Essay on South Korean Culture

South Koreans cultural dimensions differ largely from the US. According to Hofstede’s models South Koreans cultural dimensions are uncertainty avoidance, collectivist, and long term orientation. The US dimensions include individualism, masculinity, and they have low rankings in uncertainty avoidance, long term orientation and power distance (Hofstede 2009). These differences mean that negotiation factors, communication, leadership techniques and issues such as time must be dealt with differently in these cultures. It shows that greater planning and understanding needs to take place in order to successfully penetrate different regions as they have vastly different values, needs and

Students in South Korea take their education very seriously. Eric described their school system as a “pressure cooker”. “rigor mattered, koreans understood that mastering difficult academic content was important. They didn’t take shortcuts.”(pg.116) These students have to compete with each other in order to get accepted into the most prestigious colleges. Not only do students attend school from seven in the morning to three in the afternoon, they also have to attend hagwons which are private tutors after school. They study at least twelve hours a day to make sure they get the best grades.

In South Korea, the Korean language is the most frequently used language and the Koreans use Hangul as the main writing system. Quoted from kwintessential.co.uk, “The Korean language is spoken by more than 65 million people living on the peninsula and its outlying islands as well as 5.5 million Koreans living in other parts of the world.  The fact that all Koreans speak and write the same language has been a crucial factor in their strong national identity.” In the present time, Korea boasts many dialects, including the standard dialect used in Seoul and central areas. Even

Thesis Statement: Though South Korea may be a small country, the style of cuisine, community culture, and generosity are just a few uniquenesses that outshine its stature.

South Korea and the United States have different ideas on a lot of things. Looking into South Korea’s way of life puts a different perspective on how someone across the world lives their life a little differently than me, even though they could be in the same financial state. My research will look at the comparison of their family and social life, Government, Religion, education, economy and health care,and how it differs from the U.S. The U.S. Population is 318.9 million and South Korea’s 50.22 million. The life expectancy in South Korea is 81.37 years old, and The US doesn’t differ much with it being 78.74 years old. There is a lot less free time in South Korea with people working an average of 2071 hours and here an average of 1788 hours. The unemployment rate there is also a lot smaller than here with there being all kinds of jobs for any level of work experience. South Korea has gone through a great economic rise in the last 50 years going from one of the poorest countries to the fifteenth largest economies.

The six important factors to consider about South Korea’s culture is their values, norms, religion, education, social mobility, and American influences. South Korea was built up by many core values, however the most important being Confucianism. Confucianism was founded over 2000 years ago in the fifth century BC and was the official ethical system of China (Hill, Rihcardson, & McKaig, 2009). The value of Confucianism was profound in the Korean culture and it still continues to pervade amongst South Korean’s consciousness today. Confucianism shapes the Korean moral system, national laws, and business culture by placing an obligation towards

Culture is the set of shared attitudes, beliefs, values, goals and practices that characterizes a group. (ALHT 109-105 Cultural Diversity PowerPoint) The purpose of this paper is to provide information about the Korean family structure, religious beliefs, personal space and health care beliefs. Korean’s family structure is well oriented. Traditionally, children become indebted to their parents once born. Many beliefs lie behind filial duty; meaning you treat your parents with respect and see your father as the decision maker. Since the Korean war, people have drifted from filial piety to becoming more nuclear. Children are raised to be more dependent. Both parents play roles in discipline. Most Korean parents are dedicated to their children’s

South Korea in the 1960s was a time of political turmoil as the nation has just experienced perhaps its most significant historical event: The Korean War. The two Koreas, South and North Korea, were already separated before the conflict but the war created new social and ideological hostilities in the minds of the nations and its people. The Korean War was an important transition point in terms of defining the national identity of individuals experiencing the event. According to Kelly Jeong, given Korea’s strong history of patriarchal social order, the state, both South and North, believes “nation as a collective, universally male subject” (129). When defining Korea’s national identity as a largely masculine one, then it could be said that

The story beginnings in the midst of the 1960’s, post Korean War. During this era South Korean was going through many, dramatic changes: socially, economically, and politically. Society was becoming for advantaged and

Secondly, drinking culture in Korea is different from others. Unlike other countries, drinking in Korea affects a lot. In Japan or China, people drink as far as their drinking capacity allows. But in Korea, people drink beyond their drinking capacity. Some can say that Koreans can't live without alcohol. Drinking in Korea is the gateway to the better life in society.

Understanding how North Korea as a country defines itself in a changing world. Where do they derive their customs and practices, political standings and military power? Define North Korea’s history leading into the modern age and define its culture and characteristics and how they interact with the world today. Understanding a subject as broad as the term culture begins where the culture began with the birth of civilization and the people that influenced it. There are many factors that play a role in the shaping of a nation none so much as turmoil and conflict and the Korean peninsula saw its fair share for the better part of a millennia. A complete statistical breakdown of North Korea shows a struggling nation that strongly depends on

South Korea loves sport, sport is not only a popular physical activity but is a significant social practice. Sport operates as an important cultural resource and produces and disseminates nationalism. Indeed, in recent years, south korea has shown competence in hosting, playing, and managing sport. South Korean athletes have created notable results at major international sport events. For example, since 1984, the national Summer Olympic team has unfailingly been ranked in the top 10 nations on the medal table, with the only exception being the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. The country has also produced a number of major world sporting events, including hosting

Although China’s influence over Korea has waned severely since the dynastic years we find the Confucian system of virtues and behaviors, China’s chief export from that time, still very much alive. Korea highly values the extended family, education, personal discipline and public order. In South Korea Confucian temples continue to be maintained throughout the country. The tenets of Confucianism are seen as antidotes to social ills and therefore education is thought of as a means of building character, not simply of intellectual formation. The values of Confucianism are promulgated throughout Korea in places as diverse as school, the office and the home. Television programs often portray Confucian merits such as filial piety and harmony. However

Parent’s role in South Korea is taking care of their children until they get married. Children usually live with their parents until they are married, even if they are full grown adults. Parents are desperate attempt to give children an educational advantage, and grant them explore to a globalized worldview (in contrast with Korea's strictly homogenous culture and community), children are often sent to boarding schools abroad usually to the U.S., Canada and Australia, and family members strangely separated for many years.

My return to Korea in the summer of 2001 was nothing short of a culture shock. I was in a country I thought I had learned by heart. It was the country I always rooted my identity and pride from. I wasn’t ready for the shock. I