Cooking Korean Dishes and Watching Korea vs. the U.S. Soccer Game

    What’s your favorite sport? Most ONU students I’ve met are into volleyball, football and disc golf. Personally, I don’t really have a sport I regularly play. In Korea, middle and high school PE classes are usually only about an hour a week, so I never got much exposure to various sports. To be honest, I’m also not good at them. (Embarrassingly, my volleyball skills test in high school earned me a C.)

    But there is one sport I love to watch: soccer. I enjoy sports with relatively simple rules, and like many Koreans I follow soccer partly because of Son Heung-min, a famous Korean player. Last Saturday, with that interest in mind, I watched a friendly match between South Korea and the United States with my friends. It was held in New Jersey ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

    Before kickoff, I cooked food for two Korean friends, one American friend, one Chinese friend and one Taiwanese friend. In the photo, from left to right, you’ll see Gamjajeon, Tteokbokki and Bibimmyeon. Gamjajeon is a potato pancake: crispy on the outside and soft inside. Tteokbokki — known in English as spicy rice cakes — is my absolute favorite Korean dish. I’m seriously addicted; I eat it at least once a week. Bibimmyeon is a sweet-and-spicy Korean instant noodle. First, cook the noodles. Drain and rinse them in cold water, then mix with sauce. Don’t they all look delicious?

    Eating homemade Korean food while watching soccer was a thrill. In the first half, the U.S. team pressed hard, forcing South Korea to add more defenders. In the middle of the tension, Son Heung-min scored first. My American friend Natalie was disappointed but admitted it was a great play. Then Lee Dong-kyung added another goal to end the half. In the second half, Korean goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo kept blocking U.S. shots. Natalie was both frustrated and impressed. The match ended 2-0 for South Korea, and we all had a great time.

    Cheering for Korea over Korean food in the U.S. felt a little awkward but exciting. Because Korea is ranked lower than the U.S. in FIFA standings, I honestly didn’t expect such a result. But once I started watching and cheering passionately, the unexpected win felt even sweeter. I hope your weekend was just as enjoyable as mine.