Some Things Which are Hard to Understand about Korean Culture

I often find myself thinking about why Koreans do certain things that they do.


Some examples I can think of:


1 - Amount of drinking.

2 - How often people, likely drunk, make noise at night which wakes up lots of people.

3 - Why the police don't catch those people for disturbing the peace.

4 - The working hours - Recently I saw a chart showing working hours around the world. Korea was #1 for most working hours.

5 - Why kids who hate school are sent to hagwons!! In addition to full days at regular schools!!!!

6 - #1-5

7 - The hours they sleep. Adults and children get 5/6 at most 7 hours per night.

8 - Why they don't realize this is not healthy, especially for children.

9 - How it's pretty much impossible for anyone to get a good job who (1)Didn't graduate from one of the best universities (2)Isn't a good test taker (3)Didn't attend hagwons. It seems the only students who don't go to hagwons are those who have parents who can't afford them. Though there are a few parents with enough money who refuse to send their kids to hagwons, but I don't think there are many like this.

10. Why they don't know more about other countries and cultures.

11. Why they think that the way things are done in Korea is normal around the world. Some examples (1) Korean food is the best food. Rice - good; bread - bad, Soju/beer - good, Coke - bad. As I see it beer has been adopted by Koreans and is as normal as kimchi. The only non-Korean food which Koreans think is no problem to consume, not bad for health. (2)Korean size is normal size, and Koreans expect every woman over 50kg to be on a diet (3)Getting married between ages 28-32 is what everyone does in Korea, so it's the same in other countries. Having met a number of Koreans, I'd estimate that 75% of people getting married these days are aged 29, 30 or 31. Seems like a pretty short time period. Koreans attitude now is that it's ok to be single at 29, but not at 31 or older. And marrying at 23 is too young according to Koreans.

12. Koreans are shocked every time they hear of a woman/man past 30 who's single. But there are so many like this in Korea! There seem to be more Koreans in their 30s-40s who have never been married than there are in Western countries.

13. How young Koreans don't make decisions for themselves until age 28-30. Korean parents make major decisions for their children such as what career, what to study in college, when to get married, where/what to study abroad, which college to go to, etc. Koreans are supported by and cleaned up after by their parents until age 28-30.





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