By GI Korea on May 15th, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Picture of the Day: Itaewon 여자

» by GI Korea in: Picture of the Day

This is a picture from Michael Hurt’s new fashion photography website YAHAE!

Tags: Itaewon, Korean women

- 638 views

kushibo
12:29 pm on May 15th, 2011 1
“Yahae” seems like the kind of title a non-native Korean speaker would think sounds really edgy but a native Korean speaker would find very grating. At least one native Korean speaker concurred with that opinion, but that person is slightly conservative.

Anyway, nice to see Metro is putting up fashion photos of people who clearly know their picture is being taken.
kangaji
12:58 pm on May 15th, 2011 2
I think it is kind of generational and depends on the kind of ppl you hang out with. The ppl that that guy would hang out with.
PBAR
1:33 pm on May 15th, 2011 3
Yea, I thought that word had a negative connotation to most Koreans.
guitard
2:25 pm on May 15th, 2011 4
The one on the left bears quite a resemblance with Songtan Sally – obviously when Sally was a bit younger.
archieb
2:29 pm on May 15th, 2011 5
4- Chickenneck’s gf?
Tom
3:15 pm on May 15th, 2011 6
They look like they were used over and over and over again by their GI customers. How much?
Orbit
3:32 pm on May 15th, 2011 7
quanto
setnaffa
4:45 pm on May 15th, 2011 8
There Tom goes again…
guitard
5:49 pm on May 15th, 2011 9
That’s Tom’s sister on the right.
kangaji
6:49 pm on May 15th, 2011 10
Why is she wearing a carpet?
kushibo
7:03 pm on May 15th, 2011 11
Guitard wrote:

That’s Tom’s sister on the right.

Tom’s sister?

He doesn’t have one, thanks to the OCP of the CCP.
TWOCENTS
2:11 am on May 16th, 2011 12
The one on the left is Tom who is really a trans.
archieb
2:45 am on May 16th, 2011 13
6- Now Tom you know it’s “Wanna Go?”, stop acting dumb.
Gerry Bevers
3:44 pm on May 16th, 2011 14
Very interesting. A while back, I was wondering what happened to Mr. Hurt.
Jeff
5:18 pm on May 17th, 2011 15
and then there’s this:

http://www.thestar.co.za:80/gallery-semi-naked-sex-workers-protest-1.1070210?image=0

not a good idea.
Michael Hurt
7:27 pm on May 24th, 2011 16
Kushibo – yes, it depends on whom you ask. If you’re conservative, the name is “negative” (whatever that means, which is also pretty subjective). If you’re not conservative, and frankly, also a bit more literary-minded or can see more than one reading of a word, certain Korean folks know that the original meaning of the word “yahae” isn’t “sexy” aaa it basically is now, but actually means something more akin to “gauche” or something that otherwise stands out above socially acceptable norms.

Even today, as Korean speakers know, a color can be “yahae,” as can a style. The original meaning has changed, much as “incredible” or “awesome” have lost their original meanings from things that were “difficult to believe” or “that which inspires awe.” The spiritual “My God Is an Awesome God” was not written with the idea that the Maker was a super rad dude.

“Yahae” is the same thing in Korean, and as any good name does, works on different levels, and is provocative, as our magazine wants to be. And here we are, talking about it now. And as we build good content that will define our brand, the people who don’t get it people will get it. And it’s a great talking point for every single interview a Korean reporter might ask me to do. So, far, it’s served the magazine quite well, and other Korean opinions include that it’s cute, like Yahoo, and that it also has the meaning of “야, 해!” which means something like “Hey, do it!” Another thing I thought about before making the name.

Those who like it think it’s quite smart, actuallyas I obviously also do, since I decided to use it. Those who dislike it tend to be conservative, and almost always miss any of the other meanings, as well. And they also tend to dislike the content, too. For example, we have a sexual health column written by a female gynecologist, but the first article -about HPV and cervical cancer – makes them blush. It’s too “yahae,” indeed (for them). Which is exactly why many others Koreans I’ve tested and talked with actually quite like the name.
kushibo
7:03 pm on June 2nd, 2011 17
Metropolitician wrote:

Kushibo – yes, it depends on whom you ask. If you’re conservative, the name is “negative” (whatever that means, which is also pretty subjective).

Metro, you and your “scare quotes.” I didn’t use the word negative at all. Instead, I said…

“Yahae” seems like the kind of title a non-native Korean speaker would think sounds really edgy but a native Korean speaker would find very grating. At least one native Korean speaker concurred with that opinion, but that person is slightly conservative.

It’s obvious you’re turning something negative into something ironically negative-seeming. That wasn’t my point; my point was that it might seem edgy to a non-native speaker of Korean but to native Koreans it sounds grating, even if they get what you’re trying to do with it.

And rather than “gauche,” I thought the pre-sexy feel of the word was more like gaudy.

But it’s your magazine to succeed with or fail, and I know I couldn’t convince you one way or the other. I think, however, you’re being a bit careless to dismiss anyone who might caution you against it as conservative and square, as some might enjoy the content but think the title itself may bring unnecessary stigma to your venture. Sometimes listening to critiques is a crucial step in success.

Those who dislike it tend to be conservative, and almost always miss any of the other meanings, as well. And they also tend to dislike the content, too. For example, we have a sexual health column written by a female gynecologist, but the first article -about HPV and cervical cancer – makes them blush. It’s too “yahae,” indeed (for them).

Interestingly, the conservative person I mentioned up in #1 is joining me in doing research on women’s sexual health, related to things like HPV, so even though she may think “yahae” isn’t an optimal title for a magazine you wish to be a commercial success (I assume that you do), she isn’t squeamishly saying that writing about women getting or preventing HPV is “yahae.”

Since HPV research will play a part in my dissertation, I look forward to that article.

Whatever name you choose, Metro, best of luck with your magazine.