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Culture
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Korean culture is a blend of the traditional and the modern. It is known both for ancient pottery and high-tech mobile phones, colorful festivities and exotic cuisine which delights native residents and foreign travelers alike.
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 Confucianism
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An important feature of Korea Culture is Confucianism. It is a system of ethics developed in China around 500 BC. Confucianism is big on devotion and respect - for parents, family, friends and those in positions of authority. Confucius also emphasized justice, peace, education, reform and humanitarianism. Many Koreans attribute their country's remarkable success in recent decades to this attitude. In modern Korean society, Confucianism is most noticeable in relations between people.
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Confucianism's Five Relationships prescribe behavior between ruler and subject, father and son, husband and wife, old and young, and between friends. If you fall outside any of these relationships, you do not, effectively, exist.
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Some travelers may find Korean locals rude but chances are they just haven't noticed you. Once you're introduced to someone, you'll fall within the rules for friends and things will start looking up.
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Confucius remains a highly influential force throughout Korean society, which although progressing, is still traditional.
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| Food |
Although Korea has a very diverse cuisine, internationally what are known of Korean food are Kimchi and Bulgogi. Kimchi is a staple meal but Bulgogi, which is a beef dish Koreans love, is usually eaten on special occasions.
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| Housing |
Architecture of traditional housing in Korea is divided between the upper class and the middle/lower class. Upper class houses followed Confucian concepts, had tiled roofs, and were designed customized to fit the age, gender and social standing of the resident. Rooms of the males, the females and the elders of the family were separate.
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Lower class houses were much simple and basic with just a room, a kitchen and a porch. The roofs are made of straw upon which a stone is placed to keep the roof intact during storms.
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| Costume |
The Korean traditional costume was designed to follow Confucian concepts during the Joseon Dynasty. The costume is called a hanbok but the manner in which the hanbok is composed for men and women are different. For women it consists of a skirt and a jacket called chima and jeogon respectively. With the men, it is composed of a jacket as well with pants called baji.
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| Society |
Korea is a very hierarchical society where one's age, sex and status have a major bearing on how others relate to you. As a Westerner, you will be immune from this sort of judgment to an extent, although Koreans who meet you will still want some information as to where on the social totem pole you fit. So questions such as How old are you, Are you married and What is your job " are simply ways for Koreans to get a feeling of where in society you fit.
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Koreans who have not been formally introduced to you will often ignore you and strangers will view you as a 'non-person'. This explains a lot of the pushing and shoving on the street, why Koreans will skip queues and why everyone from moped drivers to other pedestrians will behave as if you do not exist. Don't take it personally though as it happens to everyone.
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| The role of women in society is still stunted compared to the West. Women are still expected to raise the children and stay at home while the husband earns the money. Often women get less money for the same job as men, and Korea is not advanced in terms of women's rights. Domestic violence is common here and you may see Korean men hitting women on the streets. This, while not common, is not unheard of and there seems to be no stigma attached to it. Many Korean men will assume that blonde western women are Russian and therefore prostitutes. Korean men’s' attitudes can be stone age sometimes and its worth remembering that if you are going to have a relationship with a Korean man, whether he is your boss or boyfriend. |
