What I know about the Korean culture so far.

[Shumiston]

Well my friend is half-korean half-white. His mom is 100% Korean though. Being around her have taught me a thing or two about the korean culture. Here is what I know:
1. Like many other asian cultures they are very neat. They will often have you take your shoes off when you first walk into their house. They try to keep things as neat and clean as possible. This doesn't apply to everybody though.
2. Like many other asian cultures, they usually use strict discipline.
3. Did you know that when you go to korea and eat at a restaurant and leave food on your plate when you leave, you get a fine?
That's about all I know about the culture so far. If you would please, share what you know too!

[steved]

Shumiston,
Firstly, 반갑습니다!
I think this site is going to grow into a great community for learning Korean as well as learning about the Korean culture.
I would agree that by American standards (being a 미국 사람 myself) Koreans are fairly strict with their children but there is also a major differnece in the way the educational system functions within that framework of family and society. I am sure someone somewhere has written a book...
As for the fines at a restaurant for not eating all of your food... I think that only happens at meal time at my Dad's house . Seriously, I have never heard of such a thing and, having eaten out in Korea quite a lot, I have never been 'fined'. As for basic manners, not eating all of your rice may be considered rude to the ones giving you the meal but that doesn't apply in a restaurant generally, only at someone's home.

[Shumiston]

well, I dont know for sure but my friend said that when he went there his aunt told him to finish all the food otherwise there would be fines. Anyways, hmm...

[JockZon]

I cannot get why it's so exotic to take of your shoes when you enter someones home. That's common in most parts of europe (I cannot speak for all countries but). It's just weird to walk in with your shoes. Then you have to clean an extra time. Think if the shoes are muddy???

[hyunwoo]

Welcome to the forum Shumiston, nice to meet you. Thank you for sharing your knowledge Just like Steve said, this website is going to grow into an amazing community where we can all learn from one another.

Being a Korean myself and living in Seoul, I agree with everything you mentioned except for the "fine". I mean, what you know is correct, and you see these "남기면 벌금(there's a fine against left-over food)" signs quite often in restaurants in Korea (especially low-cost buffets) but this is hardly implemented. They post these signs on the wall to prevent people from having more than necessary on their plates and the restaurant owners won't really like to see their food go into waste, right?

And this is very unique to Korea because whatever you order, you get at least more than five(sometimes seven or eight) sidedishes coming along with the 'main dish'. The restaurants serve these sidedishes not because they want to offer more and more, but simply because Korean people are just used to eating that way in their homes.

Thank you for bringing up a very interesting topic, but I assure you that you don't really have to worry about the food you leave uneaten in a restaurant when you come to Korea.

[steved]

We have always had a policy to remove shoes when coming into the house but my wife is Korean. However, we have friends who are everyday Americans who remove their shoes in their homes as well. You're right, it makes sense to keep the house clean. One reason for leaving shoes on here in America is probably because of the prevalence of carpet. I don't think carpet is so common elsewhere, certainly not in Asia.
I think that the policy of not leaving food on your plate at a buffet is not unique to Korea either. It just makes sense.

[Keith]

that's old school traditional Korean style.

My uncle told me he used to get hit if he didn't finish the last grain of rice. I wasn't raised that way, but I started to eat like that don't know why, but I can't leave a grain of rice in my bowl.

[hyunwoo]

don't know why, but I can't leave a grain of rice in my bowl.

Same here! ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[SiEd]

don't know why, but I can't leave a grain of rice in my bowl.

Same here! ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Same here the third time - I guess this is a common East/Southeast Asian thing.

[sierras3]

My uncle told me he used to get hit if he didn't finish the last grain of rice.

Gosh... that's scary... hehe! Well, in the Chinese culture, we are also told not to waste food, and to finish everything on your plate. There are 2 common comments an adult would make to a child who doesn't finish his/her rice...

1. You're gonna get a wife/husband with spotty face, acne, etc. T_T
2. Do you know how hard a farmer & his buffalo toils to make a single grain of rice??? [insert long story about farming]

The 2nd one is usually used by my grandma... so it's the same for me... never a single grain of rice left... I'm personally more concerned about point No.1

Buffet fines are common in Asia...

As for shoes... we take off our shoes before entering the house, here in Malaysia... even when there isn't a carpet. But I've noticed that some people in Hong Kong and China don't do that. I dunno why... they're Chinese... I'm Chinese... hmmm... I would probably yell at anyone who doesn't take off his/her shoes before entering my house... hehe! My mom does that... Washing our feet the moment we come home from an outing is also encouraged, since we wear sandals here more than shoes, and the dust from the outing would be stuck on our feet. But of course... we don't expect that from the guests. However, my friends wash their feet whenever they come to my house, after taking off their shoes... I dunno if it's because they know that I like to keep my home/room clean, or that they happen to like having clean feet.