1. They're not angry!
Koreans have a way of speaking that sounds like they're either mad or just whining. But they're not. It’s just the way they speak. So don’t take it personal if the bus driver asks for your ticket in voice tone that sounds like “get the fuck out of my bus!”…
2. A smile can mean I’m sorry
While back home we usually look all horrified and sorry when we make a mistake, Koreans actually smile whenever they’re embarrassed. That one is good to know because if one student does something wrong and you reprimand him/her, you might think they don’t take you seriously. In Korea, a smile is generally meant to defuse anger in a difficult situation.
3. No eye contact means respect
Hierarchy is very important here. Confucianism is still very present and/so the most important people are the elderly, the rich and the bosses. Kids are basically at the bottom of the ladder.
As a teacher, I apparently deserve special respect/treatment. Usually when I scold someone or just ask a question, I expect eye contact. But in Korea, making eye contact with someone superior than you is a great sign of disrespect. So kids look down.
4. Two hands
Another sign of respect is handing stuff with two hands. Students should always hand something to their teacher with both hands, otherwise it’s disrespectful. This also applies to any social situation; if I’m going out to dinner with my boss, I should use both hands whenever I give him something or pour him a glass of soju.
On the other hand, people higher than you in the social hierarchy will carelessly hand you stuff and you shouldn’t mind. They didn’t earn your respect, but they certainly expect it.
5. Toilet paper is great!
When going to a restaurant, we usually expect napkins. But don’t be surprised if they give you a roll of toilet paper! It’s just more efficient and this way you won’t bother them again.
6. Mr. Lee is everyone
On top of the Park and Kim, Lee is a very common family name in Korea. It can be quite confusing when talking with your friends… do you mean your boss? The guy at the motorbike shop? The dentist? Your neighbor? The maintenance guy?
7. Sex with cab drivers
If you’re a woman and you sit next to the cab driver, it means you want to have sex. It’s actually not unusual for an older woman to just hop on the front seat and go to a love motel with the cab driver.
I actually had quite a scare once: I had been grocery shopping so I had many heavy bags. I put them on the back seat of the cab, and sat in the front seat. He asked “where to?” and I replied “Aramgaden” – which is a hotel next to my apartment building. The dude started talking about sex and staring at me in a... weird way. That’s when I learned to never sit in the front of a cab!
8. Yo! Be polite!
That’s actually a quote from the lonely planet. As mentioned earlier, confucianism is still prevalent in Korea so when speaking Korean to someone “more important”, one must always add “yo” at the end of the word.
For instance:
- “this” to a kid is “igo” but to an older person it’s “igoyo”
- “over here” to a kid is “yogi” but to a teacher it’s “yogiyo”
- “how much is this?” to a kid would be “olma?’ but to an old lady it would be “olmaeyo?”
- “hello!” to a kid would be “annyong” but to your boss it should be “annyong haseyo”
and so on.
9. Say English words with a Korean accent and you’ll be understood!
This is Konglish. Here are some examples, pretty fun to say too:
A. Cell phone = Hand e pone (hand phone)
B. Banana = Panana
C. Cheese = Chiju
D. Ham = Haem
E. Sprite = Supuratu
F. Pork = Po ke
G. Mango = Maggo
H. Almond = Amondu
I. Coconut = K’ok’onot
J. Lemon = Remon
K. Orange = Orenji
L. Coffee = Kopi
M. Juice = Jusu
N. Hot-Dog = Hattogu
O. Apartment = Apatu
And so on!
