Every country has its own style of living, traditions and cultures which are quite different from the other countries.
When it comes to South Korea, the country follows its traditions religiously but does have a modern outlook as well which is exhibited in their work culture and living standards. The South Koreans are quite attractive and workaholic people and they are very concerned about their health and looks. However, there are many features of South Koreans that are absolutely normal for them but pretty unusual for the rest of the world.
In this article, we have categorized 16 such features.
If a South Korean couple is seen wearing dresses and other accessories of similar color and design, it means they are together and in a relationship. The local shops keep paired clothes and shoes for these lovebirds.
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It may sound a little strange but South Korean men are very particular about their makeup, skincare and their hair. The cosmetics market for men in South Korea is very big and as per a study, nearly 20% men put up makeup on a daily basis. So now you know why the South Korean guys look so well polished all the time.
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The law of South Korea is very strict with the criminals and they are not just punished but also humiliated in public. They are tied with handcuffs and taken to the crime scene where they are asked to repeat their crime and to make them feel insulted, media is also called. The dates of recreation are published in print media so that public also gathers to humiliate the criminal.
While the criminal is repeating the act, people hurl abuses at him/her. This practice may seem suitable if a person is actually guilty but what if this recreation is done with a person who is later proved to be innocent? This incident may have a bad effect on the mind of innocents and may make them emotionally weak. Some people are opposing this practice but the majority doesn’t want to abolish it.
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The Valentine’s Day is very popular in South Korea just like other parts of the world but wait, there’s a twist. On 14th February, women/girls have to express their love and give gifts to their husbands/boyfriends while on 14th March, husbands/boyfriends have to spend on flowers, gift, etc. But the catch is that men have to spend three times of what the women spent on them. One more thing to note is that the gifts are mostly white in color.
In fact, 14th of every month is celebrated as a romantically themed holiday while April 14 is celebrated as Black day by the singles.
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Everybody should know his/her blood group as this knowledge can be helpful in an emergency situation but South Koreans are very concerned about the blood groups. Blood groups are used to know the personality of a person in the same manner as in other countries, zodiac signs are used. Blood group is taken into consideration for making important decisions, such as whom to date, whom to marry, etc. .
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Almost in every part of the world, a kid turns one when he/she completes a year after birth but in South Korea, a kid turns one just after the birth. One year is again added to the age when the New Year starts on 1st January. For example, if a kid took birth on 5th December 2017, his age is 1 year and on 1st January 2018, his age will be increased to 2 years. Strange, isn’t it?
South Koreans believe that if a person sleeps with an electric fan on the whole night, he/she will pass away. It is an urban legend in South Korea and even though attempts have been made by media and government to make people understand that it is just a myth, many people still believe it to be true.
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The Kindergarten schools have fixed dresses of certain color and pattern for their students so that they can be differentiated from students of other schools.
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In South Korea, almost all the fast food restaurants deliver food at home and not only this, you can keep the dishes outside your apartment after having meals and the delivery person will come again to take the dishes. Even the McDonald’s outlets deliver 24/7 over there; so if you are in South Korea, you can stay at your place and enjoy tasty food.
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South Korea is a hub for plastic surgery and it’s not just the tourists who undergo surgery and procedures over there, nearly 20% - 30% of South Korean women have gone under the knife at least once in a lifetime.
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The South Korean government provides each pregnant woman with a special credit card with $500 in it. This money can be used for medical purposes by the future mother. Moreover, the seats in the subway are marked with pink for pregnant women so that they don’t have a problem in getting a seat. Special parking places are also provided by the government for them.
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Yes, it’s true! the South Koreans have the ability to sleep anywhere whether it is a park or subway. Surprisingly, when they sleep in subway, they get up on their own at the right time just before their stop arrives. The education system of South Korea is pretty tough and students get only 4-5 hrs of sleep so it’s pretty understandable that that they sleep whenever they get a chance. The same thing goes for their working style as they are mostly workaholics so quite obviously, they don’t mind sleeping anywhere, anytime.
South Koreans use toilet paper not just in toilet but also on the table where they have coffee and snacks. They do this because they have a habit of using toilet paper as napkins.
Image Source: www.guthealthnews.org
Usually if you want to meet your friends, you organize a get together at a pub or restaurant but in South Korea, people meet their friends at convenience stores. The reasons are that convenience stores are available in good numbers and provide alcohol at cheap rates. Additionally, they provide you with chairs and table to sit and drink with your friends. Isn’t it amazing?
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South Korea is a very crowded place and it’s highly difficult for couples to find a secluded place to spend some quality time together. These love motels come to the rescue of lovers and here they can enjoy their private moment without any disturbance.
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South Koreans are very hygienic people and they don’t make their environment dirty so you won’t find any trash bin easily there; however, there’s no shortage of public toilets and they can be found in every park as well as subway station. There are separate cabins for differently-abled people while tables are kept in women’s toilet to make it easier for them to change napkins.
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