Teaching English in Korea
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Odd Foreigner Behavior
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Certain aspects of a foreigners behavior might seem strange, odd or even offensive to a Korean. So here's a list of taboo's to keep in mind and gently avoid.
Public Affection - Koreans frown upon romantic public affection and yet many foreigners seem clueless about this and carry on smooching in public as if they were back in their own countries. Keep it in until you get home or to a DVD Bang. Or better still, keep it in until your married in which case you'll have free license.
Chopstick in Rice - Foreigners sometimes stick their chopstick in the rice and leave it standing in an upright position. Traditionally, this means the rice is about to be 'served' to a family's dead ancestors during the Korean harvest festival of Chuseok. So it would be entirely inappropriate to do this during lunch.
Loud in Public - In Korea, people are usually quiet in public and on public transportation, although many young Koreans nowadays seem less concerned about this issue.
Body Odour - Koreans are easily turned off by body odour and take pride in cleanliness and neatness. During the hot and extremely humid summers this can especially be a problem, so take care.
Revealing dress - Dress codes in Western countries has become so slack due to cultural revolutions of the last few decades that we are surprised when modesty is expected. In Korea this modesty revolves around cleavage - which should never be shown. Koreans will wear the shortest pants imaginable, to show off their long and thin legs, but you'll never find any Korean woman, young or old, with a low neckline.
Blowing your nose when eating - Don't do it. Step outside or go to the bathroom.
Large Tattoos - Koreans are not big on tattoos and when you apply for a job at a government school one of the questions they will ask you is "Do you have any tattoos?" So if you have large tattoos on your arms or legs or anywhere where it's easily visible, it's a good idea to cover them, especially when at work or when working with children.
Vegetarianism - Vegetarians always have a hard time in Korea and very few restaurants will have vegetarian alternatives to their dishes. Many older Koreans will also not understand the concept. In general, Korean meals do not contain a lot of meat, but only a few selections contain no meat or seafood. Vegans will have an even harder time.
Direct language - In step with Asian evasiveness, Koreans are rarely aggressive with their speech and won't use direct language often. So try and calm your inner beast and do the same.
Disagreeing in Public - Disagreeing with someone in public is frowned upon, especially if it's someone older than yourself. Most of us are used to flinging our opinion around to anybody with ears and patience to listen, but in Korea, it's a good idea to keep your dissenting arguments to yourself. Especially in public.
For a list of Korean behavior that might seem odd to a foreigner, see this article.
For a brief look at some of the main differences between Korean and Western cultures, take this culture test.
Chopstick in Rice - Foreigners sometimes stick their chopstick in the rice and leave it standing in an upright position. Traditionally, this means the rice is about to be 'served' to a family's dead ancestors during the Korean harvest festival of Chuseok. So it would be entirely inappropriate to do this during lunch.
Loud in Public - In Korea, people are usually quiet in public and on public transportation, although many young Koreans nowadays seem less concerned about this issue.
Body Odour - Koreans are easily turned off by body odour and take pride in cleanliness and neatness. During the hot and extremely humid summers this can especially be a problem, so take care.
Revealing dress - Dress codes in Western countries has become so slack due to cultural revolutions of the last few decades that we are surprised when modesty is expected. In Korea this modesty revolves around cleavage - which should never be shown. Koreans will wear the shortest pants imaginable, to show off their long and thin legs, but you'll never find any Korean woman, young or old, with a low neckline.
Blowing your nose when eating - Don't do it. Step outside or go to the bathroom.
Large Tattoos - Koreans are not big on tattoos and when you apply for a job at a government school one of the questions they will ask you is "Do you have any tattoos?" So if you have large tattoos on your arms or legs or anywhere where it's easily visible, it's a good idea to cover them, especially when at work or when working with children.
Vegetarianism - Vegetarians always have a hard time in Korea and very few restaurants will have vegetarian alternatives to their dishes. Many older Koreans will also not understand the concept. In general, Korean meals do not contain a lot of meat, but only a few selections contain no meat or seafood. Vegans will have an even harder time.
Direct language - In step with Asian evasiveness, Koreans are rarely aggressive with their speech and won't use direct language often. So try and calm your inner beast and do the same.
Disagreeing in Public - Disagreeing with someone in public is frowned upon, especially if it's someone older than yourself. Most of us are used to flinging our opinion around to anybody with ears and patience to listen, but in Korea, it's a good idea to keep your dissenting arguments to yourself. Especially in public.
For a list of Korean behavior that might seem odd to a foreigner, see this article.
For a brief look at some of the main differences between Korean and Western cultures, take this culture test.
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