Over the last few years, one of the hottest trends on the Internet among Koreans has been the debate about certain topics. For example, people have argued over the number of holes of a straw; some assert that it is only one, while some say that there are two. Such trivial, simple controversies are very popular, so The UOS Times has picked three such topics and interviewed college students to see what they think about this.

Controversy over Pickled Perilla Leaves

As Koreans have a culture of collectivism, they usually share their meals. In other words, they are used to eating food from the same bowl or plate, dipping their spoons and chopsticks in it. “Pickled perilla leaves” is one of the common side dishes that people usually share in Korea. To eat one, people have to grab the stems and pull them up. However, the leaves often get stuck together, so it is difficult to pull them apart by oneself. Now, here is the problem.

In one of the TV programs of Korea, a famous couple fought over pickled perilla leaves. The couple and one female friend were having a meal together, and the friend had difficulty picking up the leaf. Subsequently, the husband helped her by grabbing the leaf below, and the wife got upset. Is it justifiable to feel jealous about this? There are two opposing sides.

Student A

: I do not understand why people have been debating about this. It is just a little help, and helping a friend should not be any kind of problem. I think that it is one of the basic table manners to observe when sharing a meal. Moreover, the trust between a couple needs to be solid enough so that being nice to others without any ulterior motive does not cause jealousy. For me, grabbing the leaf below is not different from holding a door for people behind me.

Student B

: This is nonsense. I cast doubt on this controversy; if there existed a lover of the friend as well, would my lover help my friend with confidence? I wonder if anyone can answer yes to this. In other words, if it is not an honorable act in front of a friend’s lover, it should not be done even when the lover does not exist. Also, it is not that hard to eat pickled perilla leaves alone because one can use his or her own spoon to stop the leaf below from coming up. I do not understand why my lover has to help with something that my friends can do by themselves.

As the controversy has gained tremendous popularity among Koreans, Professor Kim Dae-soo from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) also stated his view on it at a famous Korean TV program. Professor Kim has claimed that using chopsticks when pulling a leaf is one of the best skills of the human brain, meaning that it requires extreme concentration. He, therefore, concluded that it is not right to even notice that a friend is having a problem pulling pickled perilla leaves up because his or her focus should be on the lover, not anyone else.

Controversy over Buttocks

According to the dictionary, a buttock is either of the two round fleshy parts that form the lower rear area of a human torso. In Korea, the number of human buttocks has been another controversy since 2020 because of the debate among popular K-pop singers. How many buttocks does a person have? Is it just one with two parts, or does it have to be considered as two? Here are what the interviewees think.

Student A

: We, humans, have buttocks to protect our own anus. I believe that the buttocks are separated into two parts, that is not to say that there are two buttocks. I mean, it is separated to protect the anus, not to be counted as two. Moreover, the most important evidence is that we only wear a single undergarment. We have two hands and two feet, so we need a pair of gloves and socks for each. However, we just need a single undergarment for our buttocks. Thus, I am sure that it should be considered as “one.”

Student B

: People often argue that we have one buttock as the two parts are connected. Let me rebut this point by providing an example. Our fingers are all connected to form a hand. However, we say that humans have five fingers on each hand. This works the same for toes as well. Namely, it is not true that there is only one buttock. In addition, in English, we call it “buttocks,” “butts,” or “hips.” The reason why we apply “s” as a suffix to a word is to denote its plurality. In conclusion, the human body consists of two buttocks, neither only one, nor more.

This controversy, too, has some opinions from experts in the field of both science and language. On the one hand, Chung Min-suk, Professor in the Department of Anatomy at Ajou University School of Medicine, has asserted that there are two buttocks according to the number of bones. On the other hand, the National Institute of Korean Language has answered the same question several times that it should be considered as only one because according to the Standard Dictionary of Korean Language, eongdeong-i (buttocks, in English) is a term for the two parts in total.

Controversy over Mint Chocolate

The last topic is “mint chocolate,” which is a type of chocolate with a mint flavor. Unlike the two other controversies mentioned above, the opposing opinions about mint chocolate are just based on personal taste, meaning that there is no specific right or wrong answer for this controversy. Still, a lot of people in various Internet communities and social media have been fighting over whether to love it or to hate it. As a result, several terms have even been created: mint-cho dan (mint-chocolate lovers, in English) and ban mint-cho dan (anti-mint-chocolate lovers, in English).

Student A

: I am a mint-chocolate hater. I cannot see the difference between eating toothpaste and eating mint chocolate. There are so many types of chocolates such as almond chocolates, cookie-and-cream chocolates, and milk chocolates, but there has never been a dispute over these flavors. The only flavor that has brought on public criticism is mint chocolate. This demonstrates that there exist so many people who hate mint chocolates.

Student B

: I am a mint-chocolate lover. I love how it has both sweet and refreshing tastes at the same time. There is nothing better than mint chocolate as a light snack after a meal. It often helps me wake up when I am dealing with drowsiness as well. There must be a reason why one of the most popular flavors of Baskin-Robbins Korea has always been mint chocolate chip.

Likewise, people have argued over various foods either to love it or to hate it. Another well-known example would be Hawaiian pizza with grilled pineapples on it. Some people love any sort of pineapple, while others do not understand why they have to eat grilled fruits.

Conclusion

As shown by all of the examples, a lot of Koreans including celebrities have joined the controversies over diverse trivial topics. In this boring pandemic era, talking about one’s own opinion with others seems to be one of the best forms of entertainment as long as everyone respects each other’s perspectives. How about you? Do you agree or disagree with the interviewees’ opinions about these three topics? Please share this article with your friends and let The UOS Times know what you readers think!