Going on a journey to South Korea can well be a once-in-a-lifetime, eye-opening experience. From history to technology and economics, there’s a lot to do in South Korea. This little country situated in eastern Asia has just over 50 million citizens. Interestingly enough, South Korea not so long ago was one of the poorest countries in the world! And now? It is one of four Asian Tigers that had experienced rapid development post-war. Dynamic development began in the 70s and 80s due to the employment of Japanese and American modern technology.
In Korean culture, as in any other, there are ingrained specific behavioral patterns and customs that accompany the Korean people in their daily lives. When traveling to this country, it is worth getting acquainted with them. We not only will expand our knowledge on the subject, but we will also avoid committing an unintended FAUX PAS. However, there is no need to worry. As foreigners, possible slips or bloopers will be forgiven and taken lightly. Nevertheless, one can make a much better impression by demonstrating knowledge of certain customs in Korea.
Here is a list of customs and traditions worth knowing before visiting to Korea.
A YEAR OLDER
Travel to South Korea is like time travel. Not only because we have to move our watches forward 7 hours (if you’re in Europe of course) after crossing the Korean border, but also because we automatically become A YEAR OLDER there! Isn’t that weird? The Koreans have a completely different system for counting your age. For instance, in Poland, a new-born child’s age is calculated by taking first hours, then days, months and years. On the other hand, in South Korea, every newborn baby is one year old at birth.
It doesn’t end there. The birth month is also irrelevant, as everybody ages at the same time anyway. After the New Year, every Korean gains one year of life. This means that if a child is born on 31st December 2022, he or she will already be 2 years old on January 1st, 2023, even though he or she has only been around for … just two days!
However, it is also very crucial to mention that this age counting system doesn’t work anymore. Hate to spoil the party, but as of 2023, Koreans count one’s age like other countries.
EATING WITH METAL CHOPSTICKS
In Japan, China, Thailand and Indonesia people use wooden or bamboo chopsticks whereas in Korea they use metal chopsticks. They are flat, decorated with traditional Korean patterns, slightly shorter than Chinese ‘kuaizis’, but longer than Japanese ones. The Korean explain the use of metal sticks based on economic and practical reasons.
KIMCHI: SOUTH KOREA’S NATIONAL DISH
Regardless of time of day – whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner KIMCHI reigns supreme on Korean food tables. The basic version is Chinese leaves pickled for one year in a marinade with garlic, chilli peppers and different vegetables. Depending on the region, various variations of Kimchi exist. Interestingly, there are more than 250 TYPES OF KIMCHI!
If you are interested in Asian culture, here is our another article on the benefits of green tea.
AVOIDING NUMBER 4
For instance, in many countries the unlucky number is “THIRTEEN”. However, in South Korea, people avoid number “FOUR”. In Korean language number 4 as well as the word ‘DEAH‘ are pronounced the same. So, if they don’t need it, they don’t use it. For example, elevators frequently have the letter “F” instead of the fourth floor. What’s more, one should not write one’s name in red ink. This is because for Koreans it is tantamount to saying that the person is dead, will die soon, or even – that we wish him or her death. So yeah, if you’re a foreigner living to South Korea, don’t be surprised that apartments on the fourth floor are far cheaper than others.
COUNTRY OF THE MOST ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
As we well know, South Korea is among the most technologically advanced countries around the world. It’s not a surprise, given that it is home to organizations like SAMSUNG, LG ELECTRONICS, HYUNDAI or KIA. It is said that in the capital of South Korea – Seoul, the Internet is almost in the air, because the city has the most wi-fi access points in the world. Technological innovations can be found almost everywhere. For instance, toilets with a heated toilet seat and a washing and drying function are common. In 2012, the prison in Pohang became home to the world’s first robots that act as PRISON GUARDS.
BOWING
Bowing is a strongly rooted social custom in South Korea. There is a rule that people with a lower social status or younger age should always bow first. These rules apply to all meetings. When saying goodbye to the participants of the meeting, one should bow to each individual.
THE FUNNIEST PROFESSION IN THE WORLD
As Seoul is a crowded city, people called “PUSHERS” work at metro stations during peak hours. Their job is to push passengers in such a way that they can fit the most people. As if New York was not crowded enough.
PROBLEMS WITH ENGLISH COMMUNICATION
Despite the fact that Koreans are very open, optimistic and willing to help in any matter, only a subset of society speaks English. So, if you decide to travel to South Korea, you had better stock up on a Korean language glossary. The tourist information points vary. Some communicate very well in English and many materials are prepared in this language. Many Korean restaurants have menus only in their own language, so for many foreigners and tourists it is hard to order some food without using the glossary or Google Translate.
VALENTINE’S DAY FOR MEN
In most countries the February 14th is the day when people in love give each other gifts. Valentine’s Day in the West is stereo-typically celebrated with women receiving gifts from men, right? Things are different in South Korea. On this day, Korean women show love to their men, giving them presents, mostly sweets. However, when 14th March arrives, the roles are reversed. This is the so-called WHITE DAY, and then women receive gifts from their loved ones this time around.
BIRTHDAY PARTY LIKE A WEDDING
The child’s first birthday (DOL) is celebrated with great pomp and fervor. On this day the jubilarian wears a traditional Korean DOL-HANBOK outfit. Many guests are invited to the ceremony, who have a lot of fun at richly set tables. The tradition is that parents put several items on the tray in front of the child and let him or her choose the favorite one. If the kid reaches for a brush or a book, it means that when he or she grows up, he/she will be intelligent. If he/she chooses money, he/she will become rich. When he/she grabs something to eat, it means that he/she will never starve. If he/she reaches for the thread, it means that he/she has a long life ahead of him/her.
