You would possibly know that the capital of South Korea, Seoul, can also be the most important metropolitan space in your entire nation.
You may also know that the nation boasts 12 World Heritage Sites (areas which are acknowledged for his or her significance and subsequently preserved and guarded), or that kimchi is the nationwide meals, served at virtually each meal, with virtually every little thing.
Fun Facts about South Korea
23 Weird and Fun Facts about South Korea
1. Koreans Are Shopping Addicts
If you’re ever in South Korea and have the hankering to buy ’til you drop, to not fear, one of many residents’ favourite previous instances is spending cash.
In reality, it’s not a nightlife that stays open till the wee hours. While eating places and bars are closing up round 11pm, on common, many procuring malls are nonetheless going (and seeing clients) till 4 within the morning.
They even have the largest division retailer on the earth. Shinsegae is over three million sq. ft. And don’t fear about when you have money, or received, as forex is known as in South Korea; they’re additionally huge bank card customers.
2. Plastic Surgery is Very Popular
While it may not be as commonplace right here within the United States, in South Korea, having cosmetic surgery is one thing quite a lot of the nation has carried out or will do when the time is true; in reality, you could be the odd one out in the event you haven’t had any work carried out in your face.
You can barely go anyplace with out seeing a beauty clinic, or no less than an commercial for one, detailing a few of the most commonly-requested procedures, like double eyelid surgical procedure, jaw and chin discount, and nostril jobs.
Plastic surgical procedure is for each women and men alike; actually anybody who needs to reinforce their appears. And it’s not simply natives that flock to surgeons, many individuals come to South Korea from all around the world, particularly for the aim of getting beauty surgical procedure.
3. Robots in every single place!
Well, not in every single place however robots are highly regarded in South Korea!
They have the very best density of robots on the earth. Robots are usually not being solely utilized in factories but in addition as jail guards, waiters, or lecturers.
4. Makeup for Everyone, Men Too!
In South Korea, it’s not simply girls or performers who typically make their faces up.
In the “Land of the Morning Calm,” virtually 20% of the male inhabitants wears make-up. Monetarily, that quantities to virtually $900 million spent per yr.
5. They Say Kimchi not Cheese
And you would possibly simply get some cheese (which wouldn’t essentially be a nasty factor, in fact).
But if you wish to get everybody to smile for a photograph in South Korea, you should say “kimchi” (a pickled cabbage aspect dish) as a substitute.
6. Famous & Most Dangerous Border Control in North
The border between North and South Korea, as established in 1953 because of the Korean War, is named the Demilitarized Zone (or DMZ); it divides the Korean Peninsula in half.
It can also be some of the harmful borders on the planet, as it’s closely patrolled by armed army personnel and even options stay landmines.
If you had been to try to cross it from both aspect, you’d be shot. It is over 150 miles lengthy and two and a half miles broad.
7. Taekwondo is 100% South Korean
“The way of the fist and foot,” or taekwondo, started in Korea, near 2000 years in the past. It the primary type of martial arts self-defense, and as we speak it’s the nationwide and hottest sport in South Korea and have become an official a part of the Summer Olympics in 2000.
8. Red Ink
Here within the United States, we use every kind of various colours of ink in our writing. While it’s {most professional} to make use of black or blue ink, particularly for formal writing, Americans are usually not shy with different colours, particularly pink.
However, this isn’t the case in South Korea. If you see a reputation written in pink, it’s a reasonably dangerous signal; it signifies that an individual is useless or on the way in which to being useless.
9. No Beards
You might have seen footage in historical past textbooks depicting people in South Korean historical past with beards, a few of them very lengthy.
But as we speak, a person with a beard is taken into account soiled and unkempt, regardless of how groomed his beard might look. And this isn’t nearly what a possible romantic companion would possibly suppose; carrying a beard would possibly simply deter you from even getting a job!
10. Parks filled with Sexual Statues
A go to to Haesindang Park is definitely not for the faint of coronary heart or skittish. The park is house to shut to 50 penis statues on show, all for the traditional folklore function of pleasing a virgin bride.
Same goes for a go to to a different sculpture park, Jeju Loveland, which fits farther than simply phallic symbols by displaying greater than 100 displays, showcasing all forms of sexual organs and positions. Definitely not an tour match for youngsters.
11. Love Motels
Renting a room for only one night and even only a few hours will not be one thing that we’re accustomed to within the United States. But in South Korea, these sort of affection motels do exist.
For many, as a substitute of frowning upon it, they embrace the sort of “date,” because it affords {couples} extra privateness (it isn’t unusual for South Koreans to stay underneath their household’s roofs far into their 20s), and since they’ve turn out to be so broadly accepted, there are a now a wide range of choices.
There’s a spot for a fast, no-frills low-cost night after which there are locations oozing with luxuriousness and opulence.
12. South Korean Will Alway Be Older Than You
No matter in the event you had been born on the identical precise day, on the similar precise time, in the identical precise yr, South Koreans will all the time be older than you’re.
How is that doable? Well, when South Koreans are born, they’re already thought-about one years outdated.
Additionally, kids age yet another yr when the following Lunar New Year happens. So, though you will have a few of the similar delivery statistics, typically South Koreans are as much as two years older than you’re.
13. Adultery is Legal
Similar to China and Japan, adultery is definitely authorized in South Korea, and has been since 2015, because the nation believes it’s extra of a private matter than that of a state matter.
14. Microsoft is King
While there are host of various Internet browsers for customers to select from based mostly on their very own preferences, for banking and procuring,
South Koreans should use Internet Explorer. Both completely and by legislation since 1999.
15. Sleeplessness
You suppose you’re drained? Or that New York is the town that by no means sleeps? In Seoul, the typical citizen clocks in lower than six hours of sleep per evening.
16. Crime Recreation
Fans of reveals like Law & Order, CSI, and the remainder, will love this tidbit about South Korea.
Suspects who’ve been accused of crimes like homicide or rape might be required to publicly recreate their crime.
Not solely is the general public allowed to spectate at this, however so is the media, which may irreparably harm an individual’s identify and repute.
A 40-hour workweek, the usual variety of hours within the United States, is nothing for South Koreans, who common a whopping 55 hours per week.
18. Scissors Everywhere
While you may need a pair of scissors in your kitchen, they’re in all probability not your most-used utensil.
But in South Korea, scissors are an integral a part of each kitchen arrange, as they’re used to chop a wide range of meals like noodles, meat, and even kimchi.
19. Hairstyles Tell A Lot
Instead of basing it on desire or what’s “in style,” South Korean girls solely have about three various kinds of hairstyles to work with, and they’re based mostly upon their age and relationship standing.
If you see a lady with lengthy hair, she is single; one with a brief lower has not too long ago gotten married, and older girls put on perms.
20. Stay Lucky, Stay Away from 4
If you’re ever visiting South Korea (or certainly one of a number of different East Asian international locations), you would possibly discover that the quantity 4 is never seen.
That’s as a result of it is named an unfortunate quantity, because it sounds similar to the phrase for loss of life.
So you’ll be hard-pressed to discover a 4 in an elevator, and in the event you’re searching for a spot to stay that has a 4 in it, not solely will you be urgent your luck, however the property worth of your house would possibly even be decrease.
21. “Have You Eaten Well?” means “How are you?”
When a South Korean asks you this, they don’t seem to be technically asking if you’re hungry or how wholesome you eat.
It’s truly extra equal to how within the United States, we might greet somebody with, “How are you?”
22. Do South Koreans eat canine?
Yes, South Korean eat canine! It’s been a part of the tradition for ages however these days, it’s changing into a extra controversial and fewer common possibility. As a reality, they really eat round one million canine per yr (says usatoday.com)
23. Koreans like to get together and drink
Yes, Koreans get together quite a bit! Since they work quite a bit and endure quite a lot of stress through the day, they wish to launch that at evening with some good events and drinks. If you didn’t know, now you recognize!
24. Blood varieties
The perception that blood sort impacts an individual’s persona and character traits is without doubt one of the fascinating issues about blood varieties in South Korea. Since your companion’s blood sort might not match yours, blood varieties can be utilized to assist select a big different.
For instance, girls with blood sort B ought to search for males with blood sort O. Men with blood sort AB are additionally appropriate, however keep away from males with blood sort A! Although this isn’t universally accepted, be ready to listen to about it when visiting South Korea.
When courting in South Korea, that is certainly one of many questions it’s best to ask your potential companion.
Death by an electrical fan (superstition)
Electric followers being left on when you sleep in a room with the home windows and door closed may end up in loss of life, in line with a long-standing city legend that originated in South Korea. The fan is believed to scale back physique temperature and result in hypothermia.
Additionally, in line with Koreans, inhaling a room with a fan might be troublesome and result in choking. Automatic shutoff timers on followers are thought to be a life-saving characteristic in South Korea because of these beliefs.
It is crucial to keep away from making an attempt to influence others who don’t share this perception in South Korea even though some do. Even in the event you can present scientific proof to help your declare, superstitious Koreans are nonetheless prone to have their doubts.
And that is solely a small sampling of fascinating tidbits about South Korea. There are a ton extra, like that 20% of the inhabitants is called Kim. Or that single adults are nicknamed “Big Baby.” Or how when you’ve completed your meals supply meal, you may simply go away the dishes outdoors of your own home and the supply particular person will come again and get it. Or that the colour of your taxi cab signifies the standard of your driver. And if you wish to get fruit whereas in South Korea, you higher be ready to spend upwards of $20 for even only one melon.
For a rustic that’s equal in dimension to the state of Indiana, this little man positive does present a number of fascinating details.