For Koreans, family is usually their first and foremost priority. Even after moving out on their own, Koreans tend to be very loyal towards their parents and other immediate family members. Families typically extend to grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins, etc, and may or may not live in the same house.
Housing
Like here, there are many options when it comes to housing; houses, townhouses, apartments, or small studios called "officetels". Traditional housing was built around a courtyard, with doors leading outside into the middle from every room.
There isn't a huge prominence of "casual dating" like there is in America; if two people have a relationship, it is more often than not a long-term one.
In Korea, marriages are seen more as the joining of two families than the joining of only two people. Very few marriages are still arranged, though it does happen every now and then; due to tradition, financial situations, etc. Modern weddings are carried out much in the same way as weddings here, with some traditions still practiced, such as the bride gifting yedan (ritual silk) to the groom's family.
Life Cycle
Koreans consider babies to be one year old at birth, and celebrate the baby's 100-day mark with a party called baek-il (traditionally, no one outside of the family is supposed to see the baby until this day comes).
Korean children's first year into the world is celebrated with dol, consisting of a huge gathering of family and friends, prayer, and a feast.
People aged 19 to 20 are celebrated on the third Monday of May ("coming-of-age-day"); traditional gifts are flowers, perfume, and a kiss.
Korean funeral rites include the family of the deceased mourning for an odd-numbered amount of days before the funeral.
Diet
The staples of Korean meals are rice, soup, fish, meat, vegetables (such as kimchi), and noodles.
Seaweed soup (miyeok gook) is a traditional birthday soup, and a common postpartum meal for mothers recovering from childbirth. Another traditional soup is New Year's soup (duk gook) made with Korean rice cake.
Recreation & The Arts
Music is a popular form of art in Korea, and there are now more modern genres such as hip-hop, indie, and pop. There are also Korean comics and more traditional forms of art, like paintings and sculptures.
For recreation, there's sports like soccer and badminton, Lotte World (an indoor/outdoor amusement park open year-round), similar theme parks/carnivals, and shopping.
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Holidays
- Seol-nal: Lunar New Year, plus the days before and after
- May 5 Childrens' Day
- Aug.15 Liberation Day: commemorate liberation from Japan
- Chuseok: 15th day of the 8th lunar month (Autumnal Equinox). It is the most important Korean holiday, it is observed for three days, and it was originally a harvest moon fesival.
- Oct.3 Dangun Day ("Foundation Day"): to celebrate legendary founder Dangun Wanggeom
- Nov.11 Pepero Day: similar to Valentine's Day, though not an official holiday; it was created by the Glico company to promote their candy, Pepero
- Dec. 24 Christmas
