Republic of South

Korea
 theme
01 Culture 04 Costumbers
02 Coin
05 Tipycal food

03 Population 06 Lenguage

07 Locate
 01
Culture
 Culture
Culture
Korean culture is as nuanced as the topography of South Korea. This beautiful peninsula studded with some 3,000
islands has a long history, which has resulted in a unique people. Koreans are different from other Asian groups in
their language, food, clothing, and culture.

To know the history of South Korea and its culture we must go back in time, about 5 thousand years. The Go Joseon
kingdom marks the starting point of Korean history, marred for long periods by wars and invasions by Asian dynasties
and Western governments.

Table-type dolmens at Bugeun-ri, Ganghwa

Table-type dolmens at Bugeun-ri, Ganghwa. Photo: Korea.net

Korea's strategic location has proven to be a disadvantage for its security. Powerful governments have wanted to
dominate it, and as a defensive resource South Korea has isolated itself almost completely from the rest of the Asian
countries. This has undoubtedly contributed to making Korean culture unique and special.

A clear example of this uniqueness is its language. Although it is classified as an Altaic language, linguists
acknowledge that it is a language isolate. Actually, it is not related to any other language. All the traditions and the
varied Korean ancestral art coexist to this day with the modernity of the populous South Korea.
 Korean
Koreantraditional arts
traditional arts
Korean culture is captivating, whoever sees a Korean dance for the first time is sure to be speechless, it is a
display of art, harmony and color. One of these dances, perhaps the most popular, is the crane dance. It was
created in imitation of these beautiful birds that have wintered in South Korea for centuries.

 Traditional music (Gugak)

 Traditional music (Gugak)
 Traditional music (Gugak). Photo: Korea.net

Korean traditional music and the rest of the arts, such as singing and dancing, are grouped together and
called with a single term "Gugak". This term was coined by the Jangagwon government agency, created by
the Joseon dynasty, in order to preserve Korean music and distinguish it from foreign music.

The Gugak has its classification according to the type of music in question. In this sense, we can
distinguish:
Legitimate music (jeongak or jeongga) Folk music
(pansori, sanjo, japga) Music for status events
(jeongjae) Traditional Buddhist music (salpuri,
seungmu) Poetic songs (gagok, sijo) In 2012, the
Korean folk song "Arirang" was listed as an
Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This is
one of the most popular songs among the Korean
people, particularly valued for its soulful melodies
and lyrics. This and other international
recognitions prove that King Sejong's interest in
culture is shared by the Korean people.
Traditional dance (Folk
dance)
Dance is a fundamental part of South Korean cultural
heritage. The traditional dance dates back to the Goryeo
dynasty. This has undergone some modifications over the
centuries. However, he continues to combine movements
that imitate animals as a ritual to achieve well-being, health
and fortune.

Of all the folk dances, that of the crane is the only one where
masks that simulate birds are used. This dance is a longevity
ritual and contains prayers for the well-being and health of
the royal family. This is one of the most striking due to the
descriptive movements of the dancers imitating cranes with
their wings outstretched.

Traditional dance is linked to the life of the Korean people

from greater Seoul to rural communities. We can see their
performances anywhere on the peninsula, at a fair, in a large
theater or in a simple farm field.
 Traditional costume
Korean traditional clothing is a reflection of their love of life and respect for values. They
are discreet garments that preserve good taste and modesty, known as hanbok.
According to Korean history, this clothing has retained its basic design for about 5,000
years.

Nowadays hanbok are worn with beautiful colors and patterns although their Korean
ancestors preferred the color White. Currently, traditional Korean clothing is worn only
for special occasions such as weddings or certain traditional festivals.

Koreans are known as the “white clothed people” because of their penchant for white
clothing and admiration for the color white. However, Koreans have also enjoyed colorful
clothing with complex designs depending on the age and social status of the wearer.

This traditional clothing is made up of a blouse with long, wide sleeves and a skirt that
reaches just below the bust, topped with a ribbon. The color of these dresses is very
varied and most have delicate embroidery. The male handok consists of a blouse
(jeogori) and wide pants called javi.
South Korea is the
birthplace of great fashion
designers. This has
generated the creation of
modern styles that
combine the traditional
hanbok with new patterns,
giving rise to the
modernized hanbok.
02
Coin
Korean
Korean won
won
The South Korean won or simply won, whose plural in
Spanish is wones, is the legal tender of South Korea. It is
divided into 100 chones, although there are no coins of
this denomination. Its ISO 4217 code is KRW, and its
symbol ₩.
 Coins: ₩1, ₩5, ₩10, ₩50, ₩100 and ₩500
 Symbol: ₩
 Banknotes: ₩1,000, ₩2,000 (commemorative),
₩5,000, ₩10,000 and ₩50,000
ISO code: KRW
Issuer: Bank of Korea
Fraction: 100 jeon
Country: South Korea, Korea
 03
Population
 Population
Population
Population
51,439,038 inhabitants (January
5
2023). 4.5
 Capital: Seoul (10,349,312 4
3.5
inhabitants). 3
 Other cities: Busan (3,678,555 2.5
inhabitants) 2
 Incheon (2,628,000 pop.) 1.5
1
 Daegu (2,266,540 pop.) 0.5
 Daejeon (1,475,221 pop.) 0
 Gwangju (1,416,938 + 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 14 4
0 -9 0-8 0-7 -6 -5 0-4 0-3 -2 _ 0_
10 9 0 8 7 6 0 5 0 4 3 2 0
10
inhabitants)
 Etc... women men
 04
Costumbers
 Customs and good
manners in South Korea
South Korea is a society basad on respect and, specifically, on respect for
the elderly. You will have to modify your expressions and way of behaving
depending on the age of the person you are talking to. Therefore, don't be
surprised if your age is one of the first things they want to know about you
(to determine what relationship they can establish with you).

In Korean culture, the minor always has to treat the elder with respect by
adopting cades of conduct. This also goes for people who rank higher than
you at work.

Here is a list of "do's and don'ts" in South Korea to avoid

misunderstandings
 When you receive or give something to someone older, you should put both hands up to
show respect.
 To say hello, you usually have to bow your head down. To show even more respect for
an older person or your boss, you have to get up to say hello.
 At the table, you must wait for them to tell you where to sit. In addition, tradition
dictates that the oldest person is the one who heads the table and the one who starts
eating. It is also customary for this to pay the bill, so it's normal to start! On the other
hand, there is a phrase, equivalent to our “Enjoy it!”, that you must say before each
meal ( 잘 먹겠습니다 – Chal mokesubnida). This means "I will eat well" and is a way
of thanking the person who has prepared the food.
 Do not lift your plate from the table while you eat and approach them to taste the food
 Never stick chopsticks into the bowl of rice, as it resembles incense used at funerals.
 If you drink Soju with a Korean, it is essential that you keep an eye on their glass. If
you see that it is empty, you must serve it immediately.
 When an older person offers you something to drink, it is impolite to refuse and, as we
said before, you must put both your hands around the glass when they serve you.
 Also, if you are invited to someone's home, it is very important that you remove your
shoes before entering. Surely they will offer you some slippers to be at home.
 05
Tipycal
food
 traditional cuisine
Korean culture exhibits exquisite gastronomy, for something South Korea is compared to Italy. Food
is always prepared with well-being in mind, in enjoying something delicious and healthy.

The flavors that predominate in traditional Korean cuisine are intense and spicy. Fermentation has a
lot to do with these flavors, fermented foods are normal in Korean cuisine. The degree of
fermentation of food depends on the taste of food.

These are the most representative dishes of traditional cuisine in South Korea:
 Kimchi
 Bibimbap
 Bulgogi
 Ganjang
 Gochujang
 Jeotgal
 Doenjang
 Tteok
 Juk
 Janchiguksu
 Hanjeongsik
 Kimchi
Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish that is well
known throughout the world for its flavor and
nutritional value. The great variety of kimchi that
we can get in Korean cuisine stands out, there are
some 180 different ways to prepare this dish based
on Chinese cabbage.

The flavor of this food is intense, salty and spicy

and the smell of kimchi is extremely strong due to
the fermentation process. Among the benefits that
kimchi provides are its contribution of vitamins, the
control of obesity and its antioxidant power
 Bibimbap
Bibimbap is a rice dish cooked
with a variety of vegetables, beef,
garnishes, and gochujang (Korean
chili sauce). It is cited as one of
the three representative dishes of
Korean cuisine, along with Kimchi
and bulgogi.
 06
Lenguage
 Hangul
The Korean alphabet or hangul (revised
romanization of Korean, hangul;
McCune-Reischauer, han'gŭl; Yale, han-
kul) is the native Korean alphabet (in
contrast to hanja, or Chinese
characters).1 Each Hangul syllabic
block consists of any of the 24
phonemes (jamo): 14 consonants and 10
vowels. Historically, it had 3 consonants
and one more vowel.

These syllabic blocks can be written

both horizontally, from left to right, and
vertically, from top to bottom, with the
columns arranged from right to left.
 07
Locate
 Locate
The Republic of Korea, known as South Korea, is a
country in East Asia, located in the southern part of the
Korean peninsula. It limits to the north with the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea,
or North Korea), with which it formed a single country
until 1945. To the east lies the Sea of ​Japan or the East
Sea, to the south the Korea Strait, which separates it
from Japan, and to the west the Yellow Sea. Its territory
includes the southern half of the Korean peninsula,
encompassing some three thousand islands that
surround it, among which Jeju, Ulleungdo and Dokdo
stand out. Approximately half of the country's
population lives in its capital, Seoul, or in its
metropolitan area, which is one of the. Korea is one of
the oldest civilizations in the world.
 08
Transportati
on
regional services
buses
Expressway bus lane on the Gyeongbu Expressway in South
Korea.
The regional bus service serves virtually all South Korean
cities of all sizes. Regional routes are categorized as gosok bus
( 고속버스 , "high-speed" express bus), which operate over
longer distances and make the fewest (if any) stops along the
route, or sioe bus ( 시외 버스 , intercity "commuter" bus),
which generally operate shorter distances, are somewhat
slower, and make more stops. From Seoul, the main station is
the Express Bus Terminal.

local services

Some cities have their own bus classification system

Local bus in Seoul
Within cities and towns, two types of city buses
generally operate: jwaseok ( 좌석 ) and dosihyeong
( 도 시 형 ) or ipseok ( 입 석 ). Both types of buses
often serve the same routes, make around the same
stops, and operate at similar frequencies, but
jwaseok buses are more expensive and offer
comfortable seats, while doshihyeong buses are
cheaper and have fewer and less comfortable seats. .
Many cities and small towns do not have jwaseok
buses and their buses are officially called
nongeochon ( 농어촌 , "rural area" bus). Local buses
in Seoul and other cities operate by color: blue buses
go all the way across the city, green ones mean that
some of their stops are near a subway station, and
red buses leave the city.