*enters in fake exhaustion*

Hey Hamkkeclan! Trust you are good.

If you are wondering why I made sure a dramatic entrance, it’s because I am extremely tired from cooking you a delicious meal, and now it’s time to serve, therefore come with your plates and cutleries (chopsticks mainly, of course).

So, have you just finished binge-watching 14 K-dramas, or you just memorized a Blackpink song in different languages, and now you’re fully convinced you’ve got some Korean DNA lurking in your family tree? Well, I am with you because I get that feeling anytime I tell someone about Korean history and that look of surprise on their face always has me go ‘Yeah, I’m half Korean’ and trust me when I say I genuinely feel I might have had my first life during the Joseon dynasty. (Laugh at me, but that’s not the bottom line today).

If we are on this ship together and the only problem you have is that your family isn’t buying it. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered with these foolproof ways to prove your half-Korean heritage (with a zero need for ancestry tests). Come with me.

Develop a knack for Korean foods, especially Kimchi

Since everyone has refused to believe your Korean ancestry in the family, you might as well stop eating with them and face Korean foods mainly, or you could make Kimchi your side dish for everything.  I mean, Kimchi with rice, bread, spaghetti, even cereal (you can tell me about the taste later) or even as a Nigerian, Kimchi with swallow, mouthwatering, right? And that’s your first step to making your family accept your Korean ancestry.

Throw in random Korean phrases in all conversations

This is simple because even if you are not learning the Korean language, as an enthusiast, there is no way you don’t know some Korean phrases, right? You can just sprinkle “daebak,” “jinjja,” and “aigoo” etc into every conversation. For instance, if your mom sends you an errand, you go “Aigoo, nae, eomma.” When she asks what you’re saying, just sigh and reply, “It’s so hard living between two cultures.” Then walk away dramatically. Trust me when I say she’s going to pause for a minute to rethink your roots (I just hope the Nigerian mum’s slap doesn’t follow)

Excite and bore them with discussions on all things Korean

This is a personal tip, but I am more than willing to give it away to you. Our mission is to establish our Korean ancestry so who cares about petty talk when we can dominate with discussions like the history of King Sejong, Deposed Korean kings, accuracy in Korean historical facts, and if you are not like me, you can spice it up and tell them the entire life history of your celebrity crush and how you are going to marry them in the future and for your family to prepare their minds for the joyful day. A perfect ticket to convincing them.

Master Korean Pop Culture

As a diehard fan of BTS, why is your room looking so plain? I mean, why do you even have portrait pictures on your wall? Have you seen Im Sol’s (Lovely Runner) room whenever she was depicted as Sun-jae’s fan? That’s exactly what your room should look like, ‘a shrine to K-pop and K-dramas’ will be the perfect name. Let your relatives come into your room and ask about it, and then you can reply to them with something like, “I’m just reconnecting with my roots.”

Be extra

If you want to convince someone, you have to convince yourself first! Therefore, be lost in your own reality. Cry while watching historical dramas depicting real-life events and tell your families it reminds you of your Korean ancestors, wear hanboks for family dinners and events, bow 90 degrees when greeting anyone, just anything to convince them and in no time, they will stop doubting you.

There you have it, the ultimate guide to convincing your family you’re half-Korean without having to present things like evidence. Hwaiting!

Let me know how your journey goes in the comments. Saranghae!