South Korea

South Korea has a population of over 45 million people, making it the 25th most populated country in the world. The main city centres include Inchon, Pusan, Seoul and Taegu.

Not to be confused with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), the Republic of Korea (South Korea) lies in the southern half of the Korean peninsula. Tensions between North and South Korea are infamous, however, summit talks between Korean leaders have considerably lessened this tension.

South Korea has a democratic government that ensures all citizens equality, personal freedom and human rights. The country's nine provinces and five districts are governed by a series of elected officials since 1995.

Korea is a country filled with a friendly population of diligent, controlled people who continue to endure any of life's hardships presented to them. It is a country rich in tradition and struggle, but also a country growing and expanding with the times. As a foreign national, you will be treated with respect and will find this country culturally stimulating as well as beautiful.


Climate
South Korea has a climate that is divided into four distinct seasons. The Korean summer is generally hot and humid, with an average temperature of 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit). Fall is by far the most colourful time of year in South Korea, with leaves changing colours to red, orange and yellow. In late fall the transition to winter begins, with temperatures dropping and leaves falling. The average winter temperature is between zero and seven degrees Celsius (32 and 44 degrees Fahrenheit), but the coldest weather can be ten degrees below zero (14 degrees Fahrenheit) with a windchill of 20 degrees below zero (four degrees below zero Fahrenheit). With spring comes a temperature of approximately 11 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit).

One distinct characteristic of South Korean climate is a strong wind that is present year round, generally blowing from the northwest to the south in the winter and the opposite in the summer. Summer sees the most rainfall, with winter seeing the least, and fall and spring falling somewhere in between.

The Culture
Korea's social culture is sculpted by Buddhist, Confucian and Christian traditions, with elements of all three religions expressed in daily life. The Buddhist concept of fatalism is what enables the Koreans to continue to endure all that is handed to them. With the hope that all hardships and difficulties will one day reap their reward, the Koreans continue to strive towards excellence.

The Confucian aspect of society is reflected in the discreet suppression of emotion. Most Koreans keep a quiet and reserved exterior without ever displaying any type of extreme emotion. This does not mean that there is no emotion. Koreans are very sensitive to their own feelings as well as to those of others.

Considered to be a uniform society of homogeneous nature, Koreans takes great pride in their distinct attributes and physical characteristics that unite the entire country. In addition, great care is given to maintaining the common society through one language and culture that has been retained despite the many years of oppression from other nations.

Like many Asian cultures, there are a variety of ways in which Koreans greet each other, depending on status and age. The traditional greeting is a bow with a handshake. When doing the handshake always extend your left hand on the right hand of the person you are shaking as this is a sign of respect, especially for the elders. It is quite common for men to shake hands, but women rarely do.

Greetings are always done with a “Mr.,” “Mrs.” or “Ms.” followed by the family name. First names are never used unless you are on very friendly terms. Korean names normally consist of three Korean words, first being the family name and the last two denotes the first name. One of the two letters of the first name sometimes denote the clan and thus has some rules. (Unlike most Western countries, Koreans have many more first names than the last names.) When addressing a Korean use the family name or full name followed by the phrase "sonsaengnim," which means "respected person."

Koreans follow the Confucian edict which means that dignity, status and courtesy generally guide social behaviour. People are brought up to be hard working and modest about their success. Whilst they can be very direct, they will still be polite and treat you with respect. Koreans do not like to criticise or have public forms of disagreement as this is in contrast with the ideal of harmony and order.

Koreans may show a little impatience for waiting in line. They are used to crowding into a space on the bus, train or in a store.

Women
Compared to many societies, especially Western societies which boast female equality, gender roles in South Korea may seem quite different. It is most important that foreign nationals understand that different gender roles in South Korea may not be what they are accustomed to, and should always respect Korean culture and tradition. South Korea is considered by many to be a male-dominated society, and women are traditionally defined by their relationship to a male family member.

However, changes are taking place, especially in the major cities, where there is more industrialisation and exposure to Western culture.

Language
Korean is the national language of Korea, although Japanese is widely understood by the older generations who had studied under Japanese ruling (1910-1945). English is the language of business and is taught in schools. Most educated people may have studied English with a high concentration on reading and writing in school therefore making communication less difficult. However, not all of the Koreans speak English. It may be a good idea to learn some phrases in the language to get along outside of the office.

Korean is based on the hangul alphabet and is somewhat easy to learn. You may be presented with some slight confusions when confronted with a Romanization of a Korean word. For example, when travelling Chamsil, Chamshil and Jamshil all are the same place. The Roman letters ch and j, b and p, d and t, and s and sh are interchangeable. To further the confusion, official Romanization has changed over the years.

As in most foreign countries, when speaking with an individual who may not speak fluent English, it may be beneficial to talk slow and repeat important words or phrases whenever necessary. Most Koreans who are high school graduates may understand several written words, so writing English on a piece of paper can suffice as a last resort to communicate. Keep in mind that non-verbal communication is almost important as the spoken words. You will find non-verbal communication is a large part of Korean life. Pay strict attention to it and do not accept it as rude.


Religion
Korean religion is a combination of beliefs and ideals that have been adopted from traditional religions. The most predominate religion in South Korea is Buddhism with Christianity coming second. Both religions have a large impact on the daily lives of the Koreans. In addition to the main organised religions, Koreans are adamant followers of Confucianism.

Confucianism is based on a strict set of rules pertaining to social conduct. The underlying understanding of Confucianism is harmony. Harmony in all aspects of life, be it family, business or emotion, is to be obtained in order prevent social disruption. Everyone in society has a purpose and a place, and this should always be remembered and respected. Trust, piety, loyalty, respect and positional distinction are components that are instilled into every aspect of daily life.


Shamanism
The invocation and worship of spiritual deities are the basis of shamanism. Despite several strong attempts to eliminate such beliefs from society, shamanism has become entrenched in modern Korean Buddhist, Christian and Confucian rituals. Shamanism stresses the importance of spiritual existence and relation to every part of nature. Everything has a spirit attached to it, either good or bad, that must be appeased in order to maintain harmony.

Korean mudangs, commonly women with the ability to communicate with the spirits, serve as the go-betweens for the spiritual world. When confronted with a problem in life, a mudang will conduct a kut--a ceremony to help appease the spirit -- in order to rejuvenate personal harmony.

For the new generation, however, the influences of shamanism are not so obvious as it used to be, but those have melted deeply in the whole society under the form of varous taboos such as "you don't go to someone's funeral if you yourself have recently lost someone close, or, if you are scheduled to be married soon."

Public Holidays New Year Holiday (1January)
Lunar New Year Holiday* (January or February)
Samil-chul-Independence Movement Day (1 March)
Arbour Day (5 April)
Buddha's Birthday* (April or May)
Labour Day (1 May)
Children's Day (5 May)
Memorial Day (6 June)
Constitution Commemoration Day (17 July)
Independence Day (15 August)
Chusuk Holiday-Full Moon Festival* (September or October)
National Foundation Day (3 October)
Christmas Day (25 December)

*Because these holidays are scheduled according to the lunar new year, the dates that they are held changes every year.

Embassies in South Korea
An embassy is the official representation of a country within another country. Embassies are almost always located in the national capital of the country. American embassies are in, for example, Seoul, Madrid, Mexico City, London, Paris, etc.

Consulates can be thought of as embassy "branch offices." They are located in major cities, geographically distributed for convenience. The number of consulates in a foreign country depends on the need for representation and cost of running a consulate. For example, many governments maintain consulates in Zurich, Switzerland, which is a major city but not a national capital.

Most of the embassies of the world have homes on the Internet to complement their addresses in their country. To obtain the most up-to-date information online for street, Internet or email addresses, and telephone or fax numbers, use one or all of the sites listed below:

www.embassyworld.com – links to embassies and consulates worldwide

www.embassy.org – links to foreign embassies in the USA

http://travel.state.gov - links to US embassies abroad

If you would like more information regarding relocating and assigning employees to South Korea, please contact info@relojournal.com.