KOREA: A PENINSULA YOU SHOULD KNOW
by Andrea L. Anderson
Korea is a divided country (North and South) on a small peninsula with some very large issues concerning the reunification of their split country. It is also a country based on centuries of religions that follow very polite and respectful roles towards each other. As reserved and serious as this culture seems, it is not without its lighter side. Because I have a Korean friend my goal is to give an overview of Korea along with a brief look into their customs, etiquettes, and daily lives.
While schools in the United States have begun to take bullying and trickery much more seriously and have started a campaign against these nasty little practices, playground antics still have a place in the conference room and the battlefield: Korea is proof. North and South Korean’s, along with North Korea’s friends, the former Soviet Union, and South Korea’s ally, the United States, have been known to resort to these acquired skills to intimidate and antagonize each other. This can be seen on the border dividing the two political entities and in the conference room when they are negotiating peace talks. There was a time when you could walk along this border, if you dared, and expect to be bombarded with music as the two sides imposed their patriotic music and other messages towards each other. You could, and still can, see North Korea’s polite request for the departure of the United States on signs saying, “Yankee Go Home.” Of course these are written in Korean, which most Americans are unable to read. You are also well advised to be very careful about body language and gestures that the North may find offensive (Peloso, 2004).
North Koreans and their friends have also tried intimidation tactics in the conference room while negotiating peace talks (anybody seeing a contradiction here?). They would saw off portions of the chair’s legs on the South’s of the table so they would feel small and inferior. The North would also hide AK-47 rifles under heavy coats, which were, for some reason or another, not allowed by the U.N. The South Korean’s big brother, the United States, decided not to make an official complaint and pulled out even bigger guns by cranking up the heat, literally. They would set the thermometer so high that while they were comfortable, as they had planned for this, their counterparts were, needless to say, hot and sweaty (Peloso, 2004).
The reason I can say, but not necessarily condone, that playground antics, bullying and trickery, may very well have their place in society is because this perhaps has some form of tension and anger release benefits. While North Korea’s military equipment relies heavily on old relic tanks and gear left behind from Soviet by-gone days, it has one really big ace up its sleeve, nuclear weapons. Within shouting distance, lies South Korea with its ace, the United States. Most card players really enjoy playing their aces but I am thankful that these two political entities have decided, wisely enough, to restrain themselves.
Korea is a peninsula located in East Asia south of the Chinese and Russian border. The Yellow Sea lies to its west, the Sea of Japan lies to its east, and the East China Sea lies to the south. It is a rugged country with its two larger rivers, the Han and the Naktong.
Prior to the 20th century, it had been independent and united for more than 1200 years and, for the most part, held close ties with China. Their language, Korean, is one of the major spoken languages in the world. There are about 60 million people who speak Korean with most of them living in Korea or surrounding islands and a few scattered about.
The oldest religion known in Korea is Taejonggyo, formerly known as Koshindo. It’s triune god, Hanul, is creator, teacher, and temporal king, born in 2333 B.C. and was the base of the Korean’s calendar until recently. Taejonggyo had nearly disappeared until its revivalism in the late 19th century and early 20th century. The Taoism religion left its mark on Korean culture with its training in patience, simplicity, contentment, and harmony. Buddhism was introduced in the fourth century A.D. and became the state religion in A.D. 688. Korean culture is greatly influenced by the teachings and beliefs of Confucianism with its origins dating back so long ago that it cannot be even approximately determined. Christianity is demonstrated in Catholicism and Protestantism and there are a few Islamic Koreans as well (Korean Overseas Information Service, 1993).
Japan ruled over Korea in the years 1910 to 1945. In Korea’s efforts to rid itself of Japan’s colonialism, Korea requested help from the Soviet Union who declared war on the Japanese. This request, however, had dire consequences as the Soviet Union then began attacks on Korean cities. The United States, deciding that they did not want the Soviet’s to have complete control over the peninsula, requested that Russia discontinue its advancement and agree to divide the small country between them. The Soviet’s surprisingly agreed and the division along the 38th parallel line created North Korea, communistic, and South Korea, now republic. One year after division, Russia and the United States pulled out leaving North Korea wanting unification under communism and South Korea wanting unification but preferring division as a means to maintain their government. There have been several attempts at dialogue to improve relations between the two entities these attempts continue yet today.
Negotiations are once again planned begining July 25, 2005. South Korea has offered North Korea 2 million kilowatts of electricity due to their frail power grid leaving much of their country in the dark. 500,000 tons of rice, raw materials for shoes, clothing, and soap along with aiding in the renovation and in the development of rail lines in an industrial park are also being offered in exchange that the North Koreans give up their nuclear weapons. At the time this paper was written (early July, 2005) North Korea had not yet responded to this offer, but was still believed to plan to attend the six-nation negotiations on the 25th of July (Kessler, 2005).
What is intriguing and makes a country most unique from others, in my opinion, are its customs and etiquettes. While some of these can be seen in other geographical locations and that not all Koreans practice or believe in some of these customs and etiquettes, generally you will observe and may want to practice and understand a few of the following when visiting Korea. Koreans are not necessarily polite to strangers they meet on the street, in fact, they tend to be reserved, however, people who are in the workplace or invited into their homes are treated contrary to this. Koreans have few friends as obligations are attached to them. Many friendships are established in childhood, schools, or home communities and last over long periods and often times a lifetime. When meeting new Korean friends, it is likely that you will be asked personal questions, such as your education, your age, your religion, your marital status, and even the composition of your family. This is to find out what position they hold while in your company, such as if they are the elder or the younger, the more educated or less educated, and social standing in relation to you as they practice hierarchical social relationships.
If you decide to give your Korean friend a gift, make sure you wrap it and then when giving it to them you should downplay its worthiness (also hand them their gift, as with all things, with both hands or your right hand, never your left hand). They will also downplay the worthiness of a gift they may give you. Keep in mind, that you should politely refuse this gift a couple of times but should then accept it. They will be extremely insulted if you do not accept it at all. Gift giving is an important part of their culture so it is well advised to have some gifts on hand.
Hopefully you will not need to attend a funeral in Korea (only because this means you have lost a friend or an acquaintance), but if you do, wear white, off-white hemp to be exact, instead of the black that we Westerners associate with funerals. Don’t be surprised if you seldom hear the number four being said or that buildings do not recognize the fourth floor, as the pronunciation of the number is very similar to the word death. Also, it is not a good idea to touch a Korean on the head, especially a teenager or an adult. I haven’t read or heard why this is such a bad thing but we are advised to avoid this gesture.
Koreans tend to be very polite, so while you are there, perhaps riding in a subway and you are standing while a Korean is sitting, do not be surprised that they take a bag(s) you may be holding from you. This is to help relieve you of your burden until either you or they get off the rail. I would like to give you another word of warning. If you go out at night with your new Korean friends, they may start singing as the evening progresses and they will ask you to sing also. You are to be polite and refuse their requests at least two times. However Koreans are patient, persistent, and will expect you to have a song or two that you will share. As they are so polite, they will not tell you if you stink at singing.
So while you can see that Korea has some very serious issues hanging over their country, their people know how to enjoy the lighter side of life. Both North and South Korea should be commended for returning to the peace talks and hopefully the two will come to an agreement that will benefit each of them as well as the East Asian Realm, and the world. It may very well be their value in tradition, family, friends, culture, peace, and harmony that the two Koreas will once again be united.
References
Hoare, James, & Pares, Susan (1996) Customs & etiquette in Korea. Folkestone, Kent, England: Global Books Ltd.
Kessler, Glen (2005). South Korea offers to supply energy if North gives up arms. Retrieved July 18, 2005, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/12/AR2005071200220_pf.html
Korean Overseas Information Service (9th ed.). (1993). A handbook of Korea. Seoul, Korea: Samhwa Printing Co., Ltd.
Peloso, Jeniffer (Ed.). (2004). The two Koreas. The Reference.
About the author: Andrea L. Anderson is a preservice teacher at Minot State University who studied World Regional Geography last summer.