The Korean Peninsula extends southward from the eastern end of the Asian continent. It is roughly 1,000km (621 miles) long and 216km (134 miles) wide at its narrowest point. Mountains cover 70% of the land mass, making it one of the most mountainous regions in the world. The lifting and folding of Korea’s granite and limestone base has created breathtaking landscapes of scenic hills and valleys.

The mountain range that stretches the length of the east coast falls steeply into the East Sea, while along the southern and western coasts, the mountains descend gradually to the coastal plains that produce the bulk of Korea’s agricultural crops, especially rice. The peninsula is divided just slightly north of the 38th parallel.

The democratic Republic of Korea in the south and communist North Korea are separated by the Demilitarized Zone. South Korea has a population of 48.3 million (2006). Administratively, the Republic of Korea consists of nine provinces (do); the capital Seoul; and the six metropolitan cities of Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon and Ulsan. In total, there are 77 cities (si) and 88 counties (gun).

sense of seniority

Although the traditional Confucian social structure is changing, it is still prevalent in Korea. Age and seniority are all-important and juniors are expected to follow the wishes of their elders without question. Therefore, people often ask you your age and sometimes your marital status (interestingly, no matter how old you are, at least among family members, you cannot be regarded as an adult if you are not married) to find out their position relative to you. These questions are not meant to intrude on your privacy and Koreans will not be offended if you do not answer.

names

The majority of Koreans have family names within one small set: Kim (about 21% of the population), Yi (or Lee or Rhee, 14%), Park (or Pak, 8%), Choi (or Choe), Jeong (or Chung or Jung), Jang (or Chang), Han, Lim, etc. A Korean name consists of a family name, in almost every case one syllable, plus a given name usually of two syllables. The family name comes first. A Korean woman does not take her husband’s family name, but their children take their father’s family name.

marriage

Today’s typical wedding ceremony is somewhat different from what it was in ancient times: first a Western-style ceremony is usually held at a wedding hall or a church with the bride wearing a white dress and the groom wearing a tuxedo, and later in the day the bride and groom have a traditional korean ceremony in a different room of the venue in colorful traditional costumes.

jerye

According to a traditional Korean belief, when people die, their spirits do not immediately depart; they stay with descendants for four generations. During this period, the deceased are still regarded as family members and Koreans reaffirm the relationship between ancestors and descendants through jerye on special days like Seollal (Lunar New Year’s Day) and Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day) as well as on the anniversary when their ancestors have passed away. Koreans also believe that people can live well and happily thanks to benefits their ancestors bestow upon them.

body language

When you beckon a person, do so with your palm down, then flutter your hand up and down with your fingers touching. It is not polite to beckon with your palm up, especially using only one finger, because that is how Koreans call dogs.

hanbok

The hanbok has been the Korean people’s unique traditional costume for thousands of years. The beauty and grace of Korean culture can be seen in photographs of women dressed in a hanbok. Before the arrival of Western-style clothing 100 years ago, the hanbok was everyday attire. Men wore jeogori (Korean jackets) with baji (trousers) while women wore jeogori with chima (skirts). Today, the hanbok is worn on special occasions such as weddings, Seollal (Lunar New Year’s Day) and Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day).

ondol

Traditional Korean rooms have multiple functions. Rooms are not labeled or reserved for a specific purpose; there is no definite bedroom or dining room for example. Rather, tables and mats are brought in as needed. Most people sit and sleep on the floor using thick mats. Underneath the floors are stone or concrete flues. Traditionally, hot air was blown through the flues to provide heat. Clay or cement would be placed over the stones to protect the residents from noxious gasses. This type of underfloor heating is called ondol. Nowadays, hot water pipes heat the cement through cement floors covered with linoleum.

gimjang

Gimjang is the age-old Korean practice of preparing winter kimchi, which has been passed down from generation to generation. Since very few vegetables are grown in the winter months, gimjang takes place in early winter and provides what has become a staple food for Koreans. For Koreans, a dinner table without kimchi is unthinkable.