A few ideas that permeate South Korean culture that I felt were interesting in regard to the country as a whole were a bit foreign to me as I read about them. For example, “Food and dining are important parts of Korean culture and are used to build relationships.” Business and other meetings often take place over a large meal, and common well-wishes in South Korea are “eat well” and “be healthy.” Here in the US, I think people would find it a little strange to hear someone say this to them, seeing as how we generally wish safety or success more often than we wish good eating and health. Kibun (기분) is another concept which I was interested in, as it is somewhat similar to how we act in the US, but taken a little further in Korea. Kibun is a bit like trying to save face in an embarrassing situation, since “if you hurt someone's kibun, you're hurting their pride” or embarrassing them somehow. It's important to be aware of this concept in South Korea as the impact you have on someone's kibun can have consequences. The last concept I wanted to address was that of the unluckiness of the number four in South Korea. “Using the number four is considered unlucky, even ominous, as the pronunciation of the word 'four' and the Chinese character '死' (meaning death) are similar.” Koreans take this so seriously that elevators are sometimes “even built without a fourth floor button.” I feel like, in general, Americans are less superstitious and care less about personal well-wishes than South Koreans are. In this way, I think that South Korea has created a much tighter-knit culture than we have here in the US, although that may not be completely our fault since we're so much larger and more diverse.
Citations: “Etiquette in South Korea.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, Nov. 2017, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etiquette_in_South_Korea. “South Korea Guide.” Commisceo Global, Commisceo Global Consultancy Ltd, www.commisceo-global.com/country-guides/south-korea-guide.
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In order to be polite as an individual in South Korea, there are quite a few customs you must follow, but I find these three the most fascinating. First off, names in South Korea are different from here in the US in that Koreans’ surnames come first, as in Min Yoongi or Kim Jongdae. “It is considered very impolite to address a Korean with his or her given name,” unless you're close with them or they've given you permission to. Secondly, bowing is customary and expected, as it is a sign of respect and used for most greetings (deeper bow = more respect). If the bowing is accompanied by a handshake, as in a business meeting, it is also customary to shake with your right hand and support your right forearm with your left hand. Lastly, you're expected to take off your shoes when you enter someone’s house, as well as some other buildings such as certain restaurants, and that's a way bigger deal there than it is here in the US. I sometimes wonder how it is that such simple things in cultures can be so important and can set one culture so far apart from another culture. Is it really such an alien idea to show respect whenever possible by following these simple rules, like Koreans do? Some Americans would certainly think so, but I don't. Citations:
“Guide To South Korea - Etiquette, Customs, Culture & Business.” Kwintessential, Kwintessential Ltd, www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/guides/guide-to-south-korea-etiquette-customs-culture-business/. “South Korea Guide.” Commisceo Global, Commisceo Global Consultancy Ltd, www.commisceo-global.com/country-guides/south-korea-guide. South Koreans celebrate many great things, but two major causes for such celebration are the Lunar New Year (설날) and Chuseok (추석). Their celebrations for the Lunar New Year last three days - the day before, the day of the new year, and the day after, and these days are used to get together with family and remember those who have passed with a special ritual called Charye (차례) where the females in the family cook food for their ancestors and the males serve it to them. Once they've set the table with the food in the proper places and dedicated it to their ancestors, they eat it with the blessings of their ancestors. Food is an important part of this holiday, and “the most common varieties are rice, soup, meat, seafood, liquor, fruit and vegetables,” as well as ddeoguk (떠국), which is a rice cake soup that commemorates one’s Lunar Birthday (which is a part of calculating Korean age). I can't help but think of my own New Year's celebrations on the various December 31st’s in my life when I think of Korea’s Lunar New Year celebrations, and then I begin to remember just how different us humans can be. I’ve always stayed up until midnight, watching “Dick Clark’s New Year's Rockin’ Eve,” dancing when my favorite singers came on, then watched the ball drop and mysteriously fell asleep in places that weren't my bed - AKA the couch on the other side of the house. As far as I know, not many people in the US, unless they descend from a culture such as in South Korea, consider New Year's an even slightly somber occasion, and we certainly don't think about our deceased ancestors the whole time we're partying. It still fascinates me though, and I hope to one day be able to see firsthand the goings on in South Korea during their New Year celebrations. “Commonly translated as ‘Korean Thanksgiving’ in English,” Chuseok is similar to the Korean New Year in that it is a three day celebration, and they also perform the charye ritual in the morning during this holiday. After they're done, many Koreans visit the graves of their ancestors to clean them up and pay their respects as directly as they can to thank them for the harvest, as well as for their other blessings in life. Songpyeon (송편), rice cakes stuffed with a variety of ingredients, is an important dish for this holiday, as its half-moon shape is thought to bring success in the future. Gifts are also given and can range in price from a few dollars to thousands of dollars. The element of Chuseok which I found most hilarious, though, was the concept of a “chicken fight” game called Dak Sa Um (닭싸움). Apparently, the game is played as though you are a chicken, and you have to keep one knee bent while standing on your other foot and trying to knock others down in order to win. American Thanksgiving, on the other hand, isn't as big a deal as I think it once was, and although some larger or more close-knit families treasure the holiday, I feel as though many people nowadays simply use it as an excuse to eat and watch football rather than actually give thanks for the things we have in our lives. Because of this, I think I'd enjoy Chuseok in South Korea more than Thanksgiving here. Citations:
“Chuseok.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Jan. 2018, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuseok. “Korean New Year.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Jan. 2018, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_New_Year. Pickering, Brendan. “Seollal, Korean Lunar New Year.” Asia Society, Asia Society, asiasociety.org/korea/seollal-korean-lunar-new-year. |
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