Podcasts · Korean. American. Podcast

Episode 116: A 2964% Bonus, Indirectness Overload, and The Complexity of Taking a Stand

18 Feb 2026 · 2 h 13 min

This week, Jun and Daniel dive back into their regular programming with a packed episode. Daniel shares his recent first-time shopping experience for men's skincare at Olive Young and his realization that he completely missed the start of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics and the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, Jun gives a quick update on starting his new job and feeling the generational gap with his surprisingly young coworkers. The hosts also cover a wide range of news, from Samsung adopting English as its official internal language and SK Hynix's massive employee bonuses, to a somber discussion about the recent ICE controversies in the US and the complexities of political protests.

If you're interested in learning the Korean term for a cat "making biscuits", the current state of Korean men wearing make-up, or the cultural meaning behind mallard ducks at traditional Korean weddings, this episode has it all. Our hosts also explore linguistic trends like the (over)use of indirect phrasing, taste-test a viral, lazy-person "icebox cake", and read an email from a listener living in Boston.

As a reminder, we publish our episodes bi-weekly from Seoul, South Korea. We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and we're so excited to have you following us on this journey!

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