Interesting facts about South Korea. Interesting facts about Korea Several facts from the history of the Korean people
But even far beyond its borders there are those who are in love with Korean cuisine, music, films, and TV shows. In 2013 Boston Consulting Group appropriated South Korea title of the most innovative country in the world. This is quite good, considering that South Korea has existed as a state since 1948. And this country is full of interesting customs and facts.
Well, are you ready to test how much you know about Korea?
1. Seoul - capital South Korea. The city's population is about 10.5 million people. According to this indicator Seoul is on the 9th place in the ranking of the most populated cities in the world. (Read )2. Most visited museum Seoul is the Trick Eye Museum. And the Bampo Bridge is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest fountain bridge in the world (more details).
4. North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950 with the goal of creating a unified communist state. The UN intervened in the course of the war, as a result of which hostilities were stopped in 1953. Today there are no official ties between the countries, and the border between them is one of the most dangerous and militarized areas in the world. Technically, both states are at war.
6. The country is among the TOP 5 largest car manufacturers in the world. The most popular brands are Hyundai and Kia. South Korea is the world's largest shipbuilder. About the company's factories Hyundai read .
7. This eastern state has the most modern and sophisticated IT infrastructure in the world. Also Korea can boast of the world's leading brands in the field of information technology. The most famous companies are Samsung and LG. IN Korea the fastest internet in the world, but cellular communications are quite expensive.
8. Almost all Koreans use Internet Explorer. It seems that they don’t even know about other browsers and, moreover, most don’t even know what a browser is. Korean sites, accordingly, are made only for Explorer, Korean sites may not work correctly in any other browser. Many Koreans, in order to open Google, first open naver.com (Korean search engine), type in " Google" in Korean and then click on the link.
10. Baseball is the most popular sport in South Korea. Everyone plays it, from young to old; almost everyone has a baseball bat. Baseball games, especially big ones, are always sold out. In second place in popularity is golf. It is played by middle-aged men. And when they reach old age, Koreans go to the mountains.
11. Coffee shops can be found at every step, because Koreans are great coffee lovers. And also, there are a lot of themed cafes (,).
13. South Korea- the most drinking country in the world. When drinking in Korean company, you need to follow many rules. For example, if the elder pours a drink, then the younger must hold the glass with both hands. If the younger one pours for the older one, then the bottle should also be held with both hands.
15. Koreans love to take pictures. They were the ones who came up with the idea of cramming a camera into the front part of mobile phones, and in general it is believed that the fashion for selfies came precisely from South Korea.
17. Dentist services are very expensive, so all Koreans carefully monitor their dental hygiene. They brush their teeth after every meal and coffee, often carry a toothbrush with them in their bag, and in some establishments you can find free brushes right in the toilet.
More interesting details about South Korea you can find it in the section. ,
Korea is a completely different world. And when we say this, we are not exaggerating - these 10 shocking facts about Korea and Koreans will change your idea of normality!
Their children are born at 1 year
In Korea, the counting of years at birth traditionally starts at one year. Therefore, if a Korean tells you that he is 25 years old, you need to subtract one year and you will get the real number of years. In addition, it is customary to calculate age not by birthday, but by the change of year - for example, a child born in December will already be a year older in January. And one more caveat: the countdown begins not from the birthday, but three months after it. Thus, the child spends the first nine months in the womb, and after another three months he is already a year old.
They don't write in red ink
Under no circumstances should you write the name of your Korean friend in red ink, as he will think that you wish him dead. A signature in red ink can easily ruin any gift, even a very valuable one.
They work 55 hours a week
In terms of working hours, Koreans are second only to the Japanese. It is common practice here to work 14 hours a day. Corporate traditions are such that the company where an employee works is considered his family, and many literally live at work. Very often, men come to a real family only to spend the night.
On February 14, girls give gifts to guys
Valentine's Day is called Red Day in South Korea, and only men are given gifts on this day. Girls are waiting for White Day, which is celebrated on March 14th. In addition, Koreans have not forgotten about bachelors - for them there is a Black Day, which is celebrated on April 14. On this day, the latter please themselves by dining alone on traditional Black Day noodles with black sauce.
They teach their children communication
In Korea, traditionally, the oldest person receives the most respect in society. It is customary to listen and follow the example of elders. Therefore, a mother may prohibit her 30-year-old son from dating a girl, for example, because she is of a different nationality. And often parents make dates for their children, who, due to a busy school schedule, lose all communication skills with the opposite sex.
Korean men doing makeup
If in Europe they have already stopped looking askance at men leaving a spa or nail salon, then in Korea a man with light makeup is a common sight. What exactly is this? Koreans pay attention to their appearance - so much so that many men resort to cosmetics. Both famous personalities and ordinary citizens do makeup, trying to please their boss or impress them at an interview.
They are installing heated toilets
In business centers, cafes, restaurants, hospitals and clinics you can find modern toilets, the seats of which will warm you during the entire time you are in the restroom. Often, due to the large number of people who want to sit in the toilet and because of the large number of people who do not want to get up from a warm seat, real queues arise. There is evidence that in some places they even organize an electronic queue for the toilet.
They eat dog meat
Strictly speaking, this is not news. The tradition is still alive, but modern Koreans are increasingly abandoning this habit in favor of more cosmopolitan food. In addition, for Koreans, eating a pet is as wild as eating dogs in the eyes of a European. Only meat of a certain breed is eaten. So now you know that dogs are not only eaten in China.
They are afraid of the number 4
This number is considered unlucky, even if you use it in combination with others. Therefore, many hotels and business centers exclude the numbering of the fourth floor from the elevator panel, as well as 14, 24, 34, 42, etc. Often the fourth floor is replaced by floor 3A. They try not to mention the number 4 during family holidays or when one of the relatives is sick; it is difficult to find in phone numbers and on business cards; the value of real estate can fall by several tens of thousands of dollars just because there is a 4 in the address.
They don't sleep under a fan
In Korea, there is a belief that a fan running above a bed can lead to the death of a sleeping person, and there are supposedly even reports of 20 such cases. One way or another, the Consumer Protection Society has issued a warning that sleeping with a fan on is dangerous to life. If we analyze the situation logically, the ban does not seem meaningless, since a fan, unlike an air conditioner, does not affect air quality in any way. Meanwhile, summer in Korea is hot and humid, so it is quite uncomfortable for cores to be with the windows closed.
South Korea is a state covered in high-rise buildings and narrow-eyed residents. Well, this is it, briefly, without going into details at all.
How Koreans live, how they work and relax - about all this, read on for interesting facts about Korea
Korea is considered one of the safest countries in the world. In any case, you can safely walk alone at night and not be afraid that some parasite will complain about you or your property.
Baseball and golf are the most popular games in Korea. And those whose age no longer allows them to run with a stick - welcome to the mountains. Hiking in the mountains can rightfully be considered the third type of “game”.
Residents of Korea are not only narrow-eyed, they are also in the majority and wear glasses. By the way, absolutely regardless of age. Well, they're not born that way, are they? Although, perhaps they have an altered gene responsible for vision.
The dentist is the most expensive doctor in Korea. Therefore, residents not only constantly chew gum, they also carry toothbrushes with them and can start tidying up their oral cavity in any toilet with a washbasin.
Koreans never rest. And the word “vacation” is generally absent as such in their everyday life.
Maximum - a few days "at your own expense." And then - either study or go to work, please.
Motels in Korea are like ants - at every turn. And all because guys do not have the right to invite a girl to their house.
For Koreans, food is sacred. No one here is interested in how someone is doing or who has been doing what all day. The first question is always "Have you eaten?" And if the answer is “no,” consider yourself to have committed a crazy sin.
Here are more interesting facts about Korea. Family freedom in the form of male infidelity is like “hello” here. Wives almost never work here, and young girls do not shy away from the geisha profession.
In Korean beer bars, you can't just walk in and order a glass of steamy hops. Beer snacks are a must here.
You will never believe what a park there is in Korea! This is not even a park, but an area “strewn” with male phalluses.
Korea is famous for its cult of small dogs. Porket dogs are everywhere here. And they are also necessarily painted in different colors, and in general they do full “dog fashion”.
The male half of the Korean population is very attracted to alcohol. And every representative knows a lot of games “for a feast”, the ultimate “goal” of which is to get drunk and forget.
Korean people are very kind and polite to everyone. Both to tourists and to “our own people”. They, just like us, love to visit coffee corners and treat themselves to good coffee.
But, unlike us, they do this several times more often, after almost every meal. For now, we are clearly inferior to them in this.
South Korea is one of the most interesting countries in the world. Asia is fascinated by Korean food, music and TV programs. Its influence rivals that of China and Japan. And the Boston Consulting Group even called this country the most innovative in the world. Not bad for a state founded only in 1948! “The Land of Morning Freshness” is just gaining momentum and is full of curious customs and interesting facts.
Alcohol
Drinking is an important part of the culture of South Korean society. There are some serious rules here. If your elder pours you a beer, you should hold the glass with both hands. If you're pouring for an older person, hold the bottle with both hands. Only elderly people or those in power can use one hand. In addition, you should always wait until your elder starts drinking.
Even if you don't drink, you should take the first serving offered. Always leave some alcohol in the glass and never add your own.
Red ink
Every society has its own strange superstitions. Koreans can't stand red ink. It is believed that if you write someone's name with a red pen, the person will soon get into serious trouble. He might even die. Some people believe that red ink wards off demons and protects the dead, but with living people the opposite works.
Proper Handshake
Not long ago, Bill Gates excited the South Korean media at a meeting with President Park Geun-hye. His action was considered inappropriate and even an indecent gesture. What did the billionaire do? When Gates extended his right hand to the president for a handshake, he left his left in his pants pocket. In South Korea, one hand can be used to shake hands with a friend, peer, or someone younger than you. But a senior person or authority figure should always shake hands with both hands.
South Korean education
South Korean students are extraordinarily bright and intelligent, ranking second in the world in terms of their level of erudition. It's all about special private educational institutions. Children attend these academies from an early age to study subjects ranging from maths and science to taekwondo, ballet and belly dancing. The best teachers attract huge numbers of students, and some teachers become so popular that they earn several million dollars a year. It should be noted that Korean parents shell out $17 billion a year to educate their children in such academies.
There is also another side to the education coin in South Korea. Students who do not perform well on the main CSAT test cannot be accepted into prestigious colleges; their dreams are limited to the most unsuccessful educational institutions. This system has led to the fact that the state has a very high rate of student suicides.
Korean-Japanese rivalry
In the past, Japan had a "bad habit" of invading the Korean Peninsula. In 1910, the Japanese conquered Korea and ruled the country very harshly, forcing Koreans to practice Shinto and speak Japanese. During World War II, the Japanese military forced nearly 200,000 Korean women to work in brothels throughout China.
According to a 2012 poll about the countries Koreans despise the most, Japan led the rankings by a landslide, with a whopping 44.1% of the votes.
Skirt controversy
Even though South Korea is very conservative, miniskirts and micro shorts are almost always in fashion here. Such clothing is considered the norm even for business women. But it was not always so. From 1963 to 1979, dictator Park Chung-hee ruled here, under whose regime it was considered illegal to wear skirts that ended 20 cm above the knee (or even higher). The regime was so strict that even the length of women's hair was determined by law.
"Toilet" - theme parks
There are plenty of weird theme parks around the world, but South Korea is home to some of the weirdest ones. It's home to the world's first toilet-themed amusement park, which opened in 2012 in honor of beloved ex-mayor Shim Jae-duk, nicknamed "Mr. Toilet." He was obsessed with toilets, and his goal was to provide hygienic toilets to humanity and teach the world how to maintain them.
Plastic surgery
According to a 2009 survey, one in five women in South Korea has undergone plastic surgery. Here this is considered an absolutely normal phenomenon, and many schoolgirls are even given plastic surgery as a gift by their parents at graduation.
Bullfight
There are no bullfights, matadors or red capes in South Korea. Bullfighting is simply bull against bull. Farmers select animals with large horns, thick necks and stocky torsos. Fighting bulls undergo special training programs and are fed special diets consisting of fish, live octopus and snakes.
Terminator jellyfish
The world's oceans have been invaded by hordes of jellyfish, and a team of scientists must develop robots that can fight the deadly creatures. Sounds like a sci-fi movie? But that's not true! This is happening off the coast of South Korea and very soon could become a problem for the entire planet. The number of jellyfish around the world is increasing and this is causing a number of problems, disrupting commercial fishing and also forcing tourists to stay away from beaches. In this regard, scientists from the Korean Institute of Advanced Science and Technology have teamed up to fight the jelly-like horde. They invented special robots JEROS (Jellyfish Elimination Robotic Swarm), which hunt and destroy any “jelly” that gets in their way.
Introduce your friends to South Korea and share this post with them!
South Korea is one of the most interesting countries in the world. Asia is in love with Korean food, music and TV shows. Korea's influence on the region is comparable to that of China and Japan. In 2013, Boston Consulting Group named South Korea the most innovative country in the world.
This is not bad at all, considering the fact that South Korea has existed as a state since 1948. And this country is full of curious customs and interesting facts.
✰ ✰ ✰
Every person wants to be beautiful, South Koreans are no exception. According to a survey conducted in 2009, every fifth South Korean girl had plastic surgery. IN South Korea Having plastic surgery is quite common and, unlike in the Western world, getting plastic surgery is not considered something shameful.
Among the most popular plastic surgeries are facial surgeries. The ideal beauty of a South Korean woman is a face with a small, neat nose, a V-shaped chin and large eyes.
It is quite common for schoolgirls to undergo facial plastic surgery immediately after graduating from school. This usually comes in the form of parents rewarding their daughter for doing well in school. Even Miss South Korea 2012 does not hide the fact that she had plastic surgery.
Half of the women who undergo facial plastic surgery lose control over their facial expressions; they are simply paralyzed. Therefore, recently it has become fashionable to have surgery to change the corners of the mouth so that the face should now always appear smiling. Thus, a huge number of women in South Korea spreads out into constant smiles.
Often men also go under the knife. They say that appearance partly influences their career advancement. Men are very hardworking, so a professional career often comes first for them. Plus, they also don’t mind showing off their appearance. Among other things, South Korean men wear makeup quite often and this is considered normal.
✰ ✰ ✰
2. Theme amusement park. Toilets.
There are many different theme parks in the world, but South Korea and here I was able to surprise everyone. Proud Suwon is home to electronics giant Samsung, but that's not what the city is famous for. It is in Suwon that there is a toilet amusement park.
It was opened in honor of the former mayor of the city Shim Jae Duk, who seemed to be obsessed with toilets. He was even nicknamed Mister Toilet. He had a goal to provide people with hygienic toilets and take toilet maintenance to the next level. He founded the World Toilet Organization.
In 2007, with the light hand of the mayor, a building in the shape of a toilet was built, which after his death became a museum of toilets. And later this museum “expanded” into a theme amusement park. This park has everything related to toilets, from ancient potties and urinals to sculptures of people peeing and pooping. Entrance to the toilet park is free.