The name “Korea” comes from Goryeo, which was the name given to the dynasty established by General Wang Geon in AD 918. Goryeo means “high and clear.” Some poetic interpretations of the name Korea are “Land of High Mountains and Sparkling Streams” and “Land of the Morning Calm.” South Korea might be a small country, but as you will see, it is a wonderful and surprisingly diverse place that boasts a number of impressive achievements. You might have heard about their highly efficient economy, super modern technologies and influential pop culture but in fact, South Korea is so much more than just Samsung and Gangam Style. Located on a tiny piece of land on East Asia surrounded by three of the world´s superpowers: China, Russia and Japan, who have even made several attempts to subjugate them, South Korea managed to defend themselves and break through, receiving worldwide acclaim in many different fields. If you want to learn more about this extraordinary country (and we are sure you do), keep on reading because this post might just open your eyes to a South Korea you might not be aware of.
South Korea is one of the safest and most peaceful countries in the world. It has an extremely low crime rate and very strict gun policy.
Instead of air heaters, South Koreans have heated floors. Called “ondol” (warm stone), the heat is passed in pipes under the floor. The heating system goes back to the Koguryo Dynasty (37 BC to 668 AD), but it is still very popular with more than 90% of the houses using it today. Therefore, South Koreans often eat, sleep, and watch TV on the warm floor.
Samsung alone is responsible for 20% of South Korea´s $1.1 trillion economy. While most people think Samsung only produces electronics, the company also manufactures armored vehicles, oil tankers, appliances, door locks, medical equipment and much more.
Many South Koreans believe your blood type reflects your personality. They take this thing very seriously, similarly to people in Western countries who believe in horoscopes.
Seoul residents are among the most sleep-deprived people in the world. On average, a Seoul resident sleeps less than six hours a day, which is – along with people living in Tokyo – the least amount of sleep in the world.
Each July, the town of Boryeong (200 km south of Seoul) hosts arguably the largest mud festival in the world. The Boryeong Mud Festival features various mud contests and fights but also massages and therapies. Since it was staged in 1998, the festival has attracted millions of visitors to Boryeong.
Taxis in South Korea are color coded according to the level of service offered. An orange or silver taxi is a basic car, while the black cabs are luxury cars.
Many South Koreans suffer from tetraphobia – fear of the number 4. The floor number 4 is almost always skipped in hospitals and public buildings. In other buildings, the fourth floor is sometimes labeled "F" instead of "4" in elevators. Apartment numbers containing multiple occurrences of the number 4 (such as 404) are also likely to be avoided.
Despite increasing controversies and criticism in recent years, dog meat is still eaten in some (mostly impoverished) areas of South Korea. Dating back more than 2,000 years ago, the tradition of eating dogs is still alive in the country, but as more and more South Koreans have been refusing to eat dogs, it might come to an end.
Most restaurants, including McDonald’s, will deliver food straight to homes in South Korea. After you are done eating, you can just put your dirty dishes outside your door and the delivery guy will come for them later.
South Koreans are obsessed with feces, and everything from turd-shaped cookies, phone charms, and an entire museum devoted to poop can be found in the country. Toilets across the country also feature pleasant flushing sounds, background music, and colored water.
In Korea, babies are considered one year old at birth. Furthermore, 100 days after the birth, a huge celebration is held for the baby.
Only 3.2% of South Koreans are overweight, which ties the country of Japan for the lowest percentage in the world.
South Korean men love makeup, spending close to US$900 million a year, or a quarter of the world’s men’s cosmetics. Up to 20% of the male Korean population is reported to use makeup regularly.In fact, South Korean men are the world's top per-capita consumers of skincare products, with four times the purchases of runner-up Denmark.
Talking about appearance and beauty, South Korea also has the highest rate of plastic surgery per capita in the world. The United States, for example, comes fourth after Brazil and Thailand.
South Korea is one of the world´s most urbanized and densely populated countries, but it also boasts astonishing natural beauties. Declared a World Heritage Site, the Jeju Island, for example, is home to stunning rock formations and breathtaking flora.
South Korea is the world leader in internet connectivity, having by far the world's fastest average internet connection speed. About 92.4% of the population are internet users.
The iconic song "Gangnam Style" by the South Korean musician Psy became the first YouTube video to reach 1 billion views. With more than 2.54 billion views now, it has been YouTube's most watched video since November 2012, when it surpassed "Baby" by Justin Bieber. The phrase "Gangnam Style" refers to a luxury lifestyle associated with the Gangnam District of Seoul.
South Koreans are famous for their specific cuisine that is heavily based on seafood but few people know they harvest more than 90% of the world’s seaweed consumption.
South Korea is famous for its practice of “crime re-creation.” Citizens suspected of crimes such as rape or murder are led by the police in handcuffs to the scene of the crime and ordered to publicly reenact the crime. To make the reenactment even more humiliating, media is also invited to take pictures and publish details about the crime.
A misconception known as the fan death is common in South Korea. Many South Koreans believe that leaving an electric fan on overnight may kill the person sleeping below it.
South Korea is home to Haesindang Park, which is full of penis statues, and also to a penis-themed restaurant at Deulmusae, which is hard to miss because of the statues of jaji (penises) lining the path to the restaurant.
In South Korea, it is perfectly legal to drink alcohol in public. People can carry open containers of their favorite alcoholic beverage and even take a drink or two.With more than 11 shots of liquor per person per week, South Korea totally dominates liquor consumption per capita.
Seoul´s metropolitan area known as the Seoul Capital Area is home to more than 25 million people, currently making Seoul the world's third largest city.
Although South Korea has very high living standards, suicide is a serious and widespread problem. In fact, South Korea has the second-highest suicide rate in the world according to the World Health Organization.
For 62 years, adultery was illegal in South Korea. It was not until February 2015 when the country´s Constitutional Court overturned the law that made adultery a crime, saying it violated their constitution.
South Koreans love kimchi, a traditional fermented Korean side dish made of vegetables. From cabbage kimchi and radish kimchi to cucumber kimchi, there are about 250 different types of this delicacy.
Similarly to their problem with the number four, South Koreans are also very superstitious when it comes to writing things in red. The color red symbolizes death in South Korea, and if you write a person´s name in red, it means that you either want them to die or you think they will die soon.