Let’s take a look at some of the unique parts of Korean culture from a foreigner’s point of view. Some Korean cultures make foreigners come back to Korea, while other Korean cultures give foreigners a culture shock. Even within the same country, there are small cultural differences depending on the environment in which they grew up. In some ways, it is natural that cultures differ from country to country.
These cultural differences sometimes cause conflict, but they can also indirectly experience a wider world. We live in an era of globalization, and we need to understand cultural diversity and develop an attitude that can accommodate the cultural differences that arise from it.
Firstly, In Korea, people who are close in age are called “friends”. But in other Western countries or countries like China, you can be friends of any age or status. It means that when you meet friends, you can make friends regardless of age. That’s why in other countries a three-year-old child and an eighty-year-old grandfather can be friends. Students can also be friends with teachers.
Because of this cultural difference, foreigners living in Korea often experience difficulties. For example, when my Chinese friend asked a 27-year-old Korean friend if he was friends with another 30-year-old Korean, the 27-year-old friend looked offended and asked if he looked that old. At the time, the Chinese friend replied that he did not mean that.
The Korean culture that foreigners are most confused about is probably the language honorifics culture. Unlike English, which does not use language honorifics, few countries use language honorifics, such as Korea and Japan. In Korea, regardless of speaking or written language, when meeting someone new to you, your boss, or an older person, you always use language honorifics. You can find Korea where politeness is very important through this language culture. For example, “Anyeong” is “Hi” in Korean. The honorific is “Anyeonghaseyo” by adding “haseyo”. It is correct to say “Anyeonghaseyo” to someone you are meeting for the first time or someone who is older than you.
One of the things that foreigners find strange about Korean culture is that Koreans leave their bags when they are away for a while. Even if you leave the bag in this way, no one else touches the bag or the bag disappears. But my Chinese friend tells me that in China I always have to carry my bag when I’m away.
As an example, a friend of mine left his cell phone behind in Korea. After three or four hours, I went to look for it, and I found that the phone was still there. Koreans don’t think that other people will take their stuff, or they don’t care at all about other people’s stuff that isn’t theirs. In Canada I don’t expect anyone to take my bag if I leave it, but as a habit I always carry it.
