Based on my earlier posts, Koreans still stand strong on their beliefs especially Confucianism. Instead of being influence, globalise and diluted by other cultures, the Korean culture has always been accommodated for. The Koreans stand firm in terms of protecting their culture and deem those that go against it as rude and disrespectful. Such as the men still has greater power over women, this can never be found in the Western culture where both genders have equal stands.
The traditional Korean culture is still being pass down from generation to generation although some of the younger ones are unwilling to learn. They are unwilling to learn as they think that it is tedious and unnecessary.
Some signs of the Koreans being influenced by the Western culture is the way they dress. In the past, women should not flash too much fresh in public. However, Korean women now just follow the latest fashion and threw away this belief. They become more open and daring in terms of dressing.
1) Better Infrastructure
In order to attract huge amount of tourists into the country, Korea will have to build better and more infrastucture such as hotels and attractions to accommodate them. One such new hotel is New Chonji Hotel in Seoul the capital of Korea.
2) Employment
With more infrastructure being built up, more jobs will arise. This is because contractors have to be hired to build the buildings, services providers such as F&B managers, drivers have to be employed in order to start operations. With more people being employed, the standard of living in the country becomes better as they have more disposable income to spare.
Environmental Impact
1) More waste
This arises when more buildings are built as they use up resources and most of the time these resources are not recyclable. The Korean government will then have to spend more money and think of ways to remove this waste. Furthermore, building of infrastructures will bring about noise and air pollution that might affect the health of the Koreans.
Social Impact
1) Overcrowding
When there is an increasing amount of visitors coming into Korea and there is no change in the amount of space, it leads to overcrowding as it is shared among more people now. This can lead to annoyance or antagonism according to the Doxey's irridex. This is because the influx of foreigners will definitely change the ambience and the feel of Korea. For example, every where you go you see foreigners, it does not feel like it is Korea anymore. Furthermore, for example during public holidays, its a rare chance to go to historic sites but it is crowded with foreigners and making the experience an unpleasant one. This is change the way Koreans feel about their country and may lose pride in their identities.
Lotte World
Lotte World is a theme park in Seoul that provides all kinds of entertainment including rides, an ice rink, museum, a lake etc. It attracts over six million visitors a year and out of which, ten percent are foreigners. They operates all year round regardless of the weather as they have indoor facilities.
Kingdom Plaza
Lotte World has two different themes- Adventure and Magic. Attractions in the adventure theme are all indoors. Some of the attractions are "The Adventures of Sindbad", "Frog Hopper", "Crazy Bumper Car", "The 4-D Theater" and "The Royal Puppet Theater". In Lotte World Adventure, there are also many theme restaurants that serve many different countries' cuisines such as La Paloma, an authentic Mexican restaurants, Shanghai, an express Chinese restaurant. There is also a character shop called San Jose Emporium that sells the latest Lotte World merchandises. Lotte World Adventure also provides bizarre toys shop such as Kingdom Plaza on level four.
Lotte World Magic is the outdoor theme park that has rides such as "Atlantic Adventure", "Gyro Drop" and "Fantasy Dream". At Lotte World Magic, the only restaurant there
serve traditional Korean cuisine. Similarly, they also sell merchandises at their character shops.
Folk Museum
Lotte World also does their very own parade that features their theme park main characters.
Folk Museum is a culture and tradition exhibition of Korea history worth 5000 years. Usually all this rich historic sites can only be found in rural areas of Korea. Therefore to make it more accessible to visitors, they replicate a similar site into the Folk Museum. The Folk Museum also stage performances such as Korea traditional music and dance and a market street with traditional Korean foods. This is done so that visitors get to experience the traditional culture first hand.
Disneyfication
1) Theming
Unlike other parks, Lotte World was created with a theme. Lotte World was developed as a recreational park for families and couples to have fun in the world of fantasy and magic. It is well done as all the shops, entertainment and rides integrates to revolve around this theme. The rides in both Lotte World Adventure and Magic World were suitable for kids even though some set requirements.
2) Dedifferentiation of consumption
As listed above, Lotte World does not solely generate revenue by operating rides. They maximise their profits through selling merchandises and renting places to themed restaurants.
3) Rise of new dimension of merchandising
Disney creates many characters such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Winnie the Pooh and sell their rights to company that wants to make merchandises out of it. They also promote these characters via television programs such as Disney channel to create more awareness about them, increasing their fame so that they become more valuable. Lotte World's two main characters are Lotty and Lorry and they are not as famous as the characters that belongs to Disney. Lotte World in the other hand mainly uses them as mascots for the theme park and on some merchandises sold within the premises of Lotte World.
4) Emotional Labour
In both Disney and Lotte World, the staffs employed to a certain degree has to "act" in order to support the theme and the atmosphere of the theme park. I feel that this act is essential to hype up the visitors and to make them feel that they are enjoying themselves. Humans are easily influence, if the staff is unhappy that day and he or she is serving a guests, the guest will most likely leave the park feeling disappointed unless the staff employed is highly professional. When visitors enjoyed themselves at the park, they will most likely return and thus the park will enjoy repeat visitors pattern.
1) Hi Seoul Festival
Hi Seoul Festival is a cultural festival held four times a year in the capital of Korea, Seoul ever since 2003. This year the slogan for the festival is "Gesture of Seoul and Gesture of the World". Therefore, the performances which are nonverbal were planned revolving around the theme. There will be more than 400 performances staged by 70 groups from 13 different countries. Some of the performances showcased are puppet shows, pantomime and circus.
2) Sol-nal (Korean New Year)
Just like the Chinese, Korea has their own new year other than the one that falls on 1 January every year. This year the Korean New Year falls on 5 February which is also the first day of spring. It is the Korean's tradition to return to their homes to celebrate this day with their families to participate in the rituals and festivities.
On New Year day, every family member will wear the hanbok, a traditional Korean's outfit. Before the Koreans have their breakfast, they have to honour the past four generations of ancestors with food and drinks offered on a ritual table called a charye sang. The Koreans arranged the food according to the colour and in order that would be eaten in a meal.
The Koreans will burn the incense and bow before the ancestors according to the family status. The eldest male will start first by making two deep bows and then a third mild bow while offering food and drinks to the ancestors.
After paying respects to the ancestors, the Koreans will then pay their respects to the elders in the family. They will start from the grandparents then the parents then the uncles and aunts. Similar to the Chinese, the elders will give the youngsters something in return. For example, food, money or drink. After all these traditions are done, the Koreans will sit down to have their breakfast.
The school system in Korea is somewhat similar to our education system here in Singapore. Their education system starts from compulsory elementary school for six years from age 6 to 11, middle school which is the same as lower secondary education for three years from age 12 to 14 and high school which is higher secondary education for three years from age 15 to 17. After high school, students can choose if they want to further their studies or to stop education.
High schools in Korea are very different from Singapore. They are divided into two categories- general and vocational. Air and correspondence is taught in the general high school whereas agricultural, commercial, fishery and technical high schools are taught in vocational high schools. There are only a few high schools that provide both general and vocational education. It is actually similar to polytechnics and ITEs in Singapore where it branches out to many fields.
Based on my research, about 70 million people around the globe speak Korean! The korean language is pretty similar to Japanese in terms of the structure, grammar and vocabulary. Like other countries, Korea has many dialects as well. The most standard form of Korean spoken can be found in Seoul. Dialects spoken in Korean are understandable except for one which is the old Cheju dialect.
Han'gul Alphabets
The Koreans hold their language in high regards just like the French. Not only that, they also value their alphabet, han'gul which was invented in the mid-fifteenth century. Before the han'gul was invented, the Koreans did not have characters of their own. The Korea's aristocratic society used Chinese characters while the Korean government used this writing system called idu which is a transcript system of Korean words invented by Silla scholars using Chinese characters. This Chinese system was deem tedious at that time and it was difficult to translate spoken Korean into Chinese characters. Therefore, this leads to high illiteracy in Korea.
King Sejong (1397- 1450) the fourth ruler of the Choson Dynasty was troubled with the high illiteracy problem and demanded his scholars to create their very own phonetic writing system that resemble the spoken Korean. This was when han'gul was created and the Koreans were so proud of it that they celebrate Han'gul Day on 9 October at King Sejong's tomb.
Kimchi It is not called a Korean meal without having Kimchi on the table. Kimchi is fermented cabbage marinated with red peppers, onions, garlic, raddish and other spices. Kimchi can be a vegetarian dish, it depends on how it is prepared. The kimchi preparing video featured below is non-vegetarian as raw oysters are added.
Kimchi provides a variety of tastes although it is known to be spicy. It is salty to preserve it, sour which is produced during fermentation, sweet because of the fish sauce and other flavours from the various vegetables used to marinate the cabbage. Although the kimchi looks soggy and soft, it is actually very crunchy and has a distinct flavour.
The best kimchi is produce after being fermented for 2 to 3 weeks at a temperature of 2-7 degrees celsius. Kimchi has the highest level of nutrients when it has a pH level of 4.3. In the past when there is no fridge or freezers, Koreans store their kimchi underground to maintain a constant temperature. Thus, kimchi was best eaten during winter when it is freezing cold.
Korean Tradition Alcohol
The Koreans believe that alcohol should not be drank to forget concerns and worries but to drink to build friendship and love. They believe that those who can control their drinking will prosper and those who cannot will lead a difficult life.
The Korean traditional rice wine is made up of rice, sticky rice and other grains mixed together. The taste of soju, Korea traditional rice wine, is sweet. It is a clear, transparent liquid that gives a neutal taste that made it good to have while eating snacks.
As mentioned previously in my Confucianism post, the Koreans were taught since young to respect their elders. They were also taught to respect the dead. They build shrines on sacred grounds in honour of the deceased and constantly maintain it as a form of respect. We usually picture graveyards as ghostly, dark and scary. However, the shrines in Korea are nicely decorated with beautiful trees and shrubs arranged in a pattern.
Marriage
When you asked a married couple in Korea how they met each other, try not to be surprise if your answer is it was arranged. Arranged marriages are still pretty common in Korea and this is mainly found in upper class society of Korea. This is because wealthy families would prefer their children to marry someone of the same status as social standing is very important in Korea. Not trying to say that Koreans are materialistic but they believe that wealth will bring a longer marriage and a blissful life. I only agree to this belief to a certain extend. I believe that money is not everything but is needed to give you something.
Such marriages are arranged by a middleman, usually a lady, who has a great social network. She will be look upon by a family who wants to marry off their kid and has to search on her network for the most suitable candidate. After the family is satisfied with the candidate suggested, the couple will date for a short period of time before they officially get married.
Korean Table Manners
1)Talking while eating
In Korean, talking while eating your meal is not rude but it uncommon. Traditional families eat their meals in silence because they believe that in this way, they are then able to appreciate the food and ambience. Therefore, if you find that the atmosphere while eating your meal is awkward, it is just you who is feeling it.
2) Paying the meal
In most culture, it is usually the oldest that would foot the bill; this applies to the Korean culture as well. However, if a group of students of the same age share an expensive meal, all of them might agree to share the bill. This is because none of them would like their friend to bear the burden for paying such an expensive meal.
3) Blowing your nose
Never ever blow your nose on the dinner table. If you really need to remove the fluid from your nose, please excuse yourself to the washroom. However, if you do not want to leave the table, use a small tissue, turn your head in shame and wipe your nose discretely. Throw the dirtied tissue away without notice.
4) Slurping
In Korea, slurping your noodles or drinking your soup loudly is not rude. Loud slurping of noodles and blowing sounds made to cool down hot noodles are normal eating sounds. They are not considered rude but it is not commonly practiced. However, sounds made from consumption of alcohol are quite common on the Korean table.
5)Table protocol
Koreans have to wait to be told where to be seated. The eldest are always served first. Everyone should not start eating until the oldest or the most senior person starts to eat.
6) Chopsticks
Never point your chopsticks at anything. If you want to point out anything, place your chopsticks down on the chopstick rest or the table first. This goes the same when you want to drink or stop eating to speak. However, remember not to cross your chopsticks when you place them down on the rest. Do not grab your food by piercing through it using your chopsticks. The right way to use your chopsticks is to clamp your food in between the sticks. When you are done with your meal, do not place the chopsticks parallel on the rice bowl. You should place them on the table or the chopstick rest.
7) Additional Information
Do not pick up any food with your bare hands even for fruits. Fruits should be speared with a toothpick. Unwanted bone fragments and shells should not be place in your rice bowls. It should be place on the table or on an extra place if there is. Try a bit of every dish on the table and it is fine to ask what the dish is. Always refuse the first offer of second helpings and finish everything on your place.
Non-Verbal Communication
1) Passing Objects
The Koreans uses only the right hand or both hands to pass objects to the elder or a senior. They believe that using the left hand is rude. Therefore, Korean parents who have kids who are left-handed will train them to use their right hand.
2) Body Contact
The Korea is still very much a conservative country as they still practices Confucianism thus both genders do not display a lot of body contacts in public. Therefore, when they greet, they avoid hugging, kissing or any prolonged form of body contact. For males, they usually greet with a slight bow and shaking of hands. For females, they do not shake hands especially if the person is a male; they just nod their heads slightly. Seniors will always initiate the handshake but the junior does the bow first. Unlike the Western culture where eye contact is important, the Koreans avoid making eye contacts. Making direct eye contact for a long time is considered rude and intimidating in Korean.
3) First Impression
The Koreans think that first impression is important and they judge people base on their bodies, appearances, words and writings. The first thing that they will look at is the eyes. They believe that people with glistening eyes are smart and confident. Eyes that angles downwards mean the person is patient and nice and thus eyes that angels upwards mean evil.
4) Starting Business
Koreans usually start businesses with their friends or with people that they have established trust and have the some common. When name cards are traded, they place them in front of them on the table as a form of respect.
5) Laughing in public
In Korean, it is rude to laugh or talk very loudly in public. Females usually cover their mouth when they laugh. The Koreans believe that only boorish people will talk out loud in public places.
Koreans still practice and believe strongly in Confucianism. Confucianism defines relationship among people with five codes.
The Five Ethical Codes:
1) Righteousness and justice between governors and the citizens
2) Distinction between husband and wife
3) Order between young and old
4) Closeness between parent and child
5) Trust between friend and friend
Just to summarize, the first four relationships voice down to status. In Korea, men will always have a higher status than women and the old will always be held in high regards.
