The Beauty of

Korean

Culture

By: Abigail Arakawa 한국어

A little bit of History...

The Korean Language is called “Hangul”

In 1446, King Sejong created the korean alphabet

The Korean alphabet is extremely easy to learn

which is why Korea has one of the highest literacy

rates in the entire world

Approximately 65 million people speak Korean, 45

million of those living in South Korea

Respect embedded in

LanguageMost cultures have a respect for the elderly, but in Korea there

is an extremely high sense of respect for elders and while many

may seem rude or obnoxious, it is not culturally interpreted as

offensive

A lot of Asian countries are heavy on the “respect” factor and

this also flows into the education setting where there is a

certain hierarchy between teacher and student

Their language consists of formal and informal patterns where

normally informal speech is only used in home setting or with

friends

I want my Space!They dislike public touch and

outward displays of opinions or

emotions, indicating a reserve

that is sometimes characterize

as “introverted.”

Even when Koreans greet each

other they face each other and

bow. This is often a part of the

“respect” factor, but also shows

the dislike for public touch.

In American culture we often

hug, kiss or shake hands

Going elsewhere...

Spaces in Korea (houses,

rooms, stores, etc.) are

generally very small. This

forces students to go

elsewhere.

Karaoke bars, clubs,

restaurants, coffee shops,

etc. are extremely popular

hangout spots for students

to meet up at.

School Time!Great stressed is placed upon korean students to

excel in their education; highly, highly valued

Their education system is based off of...

6 years in Primary school (equivalent to

elementary)

3 years in Middle School

3 years in High School

4 years in College

No time for Fun...

Most parents will try to get their kids into the best

schools possible; extremely competitive

Most of pre-college education functions as

preparation to getting into college (which are much

harder to get into than those in the U.S.)

Once in college life is a little easier for students

(opposite of the U.S. where students work much

harder in college than in pre-college education)

Making the most of time...In Korea, 30 minutes is allotted for a person to be late

without communicating an offense.

However, since many students spend a lot of their time at

school, to make the most of their free time they’ll go

straight from school to their favorite hangout spot with

other school friends

“Opening” barriers.

American students tend to be a little louder and open

when it comes to discussion or sharing.

Korean students are a little more introverted and may

have a hard time opening up

Also due to the language barrier they may not feel

comfortable speaking and getting involved

Learning style

Through different studies it shows that Koreans learn

better when they are in a setting in which they are

able to follow directions [this may be due to their

strong cultural awareness of the “respect” ladder;

basically they do what their elders tell them to do]

Learning in America is more interactive. While the

normal student in Korea is used to being taught, in

American classrooms many times students are

offered opportunities to get involved.

Language barriers and

how far they reach...There will definitely be some language barriers

Korean students may have a hard time in class

taking notes or understanding a certain concept (this

may lead to frustration of classmates or teachers)

Socially it may be harder for them to be able to make

friends because of cultural differences. This could

lead to them having a hard time asking for help from

different people.

Traditional-

Most Korean

students learn

in a classroom

where the

teacher is the

head of the

class and

teaches all of

the material

Learning-

Students are often introverted in class

There are rarely such things as “class discussions”

If material is not understood then students will often

research on their own to find the answers

Education is the students responsibility and no one

else’s. Because education is valued so highly,

students strive to do their best out of self-ambition as

well as fear of failure and disappointment

Style.

Korean learning is more-so an individual style and

group work is not often used unless in an athletic

setting

Academically, Korean style is the responsibility of the

individual which is often why there are not as many

cases of group work

Because students are culturally encouraged to be

more introverted, it is harder for them to work in

group settings

Teachers style

The teachers continue to teach through lecture and

notes (questions are not exactly encouraged)

Not exactly the most “interactive” class setting but

never the less teachers are still highly concerned

about the well being about their students but are not

exactly held as “responsible” for students failure (as

they are being accused of in American schools)

Parental StyleParents are extremely concerned about their child’s

education and will often pay hundreds or even

thousands of dollars for their child to get tutored or

go to the best schools

They often put intense pressure on their child to do

well in their studies and get into a good college

While this does “motivate” their child to work to their

fullest potential, this also puts a lot of pressure on

them. Due to this intense pressure, many times this

can cause students to feel overwhelmed, stressed,

unhappy, and shameful.

SocietyThe cultural pressures that society engrains in

students is also a huge factor

“You can’t get a good job unless you go to a good

college.” These kinds of pressures that society

advertises adds to the stress of students.

While it is effective in getting students to work hard

academically, it puts intense stress on them as well

as unimaginable fear of failure.

Ultimately in many Asian countries this leads to an

increase in suicides and depression. And not

surprisingly it is extremely high in teenagers

(students)

Bibliography

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-

etiquette/south-korea-country-profile.html

http://www.learnkoreanlanguage.com/Korean-

Culture.html#Education

http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Zhenhui-

TeachingStyles.html