The summer is around the corner. It means vacation, time off, fun and a new adventure to an unknown land for most of us. How about Korea? I mean South Korea—duh! I am sure you can find a lot of articles about how, when, where and what about Korea. So, I will not be giving you the restaurant names, shopping store locations, addresses of the touristic places nor will I list the best plastic surgeons. My intention is to give you a little taste of daily life in Korea and some tips that will make your trip unique.
People
Respect, pride and kindness are things Korean people most value. As a foreign visitor, you will be extremely respected and well hosted. Because their cultural mission is to make visitors feel comfortable, they almost never say “no” even if they have no energy or desire to do anything. They are emotional people but professionals at disguising it. They are very hard workers and they never complain about their jobs as much as Westerners do.
Golden Word
Oppa—Men of Korea love this word! Call a guy Oppa and watch the reaction. It literally means “big brother,” however, almost only females use it to call males. By calling someone Oppa, you indicate that he is your leader, he is your protector, he is your idol, he is smart, he is wise, he is powerful; he is Superman.
Food
Korean people live to eat. Hence, they take their meals very seriously. Every piece of Korean dish takes the time to craft and serve. They can eat five big meals a day and still stay slim, so don’t try to compete or push yourself to keep up with them. The best gift to give to someone upon a visit to their house is beef. Side dishes are called “banchan” and kimchi is the main side dish in every meal. It is a type of fermented cabbage, and it is delicious. The visitor is offered and seated at the best seat of the table. It is considered rude to sit before the guest.
Must Try Foods
Gimbab (my favorite for breakfast)—It looks like a sushi roll without the raw fish, however larger than a sushi roll.
Dukboggi—Try to eat it from one of the street vendors. Spicy, sticky, rice cake dish. Great with beer.
Nightlife
Korean people are proud of their drinking skills, and none of them will ever accept that they got drunk. They do not wait for the weekends or holidays to drink out. A good night out in Korea is called "O-cha." This means drinking in five different places, having two maybe three dinners and singing your heart out in Karaoke. Soju is their national drink, and it is made out of rice. You will be offered soju several times, if not every time. Itaewon and Hongdae are the most popular clubbing areas but if you have a local friend, ask them to take you where locals go.
Drinks to Try
Meggouli—Mild, milky rice wine. Especially on rainy days.
So-meg—Soju-beer mix.
Communication
Most of the population, especially the younger crowd, understand English, but they are very shy to speak because they are afraid of making mistakes. It takes a little time, or several alcoholic beverages, for them to be comfortable with you. Before or right after you land in Korea, you need to download the app called "Kakao Talk." It is a text messaging app, and everyone uses it. It is a good app because you don’t have to give your phone number to anyone to be in touch, you simply give your ID. Connecting to the Internet is not a problem at all because you will find WiFi everywhere in Korea, I mean everywhere!
Useful Words (as pronounced)
Anyoung haseyo—It means hi. You must learn how to say this!
Saranghe—I love you. You may hear this several times.
Mo-reu-gess-eo-yo—I don’t understand/I don’t know.
Transportation
If you think the subway system is good in the States, you clearly have never been in Korea. They are clean, technologic and spacious. You are charged by the distance you go. The announcements are done in three languages (Korean, Japanese and English) in the subways. It is highly unlikely for you to miss your stop. However, if you will meet some or find a place, make sure to learn which exit you should be getting off from the subway station. Stations have up to 15 exits, and you might end up walking quite a bit if you take the wrong exit. Public transportation, in general, is good and you can travel to any city by buses or trains.
How to travel
T-money Card—It is almost like a debit card and very useful for tourists. You can use it everywhere including subway stations.
Korea is one of the safest countries on earth. Korean people are beautiful inside out. You will make friends for life. They will make you feel home no matter where you are from.
Enjoy your trip!
