It doesn't matter how many Tripadvisor recommendations you read or Korean dramas you watch, understanding Korean culture is something quite bizarre for an outsider.
What a person from the West considers average, like a pair of socks, a Korean person might approach with great interest and attention. From matching fashion to skin whitening snail creams, here are three things Korea does differently.
Socks are King
In Korea, trends emerge like tidal waves sweeping and affecting an entire culture. From Korea's own hipster culture "Newtro" to KPop bands, whatever is hip and cool is sure to stick around for a while.
One of the latest trends, besides cute cell phone cases, is socks. Yes, socks! In Korea, there are all-sock-selling stores dedicated to peaking customer interest in little cats, polka-dots, and an assortment of cartoon characters like SpongeBob SquarePants and manga loved Doraemon.
For those of us an ocean away from Seoul, American based fashion company Ties has an assortment of adorable socks, as well as novelty ties, that would fit right in on the streets of Seoul. You can see their selection at Ties.com to grab a pair of those unique, one-of-a-kind patterns that will capture the attention of anyone that has the privilege of getting you out of your shoes.
Food Culture is Outlandish
In the West, slurping your noodles loudly could potentially land you in a fistfight. We were taught to chew in silence and anyone who didn't was breaking some kind of moral code.
Yet, in Korea, slurping noodles means they are delicious. The louder you are, the better.
Another different method of eating food involves using scissors to cut meat. Like chopsticks, they are convenient to use, give a clean cut of ribs or flank steak, and the hand-operated tool is safer than a knife.
Other different tastes include boiled pig feet, soy sauce dipped moving octopus tentacles, gelatinous acorn jelly, and penis fish. With a little bit of Soju to wash it all down, you might prefer Korean cuisine over the same boring hamburger with fries.
Obsession with Beauty Products
In the West, it is sexy to be sun-kissed. Tan lines are hot little details that accentuate shoulders. They whisper someone has been on the beach wearing as little clothes as possible. But in Korea, it is quite the opposite.
A lot of people will jump to conclusions and point fingers screaming "racism." But white isn't a sign of ethnic background, so much as it is a sign of class and youth. Korea is renowned for its skin whitening products and high Asian beauty standards. Plus, Korea is the cosmetic capital of plastic surgery in the world.
The desire for large eyes, v-shaped jawlines, small lips, white skin, and staying slender are driving a huge market that is projected to reach $2.8 billion by the end of this year. However, this desire for skin-deep appearances comes at a price.
In the past few years, there has been a backlash, called "Escape the Corset," to the stringent standards placed on the way women are supposed to look. Stories of 7-year-old girls planning to have their jaws broken to realign them are causing some people to protest by cutting their hair and tossing their make-up pallets in the trash.
Korea is One of the World's Biggest Trend Setters
With the country's contribution to developing technology, and Bae Gyeop tea making its way out to cool restaurants in San Francisco, Korea is no sitting duck when it comes to their influence in the world.
They inspire young people around the world to play computer games for a living, bring females into golf professionally, mix booze with business, and young people go out on blind dates, often a stark difference in how the West shrivels up in fear of rejection when it comes to love.
If you find yourself with a few extra dollars and a couple of weeks of free time, you should consider putting on a pair of those striped socks and making your way to Korea to see how different things are.
