South Korea is a small half-island located between China and Japan. South Korea gained independence in World War II in 1945, Korea was divided into two sovereign states with different political ideologies. This ended Japan’s 35 year rule of Korea. The Republic of Korea to the south and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to the north Korea. One explanation is that people think it’s because the baby is in the mother’s womb for 9 months, which is about 1 year. Therefore in South Korea, the baby is 1 year old when born.
The most famous word to speak in south Korea (우리나라 ) ori-nara, and also funniest word ( 빨리빨리 ) pali-pali
Religious freedom
South Korea supports religious freedom, Confucianism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam are the main formal religions. According to a 1995 social statistics survey, 50.7% of Koreans follow a specific religious faith.
Major/Secular Celebrations
There are two main national holidays, Chuseok (the eighth full moon), New Year’s Day (second full moon after winter solstice), Celebrations for these festivals are based around ancestors descendants, family, games, harvest festivals and food. Most celebrations and festivals are related to harvest and family.
Food of verity
South Korean is based on rice, vegetables and meat, ( 김치) ‘Kimchi’ is the national dish and is eaten with most meals. Kimchi is made from a variety of vegetables and can be stored for long periods of time. These food used in ceremonies, especially at weddings, and to honor ancestor, the famous Korean dishes include bibimbap (비빔밥) , bulgogi(불고기 ) and dakghalbi(닥 갈비)
Family importin’s
Family is the most important part of Korean society .The family unit is an integral part of customs and life in South Korea, the father is the leader of the family and eldest son support extra responsibility to his family and it is supposed that he will care for his parents in their old age. They also believe in a hierarchical structure and children help their parents and show some respect to the elders. Arranged marriages are common.
Interesting facts
1-Punctuality! 2-Koreans will shake hand with westerner men and women. Sometimes they might bow first, but nowadays they just give a handshake. 3-Korean women do not always shake hands and may slightly nod instead of a full bow. 4–When you leave the meeting, greet everyone with a bow and individually from senior to junior and finally to senior again. 5–You must receive it with both hands. Additionally, do not forget that you are expected to prepare a gift for them from the country that you are coming from. It more like a souvenir so you can make a final good impression. 6-The main themes of Korean television dramas are friendship, family values, and love, blending traditional values of Confucianism with Western materialism and individualism. 7-South Korea boasts a well-developed high-speed railway system, One of the most popular rail routes is the one from Seoul to Busan. The most popular fast trains are called KTX and KTX Suncheon.
