Facts About South Korea

Are you planning to visit South Korea. If yes then you are truly privileged. It is famous for its distinctive culture and heritage. Read on to acquaint yourself about some interesting facts of this fascinating country.

Facts about South Korea

Facts about South Korean culture

• The eldest in the house is considered the most wise, and therefore makes most of the important decisions.
• When you enter a South Korean home, the first thing you do is remove your shoes.
• When the first night of the new year comes everybody hides their shoes. This is because there is a belief that a ghost will come down and try on everyone’s shoes. If the ghost finds a pair it likes it will take it. It is thought that the owner of the shoes will then have bad luck for the whole year.
• Korean architecture is influenced by China.
• The martial art ‘Tae kwon do’ originated in Korea.

Facts about South Korean History

• South Korea has a history of over 5000 years.
• In Korean mythology there is a story about how the Korean nation was born. The story is that a god named Hwanung came from heaven and transformed a bear into a woman. He married her and she gave birth to a son, Tangun, the founder of Korea. Tangun created the first capital of the Korean nation in 2333 B.C and called it Joseon – ‘Land of the Morning Calm’.
• Prehistoric remains found throughout Korea indicate that early in the history of the Korean Peninsula the inhabitants used sophisticated technologies. These people believed that all objects had spirits (also called animism). They also believed that some people had the power to communicate with these spirits, which is also known as shamanism. Farming at this time included cultivating rice. This was around 3,500 years ago at the start of the Bronze Age. Many farm tools have been found from this period.
• In 1910, Korea became a Japanese colony. Korea was under Japanese rule for 35 years.
• North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950 with goal of unifying the Koreas under communist rule, The United Nations intervened in the war and there was a ceasefire in 1953. The border between South and North Korea remains one of the heaviest militarized zones in the world. Efforts are going on for their peaceful reunification.