find it plausible.  And if you add in the other major chaebol – groups like Hyundai, LG, etc., it must mean that the South Korean economy is essentially in the hands of a half dozen dynastic families.

I always instinctively knew this, but I think it's important to keep the fact in mind, when trying to make comparisons between Korea and other Asian economies like Japan, China, etc.  None of these other countries has a similar economic system, when looked at in this light.  South Korea's current chaebol-based economy most resembles Japan's pre-War system, with its giant zaibatsu.

Whether it's good or bad, I can't judge.  Certainly, right now, when it comes to "conventional" measures of economic growth and prosperity, it's "working."  The way in which South Korea has weathered the recent global downturn is a veritable miracle, given its reliance on exports.  But I can't see that it's going to keep working indefinitely – such concentrated power strikes me as dangerous.  Especially since nowadays, the chaebol have one of their own, Lee Myung-bak (former Hyundai exec), in the Blue House.

Back to Top