Cultures in Korea

Cultures in Korea

 Korea is a small peninsula located on the far east side of Asia. It is located between China and Japan. Korea is connected to mainland Asia in the North whereby it is separated from China and Korea by the Yalu River and the Tuman River. Korea is divided into 2 sovereign states with different political ideologies which are Republic of South Korea and Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea. 

Hangul is the name of the Korean alphabet whereby Korean is the official language of both South Korea and North Korea. It stacks sounds into blocks that represent syllables, and its consistency makes it easy to be picked up. Syllables always begin with a consonant followed by a vowel. It could stop there, or could be another vowel, consonant or both. There are 5 major dialects in South Korea which are Seoul dialect, Chungcheong, Gyeongsang, Jeolla, and Jeju. Furthermore, 24 letters of the Hangul alphabet are usually arranged in blocks for each syllable, which seems to resemble Chinese characters. In reality, Korean syllables contain individuals phonetically pronounced letters in a similar way to the Latin alphabet whereby Hangul made it easier for the underprivileged to become literate. 

 As for the culture, Korea is greatly influenced by the Chinese and Japanese cultures. This influence can be seen by Confucianism, which established many traditions that can been in modern Korea today. These traditions are inclusive of ethical code of conduct in social life and showing respect to the elderly and seniors. Koreans also believed in sincerity and loyalty, followed by certain codes of conduct while meeting, eating, praying, and even celebrating. While other cultures would shake hands as a greeting sign, Koreans bow. They bow as a sign of gratitude and respect to the person they are meeting with. 

Religion on the other hand, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Christianity are the main religions in Korea whereby Buddhism as the main religion with the most followers and its teachings have a great impact on Korean lifestyle, culture, and art. “Yungdrung” is a main symbol of Korean Buddhism and can be found in all temples and religious places in Korea. The division of Korea has also caused a divergence in religious life in the two countries due to the different political structures. South Korea has been characterized by a rise of Christianity and Buddhism, while North Korea is considered a secular state. 

Korean cuisine is largely based on rice, noodles, vegetables, and meats. Some of the famous Korea dishes include bibimbap, bulgogi, and dakgalbi. The Korean culture is based on politeness and respect, which is clearly evident in Korean table manners. Some of the Korean for sharing meals with others are such that older people should sit down first the table, eating the same pace of other people who are sitting at the table, and chewing with closed mouth and do not make any noise while chewing. Most importantly is that a guest at the table should say “jal meokkessumnida” which means “I will enjoy the meal”, as a sign of respect to the host. 

Written by : Student INK Writer