Why Is South Korean Culture So Materialistic?
TL;DR In South Korea, objects define identity. This is the result of rapid economic growth that initially spawned a nouveau-riche culture of ostentatiously displaying wealth. The economic growth itself is precipitated by status-conscious, affirmation-hungry South Koreans who enjoy showing off their success through material goods. The bottom line
Why is Plastic Surgery So Popular in South Korea?
Plastic surgery is integrated into daily life in South Korea. There are a myriad of advertisements in subway stations, buses, and streets. Parents often “gift” their children some form of surgery after they finish their national college entrance exams or when they become legal adults. Some job applicants go under
What Are Some Cultural Faux Pas in South Korea?
If you’re visiting South Korea as a foreigner, Koreans will often overlook any minor faux pas you make, knowing that you didn’t buck local customs on purpose. Koreans often talk about “sincerity” and “intention”: sometimes, what you do is less important than what you mean. There are nevertheless
What Facts About South Korea Surprise Foreigners?
Check out this seafood paella and steak pizza from South Korean restaurant franchise Mr. Pizza. It’s topped with shrimp, squid, scallop, steak, calamari, camembert, gouda, mozzarella, melon mango cheese (whatever that is), cream sauce, ranch sauce, and a handful of vegetables. Seafood paella and steak pizza from Mr.Pizza.
Is North Korean Different From South Korean?
How different is the language of North Korea from that of South Korea? Are there syntactic and grammatical differences due to the isolation of North Korea? In 2004, North and South Korea made a historic agreement to compile a “grand dictionary of the national language” (Gyeoremal-keunsajeon). Historically hostile relations between
Korea Exposé's Top 9 Korea Stories in 2017
2017 has probably been the most exciting year in Korea Exposé’s history. We became bigger, more diverse, and somewhat more viable financially (eh, we’re still working on the last part). In March, we secured enough investment from Mediati, a media start-up incubator in South Korea, to
Why Does China Hate THAAD So Much?
THAAD is a useful acronym to know if you’re interested in the geopolitical tensions in East Asia. The deployment of the U.S.’s Terminal High Altitude Air Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea caused a sudden transformation of Korea’s relationship with China, its neighbor and number one
Why Does Japan Have a Bad Relationship With Neighbors?
At first glance, China, Japan and South Korea seem to have a lot in common. They’re located in the same geographical region, all have traditions of writing with Chinese characters and all of them have certain social norms influenced by Confucian teachings and concepts. In the modern era, all
How Bad Is Racism in South Korea?
You might have heard some horror stories about racism in South Korea. And yes, depending on where you are and whom you interact with, it does get “that bad.” It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that racism is both widespread and deeply entrenched in South Korea. Numerous surveys
Could Korean War II Drag in the World's Superpowers?
This article is meant to offer an answer to the following question posted on Quora: “Who would win in this war: the USA, the U.K, Japan, and South Korea vs Russia, China, and North Korea?” Without hyperbole, this has the potential to become a war to end
Juwon Park: On Chaebols for BBC News
Korea Exposé’s business reporter Juwon Park was interviewed on Dec. 22 by BBC News, about the impact on chaebol culture in South Korea. What happens if Lotte’s Shin Dong-bin gets jailed? What’s the impact of Jay. Y. Lee of Samsung getting jailed? What’s
Food Porn Alert: Must Eats in South Korea
So you’re coming to South Korea, and not sure what to eat? Sure, you might have heard of bibimbap and bulgogi, but there’s so much more to try. Here’s our list of culinary delights, in no particular order, that aren’t to be missed when you&