10 Things To Know Before You Go To Korea

“When successful Rome, do arsenic nan Romans do”. That is precisely what galore group expect from a trip, to study astir caller cultures and ways of doing things. In Korea, nan customs, arsenic good arsenic nan language, are very different from ours, and you request to cognize what to expect earlier you get there. Here is simply a database of 10 things to cognize earlier you spell to Korea.

What to cognize earlier you spell to Korea

1. English VS Konglish

Unlike galore different Asian countries, small English is spoken successful Korea. For this reason, earlier you spell to Korea, do not expect to find signs pinch accusation successful English aliases unit successful stores and nationalist offices who speak English. It will beryllium much communal for them to speak only Korean, pinch a fewer mini words of English. With nan objection of Seoul, which is opening up a batch to overseas and home tourism, astir of Korea is still very overmuch rooted successful accepted culture, truthful English is hardly spoken astatine all. You will person to do your champion to study Korean arsenic soon arsenic imaginable if you determine to unrecorded successful Korea for a agelong time.

In summation to classical Korean, location is besides Konglish, a connection derived from nan national of Korean and English. This is nan lawsuit of connection borrowings, aliases those words of overseas root that are pronounced according to hangul, nan Korean alphabet. Some examples are 커피 (keopi, coffee), 초콜릿 (chokollit, chocolate), 콜라 (kolla, Coca-cola) and 피자 (pija, pizza). After immoderate clip successful Korea, you will people pronounce these words successful Konglish alternatively of due English.

2. Weather and seasonal events

Among nan things to cognize earlier you spell to Korea, there’s decidedly nan weather. Before leaving, it is bully to support successful mind what play you are coming successful and nan comparative temperatures. Winter successful Korea is very harsh, betwixt December and January we get beneath freezing, and it tin snow. It is recommended to equip yourself and bring very dense clothing if you will beryllium successful Korea during this time. Find much tips for dealing pinch wintertime successful Korea here.

Just arsenic it is very acold successful winter, it is very basking and humid successful summer. Summer humidity successful Korea reaches 80% betwixt July and August. Considering that you will beryllium utilizing nationalist transportation, arsenic good arsenic moving astir connected foot, it is champion to bring breathable apparel and beryllium prepared for nan scorching heat. On a affirmative note, aerial conditioning useful perfectly successful each nationalist proscription aliases shopping malls, truthful you won’t suffer being indoors.

Differences successful upwind aside, some successful summertime and winter, arsenic good arsenic successful nan remainder of nan twelvemonth location are continuous events astir Korea. Many of these are seasonal events, specified arsenic nan Boryeong Mud Festival, nan cherry blossom viewing successful spring, aliases nan Winter Lighting Festival. Before you spell to Korea, don’t miss nan champion of Korea’s yearly events by reference this article.

3. Public carrier and T-money card

Before you spell to Korea, you should cognize that Seoul’s subway web is 1 of nan busiest, but it is besides among nan champion successful nan world. In general, Korean nationalist transportation is very businesslike and reliable, considering that it is nan astir celebrated measurement for citizens and commuters to get around. Getting astir is moreover easier acknowledgment to nan usage of nan T-Money Card, a prepaid paper utilized chiefly for transportation. You salary an first 2,500 won interest to get it nan first time, and past apical it up successful nan vending machines located astatine nan stations pinch nan magnitude you want. Good to statement that only rate is accepted.

The paper besides serves arsenic a conveyance pass, which tin beryllium activated and paid for either astatine machines aliases position offices, and tin beryllium utilized connected subways, trains and buses crossed nan country. In addition, T-Money is utilized arsenic a reloadable paper to salary astatine stores aliases convenience stores.

4. Respect for nan elderly

The conception of social harmony and respect for others is very beardown successful Korea. In a typical way, respect and attraction for nan aged are nan ground of Korean nine yesterday and today, and it is demonstrated each day. On nationalist transportation, location are reserved seats for nan elderly, nan disabled, and pregnant women, which you will hardly spot occupied isolated from successful specified cases.

Respect for nan aged is besides expressed successful nan connection pinch which we mention to them, and nary 1 allows himself aliases herself to deviate from this tradition. To cognize what are different rules of etiquette earlier you spell to Korea, publication here. Once successful Korea, you will announcement precisely really nan elders are peculiarly strict if they deliberation they are being treated disrespectfully. So watch wherever you beryllium connected nan subway, aliases you’ll consequence a bully lecture! 

5. SIM cards and telephone plans

Before you spell to Korea, you should cognize that astir telephone companies are tied to long-term contracts (of 1-2 years), truthful if you are location to study Korean for a fewer months you whitethorn person problem uncovering a SIM card. Generally, nan SIM paper astir commonly utilized by visitors and short-term stayers successful Korea is rechargeable, but that besides has a clip limit. Go! Go! Hanguk useful pinch nan Korean provider, for short-term and semipermanent contracts, and promotional offers for students who will usage our work to study successful Korea. Read much astir Korean SIMs here and contact america for much information.

6. 24/7 Convenience stores

If you recognize astatine midnight that you are short of beverage for nan adjacent day’s breakfast, aliases you forgot to prime up immoderate cash, fearfulness not! In Korea, location are 편의점 (pyeonuijeom), chains of 24/7 mini-markets wherever you tin bargain each basal good. In summation to nutrient and drinks, successful fact, you tin find family cleaning products, ATM services and photocopy machines. When you are successful Korea, it will travel successful very handy. For example, erstwhile returning from a nighttime retired pinch friends, if you consciousness for illustration a late-night snack, cognize that you tin spell to nan 편의점 astatine immoderate hour. Read our article to familiarise immoderate words utilized successful a pyeonuijeom earlier you spell to Korea.

7. Toilet insubstantial and trash cans

One of nan things to cognize earlier you spell to Korea is astir toilets. In nationalist toilets, aliases successful immoderate homes, you will find a ample bin adjacent to nan toilet to flush utilized toilet paper, since successful Korea you do not flush toilet insubstantial down nan toilet. The Korean plumbing strategy is not nan best, and flushing toilet insubstantial down nan toilet will clog nan drain.

In contrast, it will beryllium much difficult to find garbage cans connected nan street, a precautionary measurement to forestall anyone from throwing hazardous materials into them. Therefore, Koreans return their garbage distant pinch them, throwing it astatine location aliases successful immoderate position trash cans. Convenience stores besides person them, but they are reserved for customers who bargain aliases devour nutrient location truthful champion to debar them if you hap to walk by.

8. Korean thoroughfare food 

Korean thoroughfare food, aliases “street food,” is world-renowned. Street nutrient successful Korea tin beryllium recovered everywhere, and it varies pinch nan seasons. Among nan astir communal and popular, among Koreans and non-Koreans alike, is tteokbokki (떡볶이), a crockery of atom dumplings topped pinch a spicy saccharine and sour sauce. Hotteok (호떡) is simply a griddled pancake filled pinch nuts and chromatic and fried murphy skewer hoeori gamja (회오리 감자). There is thing for everyone, and erstwhile successful Korea you will want to effort them all.

It whitethorn happen, then, that if you determine to spell to Korea successful immoderate market nan prices of nan products connected waste are not there. This is wherever you will person to propulsion each your master trading skills to bargain for nan champion price. Of course, we counsel you to do this successful Korean truthful that you tin pass without difficulty, successful English it would beryllium impossible. Therefore again, earlier you spell to Korea, retrieve to study immoderate basal Korean, it will travel successful handy!

9. Extreme skincare

Korean cosmetic products are now celebrated each complete nan world for their value and effectiveness. Koreans, successful fact, are very observant astir caring for their bodies and tegument successful wide and do everything not to ruin it pinch sun rays, smog aliases harmful products.

One illustration is beaches successful Korea. If you get a chance, you will spot that astir Koreans astatine nan formation do not deterioration nan classical swimsuit for sunbathing, but existent apparel for nan occasion: long-sleeved shirts, pants, caps, and truthful on, to forestall ultraviolet rays from ruining nan skin.

The aforesaid is existent successful nan city, erstwhile successful summertime (or already successful spring), erstwhile nan sun gets stronger you will hap to spot galore women utilizing parasols to screen themselves, moreover if of rainfall location is nary shadow.

Another expedient utilized by Koreans is face masks. Surgical masks are utilized successful Korea to defender against different people’s germs aliases to support others from passing them connected erstwhile you are sick, but sometimes they are much of a fad to screen your look without constitution aliases to protect your tegument successful general.

10. Noraebang and soju

Among Koreans’ favourite leisure activities are evenings astatine nan noraebang, karaoke successful Korea, and drinking soju pinch friends. The noraebang is not for illustration karaoke abroad, wherever you singing successful beforehand of everyone, but is simply a building pinch mini backstage rooms connected respective floors, which you tin rent arsenic a group, for a constricted time. That measurement you tin take nan songs you want and singing them astatine nan apical of your lungs pinch whomever you want.

Soju, connected nan different hand, is simply a Korean distillate made from rice, barley aliases wheat. Seemingly harmless, nan intoxicant contented of soju ranges from 14 percent to 45 percent, truthful beryllium very observant erstwhile your solid is filled by your friends. Let’s opportunity that drinking this benignant of alcoholic beverage successful Korea is simply a emblematic civilization for Koreans to socialize, and fto spell of inhibitions. With nan vessel of soju you will person a love-hate relationship, we tin guarantee you! Learn much about Korean drinking civilization here.

Now that you person a amended thought of what to cognize earlier you spell to Korea, it’s clip to battalion your suitcase. In our articles connected Korean trivia and what to pack you tin find immoderate different useful information.

If you want to study successful Korea cheque retired our website aliases sojourn our Study Trips page for a short travel that includes Korean connection courses, taste activities, and lodging for a complete experience.