Korean Culture and Specialties

The Korean culture is fascinating and full of traditions. In this place you find comfort in peace and the harmony that brings the beauty that we now see is a fruit of what seems to be a history that is long and bitter sweet.

When WWII ended in the year 1945, Korea was divided into two and they are now known as North Korea and South Korea. The former practiced communism, the latter didn’t. Another name for North Korea is Democratic People’s Republic of Korea while South Korea is known as Republic of Korea which is bigger in terms of size and population. This division is the reason why the country remained at war. Until the present time, the male population is required to submit themselves to training in the army when they come to a certain age. They will serve the government this way for two years. Some men even stop schooling just because of this and pursue their education after.

The Korean language called Hangul is used by both parts of the country. There are slight differences across the nation but it is understood by everyone there. Hangul is considered to be one of the few languages that are the best and well-planned. Hangul is one of the easiest to learn too that’s why Korea is one of the countries with the highest literacy rate.

In terms of religion, there are two major beliefs that are followed. One is Buddhism which is an old religion in the south but there has been a decline in the recent years due to Christianity that is becoming more popular. It spread quickly but the king before thought it was a threat so Catholics are persecuted. In the 19th century, the Protestants entered the country. Now, it is a proud address to one of the largest churches in the world.

Korean is also very rich when it comes to tradition because they preserved it very well. Just like most Asian countries, the Korean tradition is more family oriented and very conservative. Even if South Korea is keeping up with the modernization of the world, they do not lose their hold of their traditions and their way of life. Even houses in rural areas are designed in a traditional way. Their language plays a major role in keeping it this way because it includes values of their social status and also respect that comes with it. The words that you choose depend on the person you are talking to. This maintains the traditional values that make the Korean culture unique.

Learning anything Korean is a fun and rewarding experience. It enables you to learn from a very disciplined and well-mannered culture. You can always apply a thing or two from a foreign country. One of the very important things would be language for you to be able to appreciate the beauty hidden between the lines without the language barrier.