Korean Culture | Unique Superstitions And Beliefs

Although Korea has progressed very rapidly in pretty much every aspect, there are still ancient beliefs that are held onto today as part of Korean tradition.

Today, let's take a look at some of the fascinating superstitions in Korea.

Fascinating Korean Folklore

Source: 아시아경제

Believe it or not, most Koreans aged 20-30, both men and women, believe in some sort of superstition.

7 out of 10 said they hold superstitious beliefs about every day life.

By gender it was found that the three beliefs most common in men were that if you give shoes as a gift to your partner it will cause a break up (36.6%), the your zodiac affects your relationship compatibility (18.8%), and blood type beliefs (13.8%).

In women, the top three were couples zodiac compatibility (30.2%), blood type beliefs (19%), and if you catch the wedding bouquet, if you are not married within six months, you will have to live alone for three years.

So besides these, what other beliefs do Koreans hold?

Blinded By Butterflies

During the summer in Korea, there are a lot of insects, including butterflies, and Korean children enjoy catching them, but are often warned by adults that if you catch a butterfly, don't touch it with your hands because it could cause blindness.

This is a belief that may not be related to superstition, but rather to science.

Most butterflies, in principle, have pollen on their body and wings, which if you rub in your eyes, could cause an allergic reaction, but if you just tell a child it will cause an allergic reaction, they may not be as careful, so for many years, Koreans have said that it will make you go blind.

Jumping Over Babies

There is a Korean belief that jumping over a baby will stunt the child's growth.

This belief was probably created to prevent harm to babies, as you could accidentally fall or step on the baby.

But there is also the belief that you should not measure a sleeping baby, because it is like measuring a corpse to determine the size of the coffin.

It is therefore considered a bad omen, as is saying that the baby is so heavy while they are sleeping.

In the past, many babies died before they even reached 100 days old, which is why there are many superstitions surrounding babies and death, and also why a baby's 100th day is celebrated.

Apples Before Bed

Koreans believe that eating apples at night will cause poisoning.

This may come from the fact that eating certain foods before bedtime can cause bad indigestion and acid reflux.

In fact though, apples contain natural acids that help reduce acid reflux symptoms and indigestion, so eating an apple before bed, should not cause any harm.

Leg Shaking

Source: MBC

For Koreans there is a belief that shaking your legs will make good luck "fly away", but this belief is probably derived from shaking your legs as a behavior that should not be done in front of others because it may look disrespectful.

There is another story though from the Joseon Era that tells of a man named Kim Bong Nak (김봉낙).

The story goes that one day, Kim Bong Nak sat and shook his legs, annoying his mother until she shouted "다리 떨지마 봉낙아!", pronounced dari tteoljima Bong Naka, which sounds like "bok naga" (복 나가), which means "good luck, float away".

The Crow's Cry

Crows are considered bad luck by Koreans because they are messengers between the world of the dead and the living.

When the crow cries, it is believed that it is a sign of death itself.

The 12th Reflection

Most elevators have mirrors on all 4 sides, creating a 360-degree reflection and very multi-dimensional image.

This is convenient for checking to make sure your hair or make up or outfit looks neat.

However, there is a belief that if you count 12 reflections in the mirror, you will die.

Reflection 12, even though it looks like you, is actually a spirit. Or maybe it looks like someone else entirely.

Next time you enter an elevator, will you save to look?

These were some interesting Korean superstitions.

While some may be based in fact, some see to be pure fantasy and imagination gone wild.

I hope you enjoyed learning a bit about Korean culture and if you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments!