Show Notes
A new story begins this month: 우리, 그때 (Us, Back Then) - the story behind 여름 휴가, told entirely in Korean. No in-episode explanation - translation and vocabulary are in the study guide below. What You'll Hear Chapter 1, in natural spoken Korean Vocabulary connected to memory, first meetings, and everyday moments that stay with us (12 expressions, in the study guide)
Study Guide
📄 Download this chapter's translation and vocabulary → https://www.joaacademy.com/topik-and-beyond/us-2026/chapter-1
Connect
🌐 Website: www.joaacademy.com 📸 Instagram: @korean.joaacademy 📝 Substack: Korean Joa Academy 💌 Korean FLOW Club: www.joaacademy.com/the-korean-flow-club
If You Enjoyed This Episode Please consider leaving a rating or following the podcast, so you don't miss the next chapter.
More from Korean Unpacked
잘 먹겠습니다 translates as “I will eat well” - but nobody at a Korean dinner table is making a promise about their eating. In this episode of Korean Unpacked, Eliza unpacks the everyday Korean phrases that don’t translate neatly into English, and what they’re really doing: marking a moment, and noticing the people in it.
In a textbook, it’s 저는 어제 친구를 만났어요. Between friends, it’s 나 어제 친구 만났어. So where did the particles go? In this episode of Korean Unpacked, Eliza shows what really happens to Korean particles in everyday conversation - when they disappear, when they shrink, and when they stay.
You learned that 을/를 marks the thing you like, need, or have. So why does Korean say 커피가 좋아요, 시간이 필요해요 and 돈이 없어요? In this episode of Korean Unpacked, Eliza shows why these aren’t mistakes - and the one simple question that helps you choose the right particle.
You know 은/는 is the topic particle and 이/가 marks the subject. So why do particles still feel uncertain in real Korean? In the first episode of Korean Unpacked (formerly TOPIK & Beyond), Eliza looks at what particles are actually doing in a conversation: framing, identifying, contrasting, and sometimes quietly disappearing.
Episode 100 breaks the usual format on purpose. No structured lesson, no vocabulary cluster. Just Eliza, speaking honestly about what surprised her over a hundred episodes, what she got wrong early on, and one practical thing she wants every listener to take away - plus what she'd tell the version of herself who recorded Episode 1. It closes with a genuine thank-you to everyone who's been listening - however long you've been here.