What are some mind blowing facts about South Korea?
February 20, 2017
I'm there as an exchange student in Seoul National University and these are a few facts:
- South Koreans line up to get on the subway.
- There are 18 seats reserved for elder people and pregnant woman per subway wagon
- South Korea has been at war since 1950 (more than 60 years!) and all males spend at least two years in military service (three if you're serving as an officer) before their thirties
- Koreans eat with chopsticks... AND a spoon! I think it's the only country in Asia where the spoon is really part of the official cutlery
- Kai Peter Chang already talked about Starcraft, so I'll give another fact about video games: at any time of day and night, you can turn on your TV and watch live, commentated video game matches (especially Starcraft II and League of Legends)
- Koreans have two counting systems: one coming from Chinese characters and another one, from their own Hangeul alphabet. You use Chinese numbers for money and the Hangeul to ask for 5 bananas at a shop. As Michael Han specified in the comments, it is the same in Japan and it is due to a difference of reading and not to a difference of characters (one character can be read differently)
- Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, was invented during the Joseon Era (~1443) under the orders of King Sejong who wanted to increase the literacy of his people. It is considered to be one of the most scientific alphabets of the world (for more details, please see Wikipedia - it is really interesting!) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hangul
- Like in many other East Asian countries, Koreans count the first year of life has been year 1. That means that when you reach your first birthday, you become 2, etc. If this is not clear, please see this article - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eas...
- You can find tomatoes in fruit salads
- There are PC Bangs at virtually every street corner (literally "PC room", you can access a computer for 1,000 Won per hour - 0.75€ - and play any game you want)
- You can order a Bulgogi (Korean barbecue) Burger at McDonald's and... have it delivered straight to your home
- White is sexy. Tanned isn't. Women wear white makeup on their faces That's all that comes to mind right now, I'll complete as I think about it =)
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