Emotional Korean Phrases from “In Front of the Post Office in Autumn”: Yoon Do-hyun, Kim Dae-myung, JIN Versions

Table of Contents

🎶 Cover versions by various artists - “In Front of the Post Office in Autumn”: Live Performances and Videos

🎯 Key Takeaways

🎶 Cover versions by various artists - “In Front of the Post Office in Autumn”: Lyrics Summary

🎶 Cover versions by various artists - “In Front of the Post Office in Autumn”: Additional Information

🎶 Artist Introduction

Though it's not quite autumn, making it feel a bit early, “In Front of the Post Office in Autumn” remains a quintessential Korean folk ballad first released in 1992.

The song was initially featured on the debut album of Noraedongin Jongiyeon (노래동인 종이연), a group formed in Paju by people who shared a love for music. Kim Hyun-sung, one of the group’s members, crafted the lyrics and composition.

The song was first performed by Jongiyeon’s lead vocalist, Lee Soong-hyun. It gained widespread popularity when Yoon Do-hyun included his rendition on his debut solo album 1994.

This beloved piece has touched the hearts of many Koreans across generations. I hope you’ll revisit its lyrics by listening to the versions sung by Yoon Do-hyun, Kim Dae-myung, and BTS’s Jin—over and over again—so you can appreciate its poetry while naturally deepening your Korean understanding.

title-Emotional-Korean-Phrases-from-In-Front-of-the-Post-Office-in-Autumn-Yoon-Do-hyun-Kim-Dae-myung-JIN-Versions

🎶 Cover versions by various artists - “In Front of the Post Office in Autumn”: Live Performances and Videos

Yoon Do-hyun (윤도현)

[Source] YouTube, Beginagain 비긴어게인

Kim Dae-myung (김대명)

[Source] YouTube, Stone Music Entertainment

🐾 Comment in the middle of the song:

“산과 교과서에 첫 장에 이런 글이 있네요. 때때로 불행한 일이 좋은 사람들에게 생길 수 있다”

“There’s a line on the first page of an obstetrics textbook. It says, ‘Bad things at times do happen to good people.’”

BTS JIN (방탄소년단 진)

[Source] YouTube, Jaeguchi

🎯 Key Takeaways

1. "가을"
- "가을" means "autumn" or "fall." It is one of the four seasons, typically associated with change, maturity, or melancholy in literature.

📌 Example Usage
"가을 하늘이 높고 맑다."
"The autumn sky is high and clear."

2. "우체국"
- "우체국" means "post office." It is a compound noun from "우편 (mail)" + "국 (office)."

📌 Example Usage
"우체국에서 소포를 보냈다."
"I sent a package to the post office."

3. "앞에서"
- "앞에서" means "in front of."
- "앞": front
- "-에서": location particle meaning "at" or "in the place where an action takes place"

📌 Example Usage
"우체국 앞에서 친구를 만났다."
"I met my friend in front of the post office."

4. "그대를"
- "그대를" means "you" (object form, poetic/formal).
- "그대": formal or poetic form of "you"
- "-를 / -을": object particle

📌 Example Usage
"그대를 처음 본 순간을 잊지 못한다."
"I can't forget the moment I first saw you."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"당신을" – "you" (object form, polite)

📌 Example Usage
"당신을 처음 만났을 때가 기억나요."
"I remember when I first met you."

5. "기다리다"
- "기다리다" means "to wait."

📌 Example Usage
"버스를 기다리다 늦잠을 잤다."
"I overslept while waiting for the bus."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"기대하다" – "to expect, to look forward to"

📌 Example Usage
"그의 귀국을 기대하고 있다."
"I’m looking forward to his return."

6. "노오란 / 노란 / 노랗다"
- "노오란 / 노란 / 노랗다" all relate to the adjective meaning "yellow."
- "노랗다": base dictionary form, "to be yellow"
- "노란": attributive form
- "노오란": poetic or emphatic variant of "노란"

📌 Example Usage
"노오란 은행잎이 거리를 물들였다."
"The yellow ginkgo leaves colored the street."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"금빛" – "golden"

📌 Example Usage
"금빛 들판이 가을을 알렸다."
"The golden field signaled the arrival of autumn."

7. "은행잎들이"
- "은행잎들이" means "the ginkgo leaves" (as the subject).
- "은행잎": ginkgo leaf
- "-들": plural marker
- "-이": subject particle

📌 Example Usage
"은행잎들이 바닥에 수북이 쌓였다."
"Ginkgo leaves piled thickly on the ground."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"단풍잎들이" – "autumn leaves"

📌 Example Usage
"단풍잎들이 울긋불긋 물들었다."
"The autumn leaves turned red and yellow."

8. "바람에"
- "바람에" means "by the wind" or "in the wind."
- "바람": wind
- "-에": particle indicating cause or location

📌 Example Usage
"바람에 꽃잎이 흩날렸다."
"The petals scattered in the wind."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"바람 따라" – "along the wind"

📌 Example Usage
"바람 따라 흔들리는 나뭇잎처럼"
"Like leaves swaying with the wind"

9. "날려가고 / 날려가다 / 날리다"
- "날려가고 / 날려가다 / 날리다" means "to be blown away."
- "날리다": to make something fly (causative of "날다")
- "날려가다": to be blown away
- "날려가고": connector "-고" form

📌 Example Usage
"낙엽이 바람에 날려가고 있다."
"The fallen leaves are blowing away in the wind."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"흩날리다" – "to scatter and flutter"

📌 Example Usage
"눈송이가 흩날리며 내려왔다."
"The snowflakes fell fluttering and scattering."

10. "지나는 / 지나다 / 지나가다"
- "지나는 / 지나다 / 지나가다" means "to pass" or "to go by."
- "지나다": to pass
- "지나가다": extended form emphasizing movement
- "지나는": attributive form

📌 Example Usage
"지나는 사람들의 얼굴을 바라보았다."
"I looked at the faces of people passing by."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"통과하다" – "to go through"

📌 Example Usage
"검문소를 무사히 통과했다."
"He passed through the checkpoint safely."

11. "사람들 같이"
- "사람들 같이" means "like people" or "as people do."
- "사람들": people (plural of 사람)
- "같이": like, as, together

📌 Example Usage
"사람들 같이 웃고 떠들고 싶다."
"I want to laugh and chat like everyone else."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"남들처럼" – "like others"

📌 Example Usage
"남들처럼 평범한 삶을 살고 싶다."
"I want to live an ordinary life like others."

12. "저 멀리"
- "저 멀리" means "way over there" or "far away."
- "저": that (far from both speaker and listener)
- "멀리": far, in the distance

📌 Example Usage
"저 멀리 산이 보인다."
"I can see a mountain way over there."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"먼 곳에" – "in a distant place"

📌 Example Usage
"먼 곳에 가족을 두고 왔다."
"I left my family in a faraway place."

13. "가는 걸 보네 / 가는 것을 보다"
- "가는 걸 보네 / 가는 것을 보다" means "I see (someone) going."
- "가다": to go
- "가는": attributive form
- "것을": nominalizer "thing" + object particle
- "걸": contraction of "것을"
- "보네": present informal ending of "보다" (to see)

📌 Example Usage
"사람들이 저 멀리로 가는 걸 보네."
"I see people going far away."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"떠나는 것을 보다" – "to see someone leaving"

📌 Example Usage
"그가 떠나는 모습을 지켜봤다."
"I watched him as he left."

14. "세상에"
- "세상에" means "in the world" or "on earth."
- "세상": the world
- "-에": locative particle

📌 Example Usage
"세상에 이런 일이 다 있나?"
"Can something like this happen in the world?"

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"이 세상에" – "in this world"

📌 Example Usage
"이 세상에 영원한 것은 없다."
"Nothing lasts forever in this world."

15. "아름다운 것들이"
- "아름다운 것들이" means "beautiful things" (as subject).
- "아름답다": to be beautiful
- "아름다운": attributive form
- "것들": things (plural of "것")
- "-이": subject marker

📌 Example Usage
"세상에 아름다운 것들이 참 많다."
"There are so many beautiful things in the world."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"예쁜 것들" – "pretty things"

📌 Example Usage
"아이들은 예쁜 것들을 좋아한다."
"Children like pretty things."

16. "얼마나"
- "얼마나" means "how much" or "how (to what extent)."

📌 Example Usage
"그가 얼마나 널 사랑하는지 몰라."
"You don’t know how much he loves you."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"그렇게 많이" – "that much"

📌 Example Usage
"그렇게 많이 울 줄은 몰랐어."
"I didn’t expect you to cry that much."

17. "오래"
- "오래" means "for a long time."

📌 Example Usage
"오래 기다렸어?"
"Did you wait long?"

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"한참 동안" – "for quite a while"

📌 Example Usage
"한참 동안 조용했다."
"It was quiet for quite a while."

18. "남을까 / 남다"
- "남을까 / 남다" means "will it remain?" or "to remain."
- "남다": to remain
- "남을까": future speculative question form

📌 Example Usage
"아름다운 것들이 얼마나 오래 남을까?"
"How long will beautiful things last?"

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"지속되다" – "to last, to continue"

📌 Example Usage
"행복이 얼마나 지속될까?"
"How long will happiness last?"

19. "한여름"
- "한여름" means "the height of summer" or "midsummer."

📌 Example Usage
"한여름의 햇살은 뜨겁다."
"The midsummer sun is scorching."

20. "소나기"
- "소나기" means "a sudden shower" or "rain shower."

📌 Example Usage
"갑자기 소나기가 쏟아졌다."
"A sudden shower poured down."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"소낙비" – another word for "rain shower"

📌 Example Usage
"소낙비에 옷이 다 젖었다."
"My clothes got soaked in the rain shower."

21. "쏟아져도 / 쏟아지다"
- "쏟아져도 / 쏟아지다" means "even if it pours" or "to pour down."
- "쏟아지다": to pour, to gush out
- "쏟아져도": "쏟아지다" + connector "-아도" (even if)

📌 Example Usage
"한여름 소나기가 쏟아져도 괜찮아."
"Even if the midsummer rain pours down, it’s okay."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"비가 내려도" – "even if it rains"

📌 Example Usage
"비가 내려도 나갈 거야."
"I’ll go out even if it rains."

22. "굳세게"
- "굳세게" means "firmly" or "strongly." It is the adverbial form of "굳세다 (to be firm/strong-willed)."

📌 Example Usage
"그는 모든 어려움을 굳세게 이겨냈다."
"He endured all difficulties with strength."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"강하게" – "strongly"

📌 Example Usage
"그녀는 강하게 자신의 의견을 주장했다."
"She strongly asserted her opinion."

23. "버틴 / 버티다"
- "버틴 / 버티다" means "endured" or "to withstand."
- "버티다": to endure, to withstand
- "버틴": attributive form of the past verb

📌 Example Usage
"굳세게 버틴 나무가 결국 꽃을 피웠다."
"The tree that endured strongly finally bloomed."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"참은" / "참다" – "to bear, to endure"

📌 Example Usage
"참은 눈물이 결국 흘러내렸다."
"The tears I had held back finally fell."

24. "꽃들과"
- "꽃들과" means "with flowers."
- "꽃": flower
- "-들": plural marker
- "-과": particle meaning "and" or "with"

📌 Example Usage
"그녀는 봄날 꽃들과 함께 사진을 찍었다."
"She took pictures with the flowers on a spring day."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"꽃들과 함께" – "together with flowers"

📌 Example Usage
"꽃들과 함께 하는 산책은 기분을 좋게 한다."
"A walk among the flowers lifts your mood."

25. "지난 겨울"
- "지난 겨울" means "last winter."
- "지난": past, last
- "겨울": winter

📌 Example Usage
"지난 겨울은 유난히 추웠다."
"Last winter was especially cold."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"작년 겨울" – "last year's winter"

📌 Example Usage
"작년 겨울에 눈이 많이 왔다."
"There was a lot of snow last winter."

26. "눈보라에도"
- "눈보라에도" means "even in a snowstorm."
- "눈보라": snowstorm
- "-에": location or condition particle
- "-도": particle meaning "even" or "also"

📌 Example Usage
"그 나무는 눈보라에도 쓰러지지 않았다."
"That tree didn’t fall even in the snowstorm."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"폭설 속에서도" – "even in heavy snow"

📌 Example Usage
"그는 폭설 속에서도 출근했다."
"He went to work even in the heavy snow."

27. "우뚝 서있는 / 우뚝 서다"
- "우뚝 서있는 / 우뚝 서다" means "standing tall."
- "우뚝": towering, upright
- "서다": to stand
- "우뚝 서있는": attributive form, "standing tall"

📌 Example Usage
"우뚝 서있는 나무처럼 흔들림이 없다."
"Like a tree standing tall, it doesn't waver."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"굳건히 서다" – "to stand firm"

📌 Example Usage
"그는 자신의 신념 위에 굳건히 섰다."
"He stood firm on his beliefs."

28. "나무들 같이"
- "나무들 같이" means "like the trees."
- "나무들": trees
- "같이": like, as

📌 Example Usage
"나무들 같이 묵묵히 자리를 지켰다."
"He stayed silently like the trees."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"숲처럼" – "like a forest"

📌 Example Usage
"숲처럼 조용하고 평온한 사람이다."
"He’s a quiet and calm person, like a forest."

29. "하늘 아래"
- "하늘 아래" means "under the sky."
- "하늘": sky
- "아래": below, under

📌 Example Usage
"하늘 아래 모든 생명은 소중하다."
"All life under the sky is precious."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"이 세상에" – "in this world"

📌 Example Usage
"이 세상에 우연한 일은 없다."
"Nothing happens by chance in this world."

30. "모든 것이"
- "모든 것이" means "everything" as a subject.
- "모든": all
- "것": thing
- "-이": subject particle

📌 Example Usage
"모든 것이 변해도 너만은 그대로야."
"Even if everything changes, you remain the same."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"전부가" – "everything"

📌 Example Usage
"전부가 거짓이었다."
"Everything was a lie."

31. "저 홀로"
- "저 홀로" means "all alone" or "by oneself (emphatic)."
- "저": that (formal, distant tone)
- "홀로": alone

📌 Example Usage
"저 홀로 남겨진 기분이었다."
"I felt left all alone."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"혼자서" – "alone, by oneself"

📌 Example Usage
"혼자서 모든 걸 해결했다."
"He solved everything on his own."

32. "설 수 있을까 / 설 수 있다"
- "설 수 있을까 / 설 수 있다" means "can I stand" or "will (someone) be able to stand."
- "서다": to stand
- "설 수 있다": can stand
- "있을까": interrogative speculative ending

📌 Example Usage
"저 홀로 설 수 있을까 생각했다."
"I wondered if I could stand all alone."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"버틸 수 있을까" – "can I endure"

📌 Example Usage
"이 상황을 버틸 수 있을까 고민된다."
"I’m unsure whether I can endure this situation."

33. "우연한"
- "우연한" means "coincidental" or "accidental."
- "우연": chance, coincidence
- "우연한": attributive form

📌 Example Usage
"우연한 만남이 인연이 되었다."
"A coincidental meeting became fate."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"뜻밖의" – "unexpected"

📌 Example Usage
"뜻밖의 소식에 놀랐다."
"I was surprised by the unexpected news."

34. "생각에 빠져 / 생각에 빠지다"
- "생각에 빠져 / 생각에 빠지다" means "to be lost in thought."
- "생각": thought
- "-에": locative particle
- "빠지다": to fall into

📌 Example Usage
"우연한 생각에 빠져 시간을 잊었다."
"I lost track of time being deep in thought."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"몰두하다" – "to be absorbed in"

📌 Example Usage
"책에 몰두한 나머지 주변을 못 봤다."
"I was so absorbed in the book that I didn’t notice my surroundings."

35. "날 저물도록"
- "날 저물도록" means "until the day ends" or "until sunset."
- "날": day
- "저물다": to get dark, to end (day)
- "저물도록": "so that it gets dark" or "by the time it ends"

📌 Example Usage
"날 저물도록 그 자리에 앉아 있었다."
"I sat there until the day faded away."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"해 질 때까지" – "until sunset"

📌 Example Usage
"해 질 때까지 기다리기로 했다."
"We decided to wait until sunset."

36. "몰랐네 / 몰랐다 / 모르다"
- "몰랐네 / 몰랐다 / 모르다" means "I didn’t know."
- "모르다": to not know
- "몰랐다": past tense
- "몰랐네": informal past with realization or reflection

📌 Example Usage
"그렇게 중요한 줄은 몰랐네."
"I didn’t realize it was that important."

🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"깨닫지 못했다" – "didn’t realize"

📌 Example Usage
"그녀의 진심을 깨닫지 못했다."
"I didn’t realize her true feelings."

🎶 Cover versions by various artists - “In Front of the Post Office in Autumn”: Lyrics Summary

“In Front of the Post Office in Autumn” is a quiet reflection on waiting—for someone, an answer, or perhaps healing—against the backdrop of a fading season. As yellow gingko leaves scatter in the breeze, the speaker stands still, observing the world move on. Strangers walk by, and like the windblown leaves, they disappear into the distance. This passing evokes a quiet sense of resignation, as the speaker wonders how long beautiful things can last in a world of constant change.

The second half of the song contemplates resilience and solitude. The speaker recalls how summer flowers withstood the pouring rain and how trees endured the brutal snowstorms of winter, alone yet unwavering. These images pose a question: Can everything in this world truly stand on its own, under the vast sky?

Through it all, the speaker remains at the post office, lost in thought, not even realizing the day has turned to dusk. The wait is not just for a person—it becomes a meditation on time, beauty, endurance, and the quiet ache of remembering.

🎶 Cover versions by various artists - “In Front of the Post Office in Autumn”: Additional Information

- Original Song Title (Korean): 가을 우체국 앞에서

- Original Artist: Noraedongin Jongiyeon (노래동인 종이연)

- Released: 1992

- Genre: Korean Folk Ballad / Acoustic

- Written & Composed by: Kim Hyun-sung

Cultural Note:

The song is widely beloved across generations in Korea. Its simple melody and lyrical depth have made it a staple in seasonal playlists, particularly in fall, when people are naturally more reflective. Cover versions often appear in variety shows, drama soundtracks, and live concert tributes.