Korea has a lot of unique cultural and economic characteristics. You'll be surprised at how some things are completely different from your home country.

Let's take a look at 14 characteristics of Korea that you might find strange.

1. Conversations About Blood Types

Some people believe in supernatural things, and Koreans like to believe in personality tests and traits. A lot of them will try to get to know you better by asking what your blood type is. Remember this is not weird in Korea!

2. Hardest Drinkers In Asia

You might already know that Koreans like to drink a lot. But you wouldn't have known that they rank top in Asia. According to WHO, an average Korean drink 12.3 litres per year, which is 17th highest in the world.

The high supply of liquor also calls for locals to come up with their own cocktail recipes using accessible liquor like soju.

3. DMZ Is A Wildlife Sanctuary

DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) is located between South and North Korea. Since it is in the borderline of two armed forces, it is not touched by humans. It has become an ideal place for plants and animals to live.

4. Plastic Surgery

Plastic surgeries are getting more and more common in Korea, and it is not a thing to hide anymore. Korea has the highest annual rate of plastic surgeries in the world.

It is estimated that 1 out of 4 women in Seoul have had at least one surgery. Some parents book a double eyelid surgery as a graduation gift for their children.

5. Valentine's Day Presents

In Korea, on Valentine's Day, women give chocolates to men. On March 14th, which is called White Day in Korea, men give presents to women.

6. Ham And Cooking Oils As Gifts

On Korean New Years Day or Thanksgiving Day (chuseok), Korean people give ham or cooking oils as a gift. In other countries, we hear these are not common gifts given on holidays.

7. Craze For Men's Cosmetics

It's become a norm for men to wear makeup. According to statistics, men's cosmetic market in Korea is approximately 1.4 trillion KRW, which is one-fourth of the world market. More than 20% of men wear makeup regularly in Korea which is not surprising given that Korea is famous for its endless variety of cosmetics.

8. Low Obesity Rate

In Korea, only 3.2% of people are overweight. It is second in the world, following Japan, the least overweight country.

9. Do Not Write Names In Red

If you write a person's name in red, many Koreans believe it's bad luck for the owner of the name.

10. Women Take Control In Jeju

In Jeju Island, women used to earn money while men do the house works which is different from the patriarchy of the other regions in olden days of Korea. These ladies are called hae-nyeo, and they are divers who catch fish, abalone, squids, and more.

Nowadays, men also go out to work and earn money on the island!

11. The Most Common Surname

The most common surname in Korea is "Kim". More than 20% of Koreans use this name.

12. Most Mobile Phones In The World

According to a research done in 2019, 95% of Koreans had a smartphone while the remaining 5% had a regular cellphone, which brings the total to 100%. Pretty much everyone in Korea has a cellphone! It has the highest rate of smartphone ownership in the world.

13. World's Largest Seaweed Production

More than 90% of the global seaweed is produced and exported from Korea. Both dried and regular seaweed are popular among locals.

14. Don't Sleep With Fans On

Some Koreans used to have superstitions that sleeping with electric fans running can cause death by low body temperature.

Sources: KBS News,
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