1.
The people are incredibly hospitable and kind.
Korea is much more family- and friendship-oriented than the U.S., in my
observation. This is especially evident in the fact that friends who haven’t
seen each other for years and may not actually have a lot in common anymore can
still meet up and get along as if nothing had changed. Similarly, you are
warmly accepted by someone’s friends and family simply by association. Just by
being Sol’s girlfriend, I was immediately welcomed with open arms by his family
and friends who had never met me. I regularly was told, “Welcome to the Lee
family!” or “Because you are Sol’s girlfriend and he is my friend, you are my
friend.” Although Americans do this to some degree, it seems there is often some
pressure to impress. I think the level of community I experienced in Korea is
unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in the U.S., and I’ve never felt that I
had to try so little to be accepted.
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| Me with Sol's long-time friends, Manja (left) and Soki (right) |
2.
They’ve mastered the art of drinking communally.
Like many other cultures, Koreans drink a lot. And I mean a lot. On any given day
of the week, bars, pubs, and restaurants are open 24/7, and soju (kind of like
vodka made from sweet potatoes, for the unfamiliar) and mekju (beer) are free-flowing. But more
so than many other cultures, Koreans drink in a very communal way that makes
the experience really enjoyable. Instead of everyone ordering their own drink,
they order a whole bottle for the table to share (and then two, and three, and
four…). It is their custom to always watch each others’ glasses to make sure
they aren’t empty and promptly fill them when they are. You are not supposed to
fill your own glass, as that is considered rude and greedy, but you are to be
hyper-vigilant about filling someone else’s, and they will return the favor. Then,
whenever someone’s glass gets filled, it is followed by a celebratory cheers
(or as they say, “Jan!”) before anyone takes a sip. To an American, the number
of cheers throughout the evening at first seems a little superfluous and
somewhat exhausting, but after a while, it is really endearing. It’s like every
drink means something! Also, instead of splitting up the check individually at
the end of the evening, like Americans do, they usually play a game of
rock-paper-scissors to identify the lucky person who gets to pay. Although the
bill can sometimes be pretty exorbitant, this seems like a fair and easy way of
doing things because it’s not always the same person each time, and you save
yourselves and your servers the headache of calculating each person’s total.
Lastly, Koreans always eat when they drink. Sometimes this can be a challenge,
as it adds to the bill and potentially your already-full stomach. But it’s also
a way to not get drunk too easily and enhance the enjoyment of drinking
together. Rather than drinking being a means to an end, in Korea it is about
the process itself—the end product is just a bonus.
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| Drinks in Itaewon district with Sol's college buddies |
3. You will never run out of places to shop. Korea
has developed a pretty consumer-oriented culture, which isn’t always a great
thing, but it means there are ample places to shop for any kind of item,
apparel, or accessory you could possibly desire. Districts like Gangnam and
Myeongdong offer the whole smorgasbord of commercial retailers, from H&M to
Dior, in abundance. While in Myeongdong, I saw three Zara’s and two H&M’s
within about a three-block radius. The subway terminals also frequently have
their own underground malls with dozens of storefronts for sunglasses, shoes,
cosmetics, clothing, and the like. There are also neighborhoods with more
unique, local merchandise, such as Insadong and Bukchon. These are older parts
of Seoul that have both traditional Korean street markets and modern small storefronts
selling artsy gifts, jewelry, pottery, clothing, etc. (not to mention yummy
street food!). You can generally get pretty good quality local merchandise for
a better price than you would in the U.S. Also, Koreans are, on the whole, an
extremely fashionable people who are highly attentive to their appearance. I have
to say, I felt like a total frump amongst them, but I admire their creative
expression and aesthetic awareness.
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| Myeongdong District |
4.
It’s really easy to get around without a car.
Similar to some of the highly urban cities in the U.S. and Europe, Seoul’s
public transportation system is extensive, making it much easier for the dense
population to get around sans personal vehicle. The subway system is really
convenient (except during rush hour, when people are literally packed like
sardines), and taxis are pretty cheap and make up about 50% of vehicles on the
roads. Being the rugged American I am, I do enjoy owning a car and being able to
drive anywhere I want whenever I want, but I certainly wouldn’t want to drive
on Seoul’s streets. It’s nice to be able to get from point A to point B without
worrying about road raging from traffic and crazy drivers or worrying about gas
prices. That’s something that most car-dependent Americans can’t do.
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| Bukchon, one of Seoul's many walkable neighborhoods |
5.
The food is a lot healthier. Whether you like
Korean food or not, one thing you can’t deny is that it’s generally a lot
healthier than most American/Western food. It is largely based on vegetables
and seafood, and although most meals include an array of dishes, they are
served in small portions to be shared by the whole table. Even “fast food”
Korean restaurants generally have much heartier options than American fast food
restaurants. Korean desserts are also much healthier, such as fresh fruit or a
Korean version of ice cream called salbing, which is finely shaved ice with
toppings like red beans, chocolate sauce, and crushed nuts or coffee beans.
What was surprising to me and would probably be surprising to most Americans,
however, is that Koreans seems to eat quite frequently. Rather than having
three square meals a day, they often have multiple small meals throughout the
day. (Part of the reason for this seems to be that Koreans never drink alcohol without
eating…see #2.) Sometimes this can seem overwhelming to those unaccustomed to
eating throughout the day, but it’s probably also better for one’s
metabolism.
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| One of the more decadent versions of salbing |
6.
It’s a really old country with lots of cool
remnants from its rich history. Unlike the U.S., Korea has been around for many
centuries and therefore has a lot of valuable traits to show for it. For
starters, there are still some really impressive buildings and sites that are
several hundred years old with ornate traditional Korean/Chinese architecture,
such as Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul and the Korean Hanok Village in Jeonju. These
are things you just can’t see in a new country like the U.S. They also have a
unified cultural identity because of all they’ve been through together, having defended
themselves against multiple world superpowers, survived political collapses, and persevered through extreme poverty (well, at least South Korea). Perhaps
this cultural identity is also strengthened by the fact that Korea is much more
ethnically homogenous than the U.S., as most modern Koreans can trace their
ancestry back multiple centuries in Korea; in other words, most Koreans are
“native Koreans”. (I’m not advocating for ethnic purity or anything here, but
it’s probably a factor in their sense of solidarity.) Then there’s also more
everyday things that Koreans seem to have a better handle on, such as caring
for the sick. Although it’s changing, Korea seems to still focus heavily on
natural remedies for illnesses, and I can say from personal experience that
they know just the right food to help a sick person feel better immediately! I
could be wrong, but I think things like this are a product of many years of collective
wisdom being passed down among generations.
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| Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul, roughly 600 years old |
7.
Korean TV shows! I have never considered myself
someone who is particularly ga-ga about romantic comedies and have always hated
American soap operas. But for some reason, I just can’t get enough Korean TV
dramas/romantic comedies. I think there are few characteristics about them that
reel me in. First off, there are some really attractive men in these shows.
That accounts for probably 50% of my interest. Second, while they are generally
pretty cheesy in their plot lines and screenplays (some more so than others), I
think the writers usually do a good job of building anticipation for the viewer.
They draw out the romance soooo far before actually giving you the satisfaction
of a kiss or, *gulp*, a love scene that you are literally waiting at the edge
of your seat. Rather than being frustrating, it makes the character
relationships that much more interesting and gratifying. The main characters
are usually pretty charming, as well. They tend to start off as somewhat
cardboard characters that are hard to relate to, but somehow they morph more
and more with each episode into really complex people that you love. Plus, as
an American, I find that Korean TV shows help me gather more knowledge about
Korean language, culture, customs, and humor (as much as that is possible
through mainstream entertainment). Korean humor is really similar to American
humor in many ways, and in other ways it is sillier and more innocent, which I
find refreshing. If you need recommendations for good Korean TV shows or have
any for me, let me know!
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| Gong Yoo, one of my faves |
