Why Korean Stores Say “Welcome!” So Loudly In South Korea, it's almost impossible to enter a retail store without being enthusiastically greeted with a loud "어서 오십시오!" ("Welcome!"). This vocal gesture isn’t just about fri…
Why Korean Couples Love Wearing Matching Outfits In South Korea, couples often enjoy wearing coordinated clothing, a trend known locally as "커플룩" (couple look). Far from being a simple fashion trend, this practice serves as a public ex…
Why Korea Has So Many Self-Service Photo Studios Self-service photo studios have seen a remarkable boom in South Korea over the past few years, becoming a popular cultural fixture especially in major cities like Seoul and Busan. These studios en…
Why Koreans Avoid Saying “No” Directly In Korean culture, directly saying “no” is often seen as too blunt or confrontational. Instead, people tend to use indirect language to decline offers or disagree. This communication style reflects Korea’s …
Why Koreans Always Give Two Hands When Handing Things In South Korea, handing items with both hands is far more than a polite gesture—it's a fundamental part of social etiquette rooted in cultural heritage. Whether offering a gift or receivi…
Why Korean Kids Go to "After-Kindergarten Academies" In South Korea, it's common for children as young as five to attend after-kindergarten academies, known as hagwons . These institutions offer supplementary education in subjects …
Why Koreans Wear Matching Family Pajamas In many Korean homes, it’s common to see entire families wearing matching pajamas—especially during holidays, special weekends, or cozy stay-at-home days. While this may seem whimsical to outsider…
Why Koreans Stack Food for Ancestors During Chuseok During Chuseok, Korea’s major harvest festival, families perform ancestral rites called “charye” (차례). A key part of this tradition is preparing an elaborate ritual table filled with fo…
Why Koreans Celebrate 100 Days for Babies and Relationships In Korea, the 100-day mark is more than just a number—it’s a cultural celebration deeply rooted in tradition. Whether it’s a newborn reaching 100 days of life or a couple celebr…
Why Koreans Say “Our” for Everything (우리 집, 우리 엄마) To English speakers, it may sound confusing when a Korean says “our mom” instead of “my mom,” or “our house” instead of “my house.” In Korean, the word “우리” (uri), meaning “our” or “we,”…
Why Graduation Photos Are a Big Deal in Korea In many countries, graduation photos are simple keepsakes—often taken in cap and gown, then tucked away in yearbooks. But in Korea, graduation portraits are a full-blown cultural event. Profe…
Why So Many Koreans Go Camping Despite Living in Cities Even though over 80% of South Koreans live in high-rise apartment buildings in dense urban areas, the country has seen a massive boom in camping culture. From riverside parks to rem…
Why Koreans Use “Naver” Instead of Google In most countries, Google dominates the internet as the default search engine. But in South Korea, Naver consistently outperforms Google in usage, especially for everyday queries. From homework t…
Why Koreans Still Write Letters for Special Occasions In a hyper-digital society like Korea, handwritten letters may seem outdated—but they still hold deep cultural and emotional significance. From birthdays and graduations to enlistment…
Why Korean Public Baths Still Attract All Generations Despite the rise of modern apartments with private bathrooms and luxury spas, Korean public baths—mokyoktang (목욕탕) and jjimjilbang (찜질방)—remain deeply woven into daily life. From elde…
Why “Drinking Culture” Still Shapes Korean Business Networking In Korea, business often flows more smoothly over drinks than in the boardroom. Despite generational shifts and health-conscious trends, “hoesik” (회식), or company dinners—oft…
Why Koreans Prefer Group Travel Over Solo Trips While solo travel is growing globally, many Koreans still favor group travel—with family, friends, coworkers, or organized tour groups. This isn't just a travel choice, but a cultural o…
Why Korean Apartments Have a ‘Delivery Box’ at the Door Walk through any Korean apartment complex and you’ll see cardboard boxes, zippered vinyl bags, or insulated containers in front of doors. These aren’t trash—they’re “delivery boxes”…