Korea, culturally, is far different from the United States and any other Western country. Because of the cultural differences, it is common to see these differences contribute to the daily lives and the surrounding environment of the countries. Follow me in this post to see how different things that seem very ordinary in Korea are compared to the States. Be prepared for a culture shock!
Everything is Sweet
I’m sorry to pop your bubble, but many salty greasy foods that you may be craving while in Korea will not cut your standards. That cheesy greasy garlic bread you may be drooling over will not satisfy your greasy salty dreams. Most, if not all, Korean re-creations of Western junk food will usually have some sweet aspect to it. Korean food is all about balance. This particularly means balancing salty with sweet. Looking for garlic bread? Expect sugar on top. Want Pizza? Corn and sweet potato are topping options. Chips? No, greasy Lays or Fritos available, sorry. Movie theater popcorn? Options for caramel kettle and butter. Fried chicken? Comes with sweet pickled radish. Salty food lovers, prepare yourselves!
Umbrellas in the summer
South Koreans value their skincare and there is a heavy emphasis on beauty in its society. Sun damage is one thing, especially that many Korean women are concerned about. Sun damage can cause issues with skin in the future including cancer, age spots, wrinkles, and more. During the hot heat of Korean summers, it is common to see older women as well as younger women holding umbrellas. These umbrellas are to shield them from the heat and the sun’s harmful rays. This is not a strange occurrence so don’t be shocked. It is also common for people to hold small automatic fans with them. The sun in Korea is no joke!
Shoes off in restaurants
It is tradition for Koreans to take their shoes off in their house. This is also illustrated in many restaurants where patrons have to take off their shoes in a lobby area before entering. Some restaurants may offer slippers instead for customers to wear.
Bidets in toilets
Water spraying toilets? Yup. In every (residential) bathroom I encountered during my time in Korea, there was a bidet. Not only are bidets used in homes, but oftentimes upscale restaurants and stores may have them as well. This is not the norm for people living in America nor stores/restaurants. These bidets feature different water spraying nozzles, dryers, and other cool features I had yet to explore.
The popularity of flavored milk
Banana milk, strawberry milk, melon milk, apple milk, peach milk, avocado milk, and more. Name one, Korea has it all. Artificially flavored milk is huge in Korea. These delicious sweet treats are a hit among not only the youth in Korea but folks of all ages. The most infamous flavored milk brand is known as Binggrae, especially known for its banana milk. For more on the history of flavored milk in Korea, comment below! I can release a post detailing the reason for its popularity and growth within Korea.
Self serve utensils
Need new chopsticks? A spoon? Napkins? No problem. Grab them from the side of your table. In Korea, it is common to spot restaurants with silver utensils attached to your table either on the side in a separate container.
Parking in neutral
In Korea, there are many cars, not a lot of space. To accommodate this, many cars may simply park in front of other cars. It is common for cars in Korea to be parked in neutral so that other people can push the car out of an area if necessary, I’ve never experienced this in the States. I was a bit shocked when I saw people moving strangers’ cars with their bare hands and for it to be so normalized.
Malls in height, not length
Because Korea is a smaller country with a large density rate, there is not a lot of land available for construction or more urban growth. Because of the limited land available in many major cities, it is hard to fit many stores or housing units. The solution? Build up. Instead, folks in Korea live in tall sky rise buildings. Not only are the homes built upwards on apartment complexes, but the malls and different department buildings are as well! In the States, it is common to see a very large mall with normally two floors only. In Korea, there is more than 8 floors in many malls or shopping complexes. Each floor sells a different kind of product. One floor may sell women’s clothes, another might sell men’s clothes, while the third may sell jewelry or handbags.
Soap bars in Bathrooms
I’m not too keen on the reasoning behind this, however, it exists in Korea. It is simply a bar of soap attached to the sink. It prevents people from stealing but it also saves the time needed for custodians to replace the bar (I’m assuming). Not many people use this bar for hygiene reasons. I never felt compelled to use it. I always brought my own hand sanitizer in Korea for this reason. However then again, not using soap while in bathrooms may be something of concern.
Fancy Starbucks
Unlike the informal Starbucks in the States where customers can simply come and pick up their drinks, Starbucks in Korea is a whole experience. This also may be common in other foreign countries other than the States and Canada. However, I’m just speaking based on my personal experience. I was shocked when I saw this. Customers can receive their drinks in glasses and dessert slices on plates. The staff would then ring up customers that can take their food to a pretty booth to eat and talk with friends.
Real-life food displays
I absolutely adore this part of food culture in Korea. In many restaurants or food plazas, you can spot real-life food displays of the different dishes. These displays have a hyperrealistic feature to them that makes you salivate just by looking. It is also common in many other Asian countries to showcase different dishes through fake displays. However, Korean fake food displays just hit different.
Random words on shirts
I decided to use an image of a cap display in Korea instead of a punny shirt. Sorry! It’s because I forgot to take a pic of the ‘fashionable’ tops while in Korea (will definitely take pics of them when I go back). These Korean graphic tops won’t ever NOT make me laugh. Because Korea’s main language is Korean, English is not many of the people’s strongest suit. With Korean fashion, it can come off as trendy to be wearing clothes with random English words. To native English speakers, it may not make any sense grammatically or semantically, however, the graphics may be worth it. Take some time to stop by an underground market or street boutique and read the different slogans and sayings on these various tops. You will not be disappointed.
If you enjoyed this post about culture-shocking customs or items in Korea, let me know! Comment or like if you’d like more content relating to what I found interesting/different about Korea as an American. Let me know, what did you find interesting during your time in Korea! I’d love to hear:)