South Korea is a fascinating country. The first time I traveled, I spent 3 days on a long layover before traveling to Japan. These three days were enough for me to fall in love with Seoul and want to visit the whole country, so this past spring I spent 3 weeks touring the whole country. Here is a complete guide to South Korea. In addition to many interesting places to visit, the country has many historical and curious facts. Here you have the 25 most interesting curiosities of South Korea.
CURIOSITIES ABOUT SOUTH KOREA THAT WILL SURPRISE YOU
1. What does the word Korea mean?
The word "Korea" means land of high mountains and crystal clear rivers.
2. South Korea is one of the largest economies in the world
South Korea has managed to overcome its past to become one of the world's leading economies. It ranks 11th globally and 4th in Asia. Considering their "fairly recent" past devastated by war and the poverty that the country experienced for many years after the war, it is amazing what a comeback they have made, becoming one of the most advanced countries, especially Seoul, his capital.
3. The most automated country, one of the best curiosities of South Korea
South Korea is the most automated country in the world. You can find all kinds of robots, the first ones you will find as soon as you arrive, at the airport. Robotic teachers, robotic traffic policemen, industrial factory workers, waiters… South Korea has the highest density of robots in the world. For every 10,000 employees there are 631 robots. This figure is eight times higher than the world average.
4. The meaning of the South Korean flag
The South Korean flag has a beautiful meaning. The white background represents peace and the circle refers to yin and yang. Yin (blue) stands for cold and darkness, while yang (red) stands for heat and light. Around the yin-yang there are 4 taeguks, one for each 4 elements: water, air, earth and fire.
5. K-Pop is the country's third largest export
K-Pop or chanting pop has achieved a lot of fame in recent years worldwide. Psy was the first to export this rhythm, with his famous worldwide hit Gangnam Style, as well as being one of the most viewed videos on YouTube. Since Psy, several boy and girl groups have become big stars to the rhythm of K-pop and it is already a music heard in every corner of the world. In Seoul, it is possible to attend festivals and concerts, the atmosphere is amazing. In general, all attendees are "disguised" and dance for hours to the rhythm of the music.
6. In South Korea there is a festival where they roll in mud
South Korea is the host of the Boryeong Mud Festival. It is held every year and is the main international festival in Korea. It receives more than a million attendees. There are several events and activities that take place during the festival, but all of them with mud.
7. South Korea is a producer of 90% of edible seaweed
90% of the world's edible seaweed production is grown in South Korea. There are an infinite number of varieties, among the most popular are Undaria and Pyropia.
8. Very low obesity rate
One of the most surprising curiosities of South Korea is that only 3% of the population is obese. The figure is extremely small if we compare it with other countries like the United States, where more than 60% is obese, or even European countries, where many are around 50%.
9. In South Korea they are very superstitious
In Asia, they are generally very superstitious. And in South Korea they are not far behind. They faithfully believe that the universe tells us what is right and what is wrong through many aspects of our lives. These beliefs are so strong that your daily activities may be conditioned by your superstitions. For example, some Koreans believe that if you touch a butterfly (or a moth) and then touch your eyes, you will lose your sight. You also can't write someone's name in red (since it's the color of death) and they aren't very fond of the number 4.
10. The number 4 is bad luck
One of her strongest superstitions is related to the number 4, as I was telling you. And the number 4 is bad luck. In the apartments, there is never the 4th floor, most of the time this floor is replaced by the letter F. The same happens with the building number, you will not find combinations with 4 either. Not even with the telephone numbers...
11. The traditional costume of South Korea
The typical South Korean costume is the hanbok. a delicate, colorful and elegant dress. It has two parts: the upper part (jeogori) is like a blouse, and the lower part (chima) is a fairly wide skirt. It also has a male version. In recent years, it has become very fashionable for tourists to rent the suit to tour the royal palaces of Seoul for photo shoots.
12. Blood defines your personality in South Korea
One of the curiosities of South Korea that attracts the most attention is that they believe that a person's blood type defines their personality. Even the blood type defines the compatibility between people. So if you meet a Korean man or woman, don't be surprised if one of their first questions is what blood group do you have.
13. The predominant religion in South Korea
The religion with the most adherents in South Korea is Christianity. Both Catholics and Protestants. 28% of the population is Christian. 15% is Buddhist, there are small Taoist groups, and a large part of the population is atheist.
14. Addicted to skin care and face masks
Korean facial routines have reached all parts of the world. Koreans are famous for their facial routine and for the number of masks they use. That's how perfect their skin is. There are face masks of all kinds, even entire malls that only sell skin care products. Korean women usually use 1 mask per day. In Spain you go to the supermarket or specialized store and the most normal thing is that the masks are sold by units, and the cost usually exceeds 2.50 euros per unit. In Seoul, for example, you will find packages of 30 and 60 markers, and the cost is around one euro for each one.
There are many centers where you can get facials and all kinds of treatment at a fairly good price.
15. Seoul is the world capital of cosmetic surgeries
Considering how obsessed they are with not aging, it is normal that the next step is surgery. Seoul has the largest plastic surgery market in the world. 1 in 3 women in Seoul have undergone surgery at least once in their lives. In addition, the country receives many customers from abroad on a daily basis.
The most common plastic surgery Koreans get is double eyelid surgery, which makes the eyes appear larger and Western-looking. Although rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, lip retouching, and cheekbone retouching follow closely behind.
16. Valentine's Day in South Korea, one of the most original curiosities in South Korea
As in Japan, on February 14, Valentine's Day, girls give their partners chocolates. On this date, men do not give anything to their partners, it is not until March 14, when the boys are in charge of making a great gift to their girlfriends (they say that it must be at least 3 times the value of the one they received).
17. Taekwondo is the star sport of South Korea
Taekwondo means "the way of the fist and foot". This martial art is the most famous sport in the country. It arose around 2,000 years ago when a Korean warrior turned weapon fighting on its head and used bare hands or feet. It is the star sport in the country and the extracurricular activity that all children do in South Korea. It became an official Olympic sport in 2002. And it is the only Olympic sport born in South Korea.
18. The language used in the two Koreas
Hangul is the language used in both Koreas. It was created by King Sejong in the year 1443, of which a statue can be seen in Seoul today. Hangul has 40 letters (19 consonants and 21 vowels).
19. South Koreans have the highest IQ in the world
IQ is the intelligence quotient of a person and apparently in South Korea everyone is a genius. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development indicated that this is the country with the highest IQ on Earth. The average IQ is 106. Below we enter Japan with an average of 105, and in Spain the average is 95.
20. The national dish of South Korea is kimchi
Among all the delicious South Korean food dishes, kimchi tops the list. It is one of the most popular dishes. They even serve it to you on the plane if you travel with Asiana Airlines! It consists of a mixture of fermented vegetables and various spices. It also has a bit of fish sauce. And it is a very famous dish that accompanies almost all dishes.
It really disgusts me, the smell is too strong. I wanted to bring an envelope of kimchi to Spain for my parents to try. It came vacuum packed and it smelled a lot! On the layover in Helsinki I finally threw it away because it made me want to vomit. Although most love it.
Kimchi originated in the mid-13th century, and there are more than 200 varieties.
21. South Korea has one of the most dangerous borders in the world
The border between North Korea and South Korea was established in 1953 as a result of the Korean War. Today it is known as the Demilitarized Zone (or DMZ) and divides the Korean Peninsula in half.
It is also one of the most dangerous borders on the planet, being heavily patrolled by armed military personnel and even lined with live land mines. To visit it you must hire an excursion to get there. Here you have all the information about the excursion to the Korean Demilitarized Zone.
22. It's illegal to sympathize with North Korea
One of the most obvious trivia is that it is illegal for South Koreans to sympathize with North Korea. This could mean a violation of the National Security Law. Even though North Korea has opened its borders for tourists to enter the country (following very strict rules) the law prohibits all travel to North Korea from South Korea.
23. Military service is compulsory in South Korea
Military service is mandatory for all South Korean men between the ages of 18 and 28. This service lasts 2 years and you can do it whenever you want during this age group, something convenient if the young people want to study a university degree first.
24. The Sannakji, a very curious dish to eat in South Korea
It's about live octopus, they literally put the live octopus in front of you, and now it's time to cut it up and inside. It is a dangerous food, since the octopus, even if it is chopped, the raw tentacles tend to stick to the walls of the throat. Therefore, in many luxury restaurants, it is the waiter himself who is in charge of chopping it in front of you, into very small pieces. I haven't tried it, I couldn't, but I saw how they did it and although I don't share it, it's a curiosity and a traditional dish that you can try in South Korea.
25. There are more forests than cities in South Korea
One of the things I liked the most about South Korea is its expanse of nature. Slightly more than 60% of the country is forest, and it also has 2,400 km of coastline.
PLAN YOUR TRIP STEP BY STEP
I hope you enjoy your trip to South Korea a lot and that this article has been useful to you. You can continue reading many more related articles on the blog.
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A hug and see you soon!