The Bench Conspiracy (벤치의 비밀 작전) is a free A1 Korean romantic comedy. Shy Seoyun walks her small dog Bori to the park every morning, where Minjae from the bakery stands by the bench with his dog Gureum. When the dogs tangle their leads, Minjae's bread vanishes and a mysterious note turns up. Chapters 1 and 2 are below.
Level
A1 (Beginner)
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Free here
Chapters 1–2 of 6
Length
247 words, about 2 minutes
Language
Standard (Seoul) Korean
Tap or click an underlined word to see what it means.
jinaganeun — passing by; 지나가는 길이에요 = I'm just passing by
1
엉킵니다
eongkimnida — get tangled
1
꿀꺽
kkulkkeok — gulp!
1
보온병을
boonbyeong-eul — flask, thermos (object)
1
척합니다
cheokamnida — pretends (안 보는 척합니다 = pretends not to look)
1
꼬리를
kkorireul — tail (object); 꼬리를 흔듭니다 = wag their tails
1
놓습니다
nosseumnida — puts down
1
쪽지를
jjokjireul — note (object)
2
쓰여
sseuyeo — written (쓰여 있다 = is written)
2
글씨는
geulssineun — handwriting (topic)
2
삐뚤빼뚤하다
ppittulppaettulhada — is wobbly, crooked
2
강아지는
gang-ajineun — dogs, puppies (topic)
2
연필이
yeonpiri — pencil (subject)
2
어머
eomeo — oh my!
2
Check your understanding
Why doesn't Seoyun say hello to people?
Show answer
She is shy. She says "안녕하세요. 날씨가 좋아요." only in her head, and doesn't speak to people out loud.
Why does Seoyun tell Minjae she is just passing by?
Show answer
To hide the truth: "사실 서윤은 매일 여기에 옵니다." (In fact, she comes here every day.)
What happens to Minjae's bag?
Show answer
He puts it under the bench. The two dogs look at each other and wag their tails, and a moment later the bag is gone.
What does the note in Bori's lead say?
Show answer
"내일도 빵이 있어요." (There's bread tomorrow, too.) Minjae goes red and says he didn't write it.
Why does Seoyun doubt Minjae wrote it, and who else might have?
Show answer
Minjae's handwriting is neat, but the note's is big and wobbly. Grandma Malsun has a small pencil in her hand and says the note isn't finished yet.
Grammar to notice: formal -습니다/-ㅂ니다
Chapter 1 is narrated in the formal polite style, the endings you hear in announcements, the news and many textbooks. After a consonant the verb stem takes -습니다; after a vowel, -ㅂ니다. The noun-is pattern becomes -입니다.
서윤은 공원에서 보리와 걷습니다.
Seoyuneun gongwoneseo boriwa geotseumnida.
Seoyun walks in the park with Bori.
걷다 ends in a consonant: 걷 + 습니다.
보리는 작은 개입니다.
Borineun jageun gaeimnida.
Bori is a small dog.
개 (dog) + 입니다 (is).
민재는 빵집에서 일합니다.
Minjaeneun ppangjibeseo ilhamnida.
Minjae works at a bakery.
일하다 ends in a vowel: 일하 + ㅂ니다.
잠시 후 가방이 없습니다!
Jamsi hu gabangi eopseumnida!
A moment later, the bag is gone!
없다 → 없습니다.
구름은 조용히 앉는다.
Gureumeun joyonghi anneunda.
Gureum sits quietly.
Chapter 2 tells the story in plain -다 forms instead. In chapter 1 the same verb is 앉습니다.
Meanwhile the characters speak in the softer -요 style: "저는 그냥 지나가는 길이에요." Three registers in two short chapters is a lot of useful exposure.
How to read The Bench Conspiracy
The dogs' names are ordinary Korean words. 보리 means barley and 구름 means cloud, and Gureum is a white dog, which fits his name. If you tap them you may see the dictionary meaning; in this story they are names.
Watch the honorifics. Seoyun calls Minjae 민재 씨, a polite way to address someone by name, and the older woman on the bench is 말순 할머니, Grandma Malsun.
The comedy is in what nobody says. Grandma Malsun pretends to see nothing (아무것도 안 보는 척합니다) and smiles into her tea, and by the end of chapter 2 she is holding a pencil.
Frequently asked questions
Is The Bench Conspiracy a good first Korean story?
Yes. The sentences are short, the setting is a park bench with two dogs, and the words are everyday: bread, bag, tail, note. You need to be able to read hangul.
How many chapters are there?
Six at A1. Chapters 1 and 2 are free here and in the app; chapters 3–6 are part of Contos Premium.
Why do chapter 1 and chapter 2 sound different?
Chapter 1 is narrated with formal -습니다 endings and chapter 2 with plain -다 endings. The meaning is the same; you get practice reading both.
What does 작전 in the title mean?
작전 means an operation or a plan of action, so 비밀 작전 is a secret operation: the dogs' (or someone's) plan to bring two people together.
