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PODCAST

Korean Unpacked

Korean Unpacked is a weekly podcast for Korean learners who want to understand how Korean really works - beyond textbook rules and direct translations. Hosted by Eliza from Joa Academy, each episode explores grammar, vocabulary, natural expressions, listening, K-dramas, K-pop, TOPIK, Korean culture, and the little details that make Korean make more sense. New episodes every week.

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All Episodes

9:10

#100: What 100 Episodes Taught Me About Teaching Korean

Korean Unpacked ·

2026/09/22

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.Subscribe & ListenIf you've never hit subscribe, this is a

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11:12

#99: How to Describe a Chart Without Writing an Essay...

Korean Unpacked ·

2026/09/15

Question 53 hands you a chart, graph, or survey result and asks for an objective description - no argument, no opinion. It's a different discipline from every other part of the writing section, and it's easy to slip into personal commentary without realizing it.In this episode, Eliza breaks down the vocabulary, structure, and self-check for writing a clean, objective Question 53 response before the October test.What You'll LearnWhy Question 53 tests restraint, not argumentThe descriptive

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12:13

#98: The Two TOPIK Questions That Trip Up Even...

Korean Unpacked ·

2026/09/08

Question 51 and Question 52 look almost identical - two blanks, one short text. But they test two different things: Question 51 asks you to read a relationship correctly, Question 52 asks you to follow a logical argument. Mixing up which skill applies is exactly what costs points.In this episode, Eliza breaks down the real difference between the two, with a worked example for each, ahead of the October test.What You'll LearnWhy Question 51 and Question 52 look the same but test different

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4:40

#97: A Gentle Way Back In - Restarting Korean After a...

Korean Unpacked ·

2026/09/01

Welcome back to TOPIK & Beyond. After eight weeks of 여름 휴가 and 우리, 그때, this short episode eases back into regular teaching - no catch-up, no pressure, just a gentle way to pick Korean back up if it slipped over the summer.This one's short by design: about 8–10 minutes, built around a single idea - that "falling behind" isn't really a thing in language learning, and that the feel of a language comes back faster than people expect.What You’ll Learn in This EpisodeWhy a study break doesn't

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3:28

#96: 우리, 그때. - Five Years Later

Korean Unpacked ·

2026/08/25

The final chapter of 우리, 그때 (Us, Back Then) - and the final episode of this summer's story series. Told entirely in Korean. No in-episode explanation - translation and vocabulary are in the study guide below. What You'll HearThe closing chapter, in natural spoken Korean, beginner-intermediate friendlyVocabulary connected to reconnecting, distance, and everyday warmth (12 expressions, in the study guide)Study Guide📄 Download this chapter's translation and vocabulary →

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3:12

#95: 우리, 그때. - Us, Again

Korean Unpacked ·

2026/08/18

Chapter 3 of 우리, 그때 (Us, Back Then), told entirely in Korean. No in-episode explanation - translation and vocabulary are in the study guide below. What You'll HearChapter 3, in natural spoken Korean, beginner-intermediate friendlyVocabulary connected to reconnecting, distance, and everyday warmth (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-3 Korean FLOW Club 2.0 - Waitlist

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2:43

#94: 우리, 그때. - Why We Drifted Apart

Korean Unpacked ·

2026/08/11

Chapter 2 of 우리, 그때 (Us, Back Then), told entirely in Korean. No in-episode explanation - translation and vocabulary are in the study guide below. What You'll HearChapter 2, in natural spoken KoreanVocabulary connected to distance, silence, and things left unsaid (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-2 Korean FLOW Club 2.0 - Waitlist Now OpenKorean FLOW Club is

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3:29

#93: 우리, 그때. - How We Me

Korean Unpacked ·

2026/08/04

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 HearChapter 1, in natural spoken KoreanVocabulary 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 →

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3:23

#92: 여름 휴가 - Before Leaving

Korean Unpacked ·

2026/07/28

The final chapter of 여름 휴가 (Summer Vacation), told entirely in Korean. No in-episode explanation - translation and vocabulary are in the study guide below. What You'll HearThe closing chapter, in natural spoken KoreanVocabulary connected to decisions, closure, and returning to ease (12 expressions, in the study guide)Study Guide📄 Download this chapter's translation and vocabulary → https://www.joaacademy.com/topik-and-beyond/summer-2026/chapter-4 Connect🌐 Website: www.joaacademy.com📸

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3:11

#91: 여름 휴가 - By Chance

Korean Unpacked ·

2026/07/21

Chapter 3 of 여름 휴가 (Summer Vacation), told entirely in Korean. No in-episode explanation - translation and vocabulary are in the study guide below. What You'll HearChapter 3, in natural spoken KoreanVocabulary connected to family, emotion, and unspoken things (12 expressions, in the study guide)Study Guide📄 Download this chapter's translation and vocabulary → https://www.joaacademy.com/topik-and-beyond/summer-2026/chapter-3 Connect🌐 Website: www.joaacademy.com📸 Instagram:

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2:59

#90: 여름 휴가 - The Questions Family Asks Out of Love

Korean Unpacked ·

2026/07/14

Chapter 2 of 여름 휴가 (Summer Vacation), told entirely in Korean. No in-episode explanation - translation and vocabulary are in the study guide below.What You'll HearChapter 2, in natural spoken KoreanVocabulary connected to family, emotion, and unspoken things (12 expressions, in the study guide)Study Guide📄 Download this chapter's translation and vocabulary → https://www.joaacademy.com/topik-and-beyond/summer-2026/chapter-2 Connect🌐 Website: www.joaacademy.com📸 Instagram:

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3:55

#89: 여름 휴가 - Coming Home to Somewhere That Feels...

Korean Unpacked ·

2026/07/07

This summer, TOPIK & Beyond is pausing regular teaching episodes for something different: an 8-week story series, told entirely in Korean. This is Chapter 1 of 여름 휴가 (Summer Vacation) - a four-chapter story, one chapter each Tuesday.There's no in-episode explanation this time - just the story. Translation and vocabulary are available in the study guide below, if you'd like to look closer.What You'll HearA short story in natural, spoken KoreanVocabulary connected to arrival, travel, and

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11:38

#88: How to Use the Summer to Actually Prepare for...

Korean Unpacked ·

2026/06/30

October is closer than it feels - and the learners who pass are already preparing.In this episode, Eliza breaks down what TOPIK II writing actually tests, why most learners plateau at Level 3, and what the summer window offers that September cannot. This is not a checklist. It is a clear, honest picture of what preparation looks like - and what changes when you get there.This episode is for learners who are planning to sit the October exam, feel like their writing isn't improving despite

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46:42

#87: What Nobody Tells You About Living in Korea -...

Korean Unpacked ·

2026/06/23

What does it actually take to settle in Korea as a foreigner? In this episode of TOPIK & Beyond, host Eliza speaks with Anaïs Chauvet - founder of Ready Set Korea and a French immigrant who has been living in Seoul since 2022 - about the practical, administrative, and cultural realities of building a life in Korea that nobody prepares you for.The conversation covers the ARC card (foreign resident card) process and why waiting too long to book your appointment is the most common mistake,

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21:23

#86: How Korean Talks About Age - And Why It Changes...

Korean Unpacked ·

2026/06/16

Age in Korean is not just a number - it is the foundation of how every conversation is structured. In this episode of TOPIK & Beyond, host Eliza explains the age-based speech system that shapes all Korean social interaction: how to count and express age correctly (살 vs 세), the relational titles that replace names (언니, 오빠, 형, 누나, 선배, 후배), and the speech level system (반말 vs 존댓말) that adjusts based on age and relationship.Anchored in an anonymous student story about a conversation that

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19:55

#85: How to Write a TOPIK II Conclusion That Actually...

Korean Unpacked ·

2026/06/09

Most TOPIK II conclusions restate the introduction and call it done. Examiners see this pattern in the majority of Level 3 essays -and it keeps scores stuck. In this episode of TOPIK & Beyond, host Eliza completes the four-part TOPIK II writing series by addressing the most overlooked section of the essay: the conclusion.This episode diagnoses the three Level 3 conclusion patterns (재진술, 단순 요약, 빈약한 마무리), introduces three conclusion structures that signal Level 4 and above thinking, and

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14:54

#84: How to Use Korean Dramas to Actually Improve...

Korean Unpacked ·

2026/06/02

Most Korean learners watch dramas passively - subtitles on, comfortable pace, full episodes. It feels like studying. But passive watching and active language acquisition are very different things. In this episode of TOPIK & Beyond, host Eliza explains the mindset shift that changes how you watch Korean dramas, and teaches five concrete techniques for turning drama time into real Korean improvement.This episode covers 수동적 시청 vs 능동적 시청, the problem of 자막 의존 (subtitle dependency), the

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19:08

#83: The Korean Learning Plateau: Why You Feel Stuck...

Korean Unpacked ·

2026/05/26

If you've been learning Korean for a while but lately feel like you're not moving - this episode is for you. In this episode of TOPIK & Beyond, host Eliza names and explains the intermediate learning plateau (정체기) - why it happens, why it feels so discouraging, and what actually moves you through it.This episode teaches 11 Korean words and concepts including 정체기, 화석화, 성장통, and 꾸준히 하다 - vocabulary that not only describes the plateau but gives learners a framework for understanding their

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17:52

#82: Why Koreans Say 우리 Instead of 내 - And What It...

Korean Unpacked ·

2026/05/19

Why do Koreans say 우리 엄마 instead of 내 엄마? Why is 우리나라 specifically Korea - and not just any speaker's country? In this episode of TOPIK & Beyond, host Eliza unpacks one of the most common points of confusion for Korean learners through a personal story from her time as an interpreter in Taiwan - and teaches the cultural logic behind 우리 that no grammar textbook fully explains.This episode teaches 9 Korean words and expressions around 우리, 내, and 저희 - including the cultural concepts of 공동체

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21:36

#81: How to Read a TOPIK II Question and Know Exactly...

Korean Unpacked ·

2026/05/12

Many TOPIK II learners lose marks before writing a single word. In this episode of TOPIK & Beyond - the Korean language learning podcast for TOPIK exam prep - host Eliza addresses one of the most overlooked skills in TOPIK II preparation: reading the question properly before you start writing.This episode introduces a four-step question analysis method - 주제 파악, 조건 분리, 핵심어 확인, 구조 계획 - and applies it to past TOPIK II practice questions - Question 52 and Question 54. It also names the

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