In Supercurioso we have talked to you about things that only happen in North Korea and they are really amazing, but what about their neighbors the South Koreans? A country very different from the one with which it shares a border, which stands out for its level of technological innovation, its great consideration for aesthetics and for being an impressive mixture of values and some features of the West with others of the East. Join us to discover this asian country , reading the following curiosities of South Korea I'm sure you'll be surprised!
Did you know that bald men have difficulty finding work in this Korea? Or that make-up is as common among women as it is among men? Or that those who escape from North Korea to take refuge in the neighboring nation find it difficult to integrate? Continue reading more about the country of technology and aesthetics: South Korea!
50 curiosities of South Korea surprising
We are going into the culture of the South Koreans, while we discover these curiosities of South Korea and we understand what it must be like to live in South Korea. We promise you will be fascinating!
1. South Korean men are fanatics of cosmetics. That's right, men in South Korea are obsessed with cosmetic products and aesthetics, especially with makeup. In fact, they spend 900 million dollars a year alone in makeup!
As expected, it has not been slow to take advantage of this trend and television programs have been created to deal with this issue exclusively. You will wonder why this obsession for makeup has entered so forcefully, the reason lies in the fierce labor market and the competitiveness that this entails. Men want to make the best possible impression and makeup is part of the strategy. To look better, more job opportunities. Without a doubt, one of the curiosities of South Korea that still surprise in the West, but that we may end up adopting.
2. Although South Korea is famous for being one of the most densely populated countries, not all of its extension is so highly urbanized. In its territory you can also find wonderful landscapes such as Jeju Island, which is in fact a World Heritage Site.
It is another of those corners of the world that take our breath away.
3. You are in South Korea and decide that you want a bit of "fast food", then you will discover that in this country this adjective could not be more appropriate. Another data on South Korea that highlights the effectiveness of their society. Most establishments that offer "fast food" have a delivery service, whose drivers are famous for their speed and ability to get around the dense traffic of South Korean cities.
What happens when you finish eating? Simple. You leave the empty plates and others outside, preferably next to the door from where you are and ... the delivery service will also pick it up! Impressive!
4. From the "fast food" we go to the food from South Korea . What is the typical South Korean food?
- Kimchi - Kimchi is a dish based on fermented vegetables and could be considered essential in traditional Korean cuisine. The Kimchi is spicy and bitter and its essential ingredient is usually cabbage.
- Bulgogi - It is another of the most popular Korean dishes, made with meat. It is a kind of marinated beef barbecue and has a juicy texture. Also, it's very tasty.
- Samgyeopsal - This dish basically consists of strips of pork on the grill, without any seasoning and without marinating. What is done with them is to dip them in a sauce made of salt, pepper and sesame oil and then wrap them in a lettuce leaf together with grilled vegetables and kimchi. This is the typical Korean food that you can try in the restaurants dedicated to this cuisine from all over the world.
5. We imagine that the fan scenes of "Apocalypse Now" They must have been torture for the South Koreans. Surprisingly, there is a belief in this country that is known as "death by fan" that ensures that if you sleep under one ignition, it is very possible that you never get to wake up. Where does this strange legend come from? Nobody knows, however, it must be quite recent, because it was not until the second decade of the twentieth century that they began to be acquired in this country.
6. Sometimes, having a remarkable level of well-being is not enough to make the population of a country feel good and satisfied. South Korea has occupied the first and second place in the list of OECD member countries with the highest percentage of suicides .
One of the most striking data is that a important part of the people that end their life in this country, they had previously fled from neighboring North Korea . They find their integration in South Korea so difficult that, little by little, their mood drops to the point of reaching such despair that death ends up looking like the best option.
7. You will take a taxi in Korea del Surt and you will find 3 types of vehicle : orange, silver and blacks Which to choose?
Do not panic! The oranges and silver are the standard and the blacks are those who offer a luxury service. Check your purchasing power and choose.
8. Do you know what is the tetraphobia ? He Irrational fear of number 4 . While in many Western countries it is number 13 that is vetoed buildings and other numbers, in this Korean country 4 is avoided at all costs.
What's more, when you get into an elevator in South Korea it is very possible that you will find an "F" in the place where you should see a "4".
9. Once again we find a piece of information that makes those of us who live a Western lifestyle take our hands to their heads.
The tradition of eating meat of dogs goes back 2 millennia ago and it is still practiced in the most humble areas of South Korea. However, it seems that criticism from other countries has taken its toll and many South Koreans are beginning to avoid feeding on these animals. Is it the end of this tradition?
10. One of the curiosities of South Korea that maybe leaves you a little misplaced. If you are walking quietly through a park and suddenly you are surrounded by virile limbs sculpted in stone ... Congratulations, you are in Haesindang Park, in Gangwon Province!
This place is famous for the presence of numerous statues of penises, many of which guide you to a restaurant called Deulmusae, whose central theme is precisely that: the penis.
11. Another of the curiosities of South Korea that is worth noting is the Boryeong Mud Festival , which lasts 10 days (long bastane) and is celebrated since 1998.
But who came up with such a dirty holiday? Interestingly, it was designed to promote cosmetic products to Boryeong mud base .
This celebration during which you can practice "wrestling" muddy or simply carry out activities such as: receiving massages, participating in photography competitions, marathons ... everything with mud, of course !, attracted 3 million people in 2012. What power of attraction!
12 Once you have entered South Korea ... congratulations, you will have one more year! In South Korea just after birth it is considered that the baby is already one year old , instead of adding months from scratch as we usually do. So, does this mean that everyone celebrates their birthday the same day? In a way, each New Year means adding one year to the age of all South Koreans. Imagine if you were born a few days before this celebration!
What a complicated thing, do not you think?
13. In Supercurioso we talk about the blood types and that many cultures consider that they say a lot about your personality. The South Korean is one of them. It is one of the customs of South Korea assess the character of a person for his blood type , Get ready to be judged!
What do you think of each type?
- About people with blood type A, it is said that they are punctual and prudent, although also with tendency to introversion, to be obsessive and a little inflexible. However, it is considered people who can be great long-term couples , because adultery goes against their values and they are extremely loyal.
- The people of blood type B , on the contrary, they are considered extremely creative and passionate and, therefore, more inclined to amorous adventures . It is said that they are also very impatient. And about the AB people ? The South Koreans consider that these individuals are very controlled, but also very hard to judge others and elitists.
- The ones that have blood type O they have a reputation ambitious and of gifted with aptitudes for the sport. Although they are two positive features, they are also said to carry great selfishness.
Imagine if the type of blood in this culture is important, which could determine the future of a couple. What would a type A person do with a crazy type B? According to these beliefs, they have little chance of getting a lasting marriage.
14. The Flag of South Korea , It is known as 'Taegugki' , has a lot of symbolism and in fact with it could be summarized part of the types of thoughts that dominate East Asia.
In it you can find Taoist and Buddhist symbols. We also see Ying and Yang, representing the idea of complementary opposites, and trigrams that symbolize the elements. In addition, it also tries to transmit peace using a white background.
15. This is another of the curiosities of South Korea most striking. As reported by the National Statistics Office (NSO 1985) of the 275 surnames that exist in this country, 44 of them belonged to less than 100 people.
Of a population that in 1985 was 40 million, only 5 surnames of South Korea already accounted for half of the population. These are:
- Kim - almost 9 million people.
- Lee (Yi or Rhee) - almost 6 million people.
- Park - almost 3 and a half million people.
- Choi (or Choy) and Chung (Jung) -both almost 2 million people-.
The 5 total about 21 million people, more than half of the Koreans in 1985.
16. Another of the curiosities of South Korea they are their names that in the West sound really amazing. We present you with a list of the Korean names that most were given to babies in South Korea, in 2015:
- Min-jun - It is a unisex name, although for a decade men have been more often seen. It means a combination of "affable, kind" and "intelligent, sharp" with "talented and beautiful".
- Seojun - It's a Korean male name. It can have many meanings since the characters used for its two syllables have many forms and interpretations.
- Ha-joon - It's a Korean male name. As for its meaning, the same thing happens as in the previous case, it is extremely broad.
- I give a
- Joo-won - It is a unisex name.
- Seo-yun - It's a Korean female name.
- Seo-yeon - It's a Korean female name.
- Ji-woo - It's a unisex name.
- Ji-yoo - It is a unisex name. It means "will, determination," "happiness, good luck" or "wisdom" and "prosperity" combined with "softness."
- Ha-yoon - It's a unisex name.
As you see, the meaning of Korean names is complicated to interpret, since the characters that make them can be many and have a different reading in each case and combination.
17. The South Koreans celebrate on the fifteenth day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar a holiday known as Chuseok. It is a harvest festival that celebrates near the Autumn Equinox and implies that South Koreans visit their home villages and the tombs of their ancestors, leaving offerings as food.
In addition, in the Chuseok celebrations traditional dishes are cooked that are shared with those who have their roots same place as you.
18. The world of pizza in this country is much more open to experimentation than in other parts of the world, which is why it is one of our curiosities of South Korea.
The South Koreans add sweet potatoes, snail, mix sweet and savory flavors regularly ... The latter is precisely the most striking of the pizza in the form of a star, named "Star Edge Pizza" which is a main course and a dessert at the same time.
It carries prawns, squid, bacon, veal and broccoli, among others, but it has a surprise on the edges. Inside the outermost and crunchy part of the pizza, which coincides with the ends of the star, you will find a sweet filling made with cream with apple and cinnamon or cream cheese with blueberries. A madness for the palate, right?
19. In 2012, South Korea was the first country with more cosmetic surgery operations per capita . Although today it has dropped positions in the ranking, it is still in the top 10. This is because in South Korea the image is essential. What is the most common cosmetic surgery in this country? Which it involves the eyelids .
Many young South Koreans ask for their 16th birthday to go through the operating room to achieve a more western eyes shape .
20. Bald men have trouble finding work. Another of the curiosities of South Korea that most impacts the West. As we said, aesthetics is very important in South Korea, so being bald does not only affect the self-esteem of those who suffer alopecia, but it could also make you lose your job or make it harder to be hired in another company. Discover more of this problem: " Why is it hard for bald people to find work in South Korea? "
21. In Cora del Sur there is a cafe dedicated to pooping. You can find in it toilet-shaped cups, pasta in the form of faeces and a chord decoration with the theme.
22. Only 32% of South Koreans are overweight. And this is one of the curiosities of South Korea: together with Japan, they are the countries with the lowest percentage of overweight in the world.
23. When a Korean name is written using red ink it means that the person has died or is about to do so. It is considered that writing the name of someone with this color brings bad luck.
24. Another of the curiosities of South Korea is that they practice something called "crime recreation". This implies that suspects of crimes such as rape or murder must go to the scene with the police. His public appearance, handcuffed and with means of recording them during this operation is considered a social humiliation.
25. On the island of Jeju, which we have already mentioned above, you will find scattered on the beach a statues called dol hareubang . There is a belief that the newly married women who touch these structures will be more fertile.
26. Among young Korean university students it is very typical to have blind dates in groups, while they have dinner and drink beer. They call them "Meeting" or "So-getting".
27. The inhabitants of Seoul, along with those of Tokyo, are the ones who sleep least among the inhabitants of the big cities. How much? Less than 6 hours every night.
28. If you visit South Korea, do not be surprised if you see couples very caramel, kissing or wearing matching clothes, it is very usual in this country to publicly demonstrate that you are in a relationship.
29. Another of the curiosities of South Korea is to what extent they carry their love for shopping. In this country you will find some of the largest shopping centers in the world and shops open at times you are not used to. They open until 4:00 AM.
30. According to the South Korean Information Agency, it is estimated that 14% of people between the ages of 9 and 12 are already addicted to the Internet.
31. South Korean houses have heated floors through pipes called "ondol" (hot stone). That's why many South Koreans sit on the floor to eat, sleep, watch TV ... It's very warm!
32. South Koreans who decide not to marry are called "Big Baby" or "Big Baby".
33. In South Korea, more than 90% of seaweed consumed in the world is consumed.
34. South Korea, despite its rather small size, is one of the largest economies in the world.
35. On Jeju Island there is a tradition of more than 1500 years, according to which women, called haenyeo (women of the sea) go diving to get sea urchins, octopus and sea urchins. The husbands wait in houses and the knowledge of these women of the sea is passed only from mothers to daughters.
36. When a baby is born, a rope is placed at the door with chilies or pine needles tied to scare away evil spirits. This protection is maintained for 3 weeks.
37. There are many South Koreans living in the USA. UU A little over two million.
38. Another of the curiosities of South Korea is that the women of this country are incredible golf players. Of the 100 best in the world, 38 are South Korean.
39. South Korea has not seen an Amur tiger for a long time, but in Korean mythology powers such as protecting people and keeping evil forces at bay are attributed to him.
40. 1/3 of South Koreans are Christians, so they celebrate Christmas. Curiously, his Santa Claus or Santa Claus is called "Santa Kulloso", which means "Santa's grandfather" and he is dressed in blue and not in red.
41. As in China, in South Korean weddings the presence of red is common to give luck.
42. As in other Asian countries, in Seoul they have professional "pushers" for the peak hours in the metro. The idea is that they get the maximum number of people in the wagons.
43. South Korea has over 3000 islands. The biggest of them all is Jeju.
44. Public transport works very well in South Korea. The average delay of the meter is a few seconds.
45. The South Koreans are not very religious. 46% of them declare themselves non-religious.
46. The Rose of Syria is the national flower of South Korea.
47. In South Korea the custom is to take off one's shoes when entering a house or restaurant.
48. Up to 19 you can not drink, smoke or vote in this country.
49. Until 2015, adultery was considered a crime in South Korea. As of that year, something was considered legal , in what the State should not intervene.
50. Another of the curiosities of South Korea is that they celebrate a Valentine's Day on March 14 for women, called White Day and the typical Valentine, in which men receive gifts.
Other Curiosities of Asia | By Countries
Have you enjoyed exploring this curious data from South Korea? If you are fascinated by Asian countries, you can not miss the following curiosities of Asia in general, distributed by countries. Surely they surprise you as much as the previous ones! Discover them!
- Curiosities of the Philippines
- Curiosities of Georgia
- Curiosities of Jordan
- Curiosities of Turkey
- Curiosities of China
- Curiosities of Japan
- Curiosities of North Korea
- Curiosities of South Korea
- Curiosities of Mongolia
- Curiosities of Russia
- Curiosities of Thailand
- Curiosities of India
- Curiosities of Nepal
Have you been interested in knowing this information about South Korea? If you want to know more curiosities of South Korea , we recommend you: " 10 curiosities about South Korea's military service | Many try to avoid it " In case you know more surprising facts about this country, do not hesitate to leave us a comment. We will be happy to read you and, perhaps, expand this list of curiosities with your contribution! Write us!
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