South Korea

• Having been in the cultural sphere of China for much of its history, substantial Chinese influences are evident in traditional Korean culture. Nevertheless, many fundamental differences remain, and Korea has retained a distinct cultural identity from its larger neighbor. Koreans are fiercely proud of their heritage and their resistance to outside domination.
• During the Joseon dynasty, Korea's dominant philosophy was a strict form of Confucianism, perhaps even stricter than the Chinese original. People were separated into a rigid hierarchy, with the king at the apex, a nobility (양반 yangban) comprising of the elite civilian and military officials below him, a middle class of petty civil servants (중인 chungin) below them, and then a vast population of commoners (상민 sangmin) below that. There was another smaller caste below the commoners, known as the cheonmin (천민), who held jobs considered "unclean" such as butchers, prostitutes and slaves. The educated were superior to the uneducated, women served men, and everybody stuck to a defined role or faced severe consequences. Korea adopted its version of the imperial examination system invented by and used in China to select officials, creating somewhat of a premodern meritocracy for the government like its Chinese counterpart, though, unlike the Chinese version, the Korean version was largely restricted to the yangban and chungin classes. Buddhism was suppressed mainly due to the widespread corruption and greed of monks and temples during the waning stages of the Goryeo dynasty. While the Joseon dynasty ceased to exist in 1910, its legacy lives on in Korean culture: education and hard work are valued above all else, employees are expected to be unquestioningly obedient to their bosses, and women still struggle for equal treatment.
• Koreans believe that the things that set them the most apart from other Asian cultures are their cuisine, language, and Hangul script. Outsiders will note their extreme modernity, tempered by a well-developed artistic and architectural joyfulness. Nothing goes undecorated if it can be helped, and they have a knack for stylish interior design. South Korea also has a vibrant film and TV industry, and the country is one of only a few in the world where local films have a larger market share than Hollywood films.
• South Koreans firmly hold on to many ancient traditions that go back thousands of years, yet paradoxically, they are often obsessed with the latest technology. Consumer devices with amazing advanced technology developed in Korea are often several years ahead of the rest of the world.
• South Korea has a significant number of Christians (18% Protestants, 11% Roman Catholic) and Buddhists (23% practicing, 47% non-practicing), and churches can be found in the towns and temples, and monasteries on hills. Over a third of the country professes to follow no particular organized religion. However, most people (including Christians) are still strongly influenced by traditional Korean Buddhist and Confucian philosophies that seeped into the Korean cultural background. Islam and several religions of Korean origin also have a few followers in parts of the country.
• The game of Go, called baduk in Korean, is a traditional pastime and some of the world's strongest players are Korean.

• Tipping is not expected anywhere in South Korea and is not practiced by Koreans. It could be considered an insult between Koreans as it is regarded as giving someone charity, although people generally know of American tipping culture and would be understanding of a foreigner doing this.
• Many hotels and a few tourist restaurants add 10% service charge on their bills. Bellhops, hotel maids, taxi drivers and bars frequented by Westerners will not reject any tips that you care to hand out.
• Restaurants sometimes provide complimentary food or drinks to customers as a sign of generosity or to reward customer loyalty. Just as in Japan, this is colloquially known as "service".

• South Korean healthcare is known for its excellence in both research and clinical medicine, and most towns will be able to offer a high quality of healthcare. The sheer number of hospitals and specialized clinics in the country will also offer you a greater amount of choice. Healthcare is subsidized by the government and is relatively cheap compared to most western countries. Expatriate workers who have the required medical insurance card will experience further discounts. South Korea also promotes medical tourism where quality operations can be had for a fraction of the price of many other developed countries.
• South Korea is especially known for having a thriving plastic surgery industry, and the vast majority of South Korean celebrities have undergone cosmetic surgery to one degree or another. It is also common for parents who can afford it to pay for their daughters to go under the knife to achieve the "perfect look". The downside is that seeing the top plastic surgeons is usually very expensive.
• Most South Korean doctors can communicate well in English, being the most highly educated in the country. (Indeed, many have achieved their medical qualifications in the United States.) However, you may find them a little difficult to understand due to their Korean accent, so do ask them to slow down and go through things with you clearly. On the other hand, nurses will very rarely speak much, if any, English.
• Traditional Chinese medicine, along with traditional Korean medicine (한의학 hanuihak or 향약 hyangyak), is highly regarded in South Korea and involves many traditional methods including acupuncture, heating and herbal medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine has deep roots and practitioners must undergo strict government certification in order to practice. Typically Koreans use Oriental medicine for chronic ailments such as back pain and Western medicine for sudden injuries. Due to the holistic nature of Oriental medicine (i.e. treating the whole body rather than a specific ailment) it is very hard to measure its effectiveness, but nevertheless it is a widely trusted part of the Korean medical system. Western medicine, however, does not generally recognize the effectiveness of the procedures in Oriental medicine.
• Pharmacies are available everywhere, and are indicated by one very large word 약 (yak). As hospitals in South Korea are not allowed to dispense take-home prescriptions there will almost always be a separate pharmacy available there.
• Tap water in South Korea is perfectly safe to drink, although you may want to follow the local habits of boiling and filtering if only to get rid of the chlorine smell. Bottled mineral water from Jeju Island is also very popular. Fresh mountain spring water is available directly in wells around the country (especially Buddhist monasteries), and although these are generally safe, the water has not been treated in any way and could be unsafe.

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