AboutKorea

You can see them in concerts. Most Koreans don't actually see celebrities out and about on a regular basis. Concerts or fan meets are your best chances to see them in person. Many South Koreans do take great interest in fashion, so we are quite stylish. As for pretty and handsome, that's up to you (haha)

Korea is a very competitive country. Koreans are told by society from an early age that they have a "purpose." During the teenage years, their biggest purpose is to go to the best university. When they are in university, their purpose is to work for a prestigious company with high wages. When they become an employee, their next purposes are marriage and buying a house. They are afraid to leave their comfort zone. Now, as the society keeps changing, many Koreans struggle to find happiness.

Many Koreans raise dogs, but the rates of abandoned dogs are also increasing. It's strange that some people walk their dogs without a leash, because other Koreans have a really bad attitude towards that. And just recently, one supermarket wouldn't allow a customer to bring in a guide dog. That was quite a big controversy, and it shows that Korean society still lacks awareness on these sorts of things.

Sundaegukbap is probably the best winter dish. Winter in Korea is really cold, so people here like to have hot soup ("guk" or "tang"). Not only Sundaegukbap, there are lots of dishes perfect in winter like "Kalguksu", "Gamjatang", "Seolleongtang" etc. (If you don't have any ideas of foods, please check our FastFacts in Food!)

You may be right. Many Koreans usually use "저기요 (jeogiyo)" or "선생님 (seonsaengnim)". If you call someone "Ajumma" or "Ajussi", they might be upset because they don't want to be seen as old.

Koreans love to sing and dance. You can find "noraebang" (singing rooms) on nearly every city street. Our love of music is well rooted in history, as you can see from the mask dance and "samulnori" (traditional percussion performance) from ancient dynasties.

South Koreans still want a proper apology from the Japanese government over the women forced into sexual slavery during World War II. There is also the issue of the Dokdo territorial dispute. Most South Koreans do not hate Japanese people, but it is true that they don't like the Japanese government very much. Therefore, Koreans have been boycotting Japanese Products.

There are lots of different Korean job hunting platforms: JobKorea, SaramIn, Wanted, and Incruit, to name a few. But we also use LinkedIn!

Private academies ("hagwon") are dominant in Korean society. Many parents want to raise intelligent children, so they make them attend various extracurricular classes in piano, taekwondo, English, math, Korean, etc. In the '90s, kids were still engaging in outdoor play and physical activity, but not so much these days. They go to hagwon to get a leg up on high school education, which in turn helps them get good scores in the extremely difficult national university entrance exam ("suneung").

In small eateries like a gimbap store, there will be at least two side dishes, like kimchi and yellow pickle. But if you go to a regular restaurant near an office building, more than 5 dishes will be served. Most of these are made of vegetables and fried with soy sauce, gochujang, or just salt / oil.

It depends on your visa type. Only D-2 and D-4 visa holders can take part-time jobs. Volunteer work is fine, but if you want a paid part-time job, you need permission from the Korean government in advance. For more details, check out the "Easylaw" website run by the Ministry of Government Legislation.

As per Korean cultural norms, everyone is always in a hurry. That's why delivery is so fast. However, fewer companies provide ultra-fast delivery services nowadays because so many employees have died from overwork. Morning delivery and 1-day delivery are not as common anymore, but pretty much anything can be delivered within 7 days.

Unfortunately, urban development here is not balanced, just focused on Seoul. Because Seoul has nice infrastructure, the most jobs, and many restaurants, half of South Korea's population lives in Seoul and surrounding areas. People can't easily move to other regions because of their work and their children's education.

"몰라" is one of the most common casual expressions in Korean. Just like "아니 (literally 'No')", that phrase is used in that context similar to "You know what", "Basically", etc.

The biggest reason is the ideological difference between North Korea and South Korea. And their allies were different (Soviets for the North, Americans for the South). Strictly speaking, the Korean War hasn't ended yet and is still going on.

Honorifics are words you use in Korean when you talk to people older than you or of higher rank. Some words should be changed to turn them into honorifics. For example, “밥 먹었어 (bap meogeosseo)?” can be changed as “식사 하셨어요 (siksa hasyeosseoyo)?” or "진지 잡수셨어요 (jinji japsusyeosseoyo)?”. As you can see, “-요 (yo)” is the most common honorific suffix. Even if 식사, 진지, and 밥 all have same meaning, they are all used differently.

If you really want to visit, you will benefit from Korea's top-class health infrastructure. Hand sanitizer can be found anywhere, and all establishments record visitors via QR code. You will also be isolated for 2 weeks when you arrive. But we think the safest option is to just stay home and spend time with your adorable pets!

The Busan dialect has a notably stronger intonation than Seoul's or anywhere else's. Getting that strong tone right is key to speaking like a stereotypical Korean gangster. A few words are also quite different to standard Korean. Go to YouTube and check out "The World of Dave", who has a video about different Korean dialects. You may also like the Korean drama "응답하라 1997 (Reply 1997)", which is set in Busan, so you can learn the authentic local sound.

Korea has no tip culture. In fact, it is considered rude to tip, so don’t insist. All you need to pay for is your meal. Most of the side dishes come with "Free Refills". If you want to make it sure, please ask to waitress or waiter.

Most Koreans are friendly because of a cultural trait known as “jeong.” The best English translation is “compassion”, but it’s so much more than that. If you get lost, you’re sure to run into Koreans who will be glad to help you.

South Korea is a very safe country. Even if you leave your personal belongings like a laptop or a cellphone unattended in a café, Koreans don’t care and won’t try to steal anything. There are many videos on YouTube that show this. But this isn’t the case 100% of the time, so don’t just leave your things anywhere. Also, watch out for drunk people in the streets at night!

Normally, if you are from an English-speaking country, you can have a career as an English teacher. Because English is mandatory in school and gives one a huge boost for promotion at work, there are many private academies (hagwon) and classes that are open to both students and working adults. Or if you have a funny and outgoing personality, consider becoming a YouTuber or a broadcaster.

In Seoul, the Han River is the best place to enjoy the cherry blossom festival during March to April, although it can get very crowded. If you plan to visit Gyeongsangnamdo (South Gyeongsang Province), you can join the large cherry blossom festival there from the last week of March to first week of April.