Part 2
The first and 60th birthdays are the most important for Koreans. The first birthday is celebrated by placing the child, dressed in traditional Korean clothes, in front of a table with food and objects. The child is urged to pick up one of the objects. Depending on which object the child selects, one supposedly can foretell the child's future. For example, if the child picks up money, he will be rich. If he picks up a book, he will be a scholar. If he picks up food, he will be a government official.
The 60th birthday represents the completion of a zodiac cycle and is celebrated by family members offering the birthday person food, drink and best wishes for a long life.
BECKONING
To signal someone to come using hand motions, Koreans point their palm downward (instead of upwards) and then motion their fingers like we do. Japanese also point their palm downward when beckoning.
KOREAN LANGUAGE
The Korean language uses the Hangul alphabet, which now consists of 24 letters (10 vowels and 14 consonants). The vowels and consonants are combined to make syllables. Syllables usually have at least 2, but no more than 4, letters.
Non-Koreans who read the English subtitles of Korean dramas will usually not be able to detect the style of Korean being spoken in the drama. From time to time, however, one character in the drama will tell another character not to speak so formally or that it is okay to speak informally. That is because there are four styles of speech in Korean: formal, informal polite, informal and intimate.
--The FORMAL style is used when a high level of respect must be shown and when men speak to strangers.
--The INFORMAL POLITE style is used by people who know each other, but still need to show respect due to age or social status, and when women and young people speak to strangers.
--The INFORMAL style is used by people who know each other, but are not close friends or where there is a slight age difference.
--The INTIMATE style is used between siblings, spouses, close friends and associates of the same age or younger.
Korean television broadcasting started in 1956. Today, there are five Korean-language TV networks (non-cable):
--KBS1 (Korean Broadcasting System) - no commercials are shown on this network.
--KBS2 (Korean Broadcasting System)
--MBC (Munhwa Broadcasting Company)
--SBS (Seoul Broadcasting System)
--EBS (Educational Broadcasting System)
Korea also has many cable TV stations.
KOREAN MONEY
South Korean currency is called won. The symbol for won is a capital W with 2 horizontal lines across it. Since the won symbol is not available on this website, I am using W instead.. Bills are available in denominations of W1,000, W5,000 and W10,000. Coins are available for W1, W5, W10, W50, W100 and W500. As of April 4, 2001, one US $1.00 equals W1,369.
NO TIPPING
Tipping is not practiced by native Koreans in Korea. However, tourists are expected to tip for tourist-related servies (for example, travel guides expect to receive a tip from foreign tourists). In tourist hotels, a mandatory 10% service charge is common.
EASY MONEY
The South Korean government will pay you W1,000,000 to W5,000,000 for each North Korean spy you report.
HOMES
Due to the freezing winter climate, most Korean homes do not have many windows or doors. Ondol, a heat-radiating network of pipes under the floor, is used to warm certain rooms in the house. Originally, ondol involved circulating exhaust fumes from the kitchen range through flues under the floor. However, since carbon monoxide poisoning could occur if cracks developed in the floor, modern ondol systems instead pump hot water through the pipes to heat the floors.
Since heat emanates from the floors using ondol, Koreans sit and sleep on the floor to take advantage of the warmth. Traditionally, the floors are covered with lacquered paper which turns yellow with age. Nowdays, the floors are covered with linoleum, and oil (rather than charcoal) heaters are used to heat the water.
Read more about ondol in a 11/10/05 Korea Times article at: times.hankooki.
com/lpage/culture/200511/kt200511101
9031211690.htm.
For articles about Korean culture and customs, click here.
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