(by Brian)
Some things are different in Korea. Most of them are neutral, although you or I may have opinions regarding the superiority of one way or another. Ashley and I have both written blogs about why we like Korea, and now I’d like to tell you some things that are different, but that aren’t necessarily advertisements for Korean tourism. I like some of the differences, but I wouldn’t say they’re reasons to visit. They are simply things that Koreans do that Americans and other Westerners don’t, or vice-versa, such as…
Using Chopsticks
Yeah, yeah, yeah, big surprise. You know this already. Pretty much any East Asian country uses chopsticks for eating. But Koreans use a different kind of chopsticks. Although chopsticks are made of various materials (especially when people start getting fancy and make them out of ivory or silver), most of them are wooden or bamboo. Koreans, however, use metal chopsticks, and they are the only people who use metal chopsticks as the norm.
Not only are the chopsticks metal, but they are also flat. While you might see round bamboo chopsticks or square-sided wooden chopsticks, the metal chopsticks of Korea are relatively flat.
Notice the metal chopsticks in the middle. They are flatter than the other pairs. So not only is Korea different from Western societies by using chopsticks, the country is also different from other Asian countries by choosing a different material. And also by…
Using a Spoon
You probably noticed the spoon in the above picture. That’s because Korea is also the only Asian country to eat rice and soup with a spoon. Every one else uses chopsticks for rice, and I think that they bring their bowls to their faces for the liquid part of soup. In Korea, though, it’s impolite to drink your soup directly from the bowl (at least traditionally, although I think I’ve seen people do it more often now, especially for the last sips), so you can use a spoon. Also for the rice, too. So this one isn’t so different at all, except in the length of the spoon. I think the picture above does not adequately represent a typical Korean rice-and-soup spoon. The ones I see and use here have very long handles, maybe 2 inches longer than the one in the picture. Probably for all of the side dish-sharing that goes on at traditional Korean meals.
I used to think using a spoon was chosen as the “easy way out,” but it’s probably more likely just because it makes more sense (and, again, the soup thing). It’s not that Koreans can’t eat rice with chopsticks. They can. I’ve seen them do it. And I’ve also seen them eat fish with chopsticks. I’m talking about whole grilled fish, and they use the chopsticks to remove the head and the tiny little bones. Sure, sometimes I see a co-worker hold down the fish with one hand while tearing it apart with the chopsticks. But many don’t need to. My primary co-teacher, for example, only uses one hand, and before I can blink, she has removed the bones from her bite of fish. Once I can eat fish with chopsticks, I will consider myself a chopsticks master.
There’s one more eating utensil that Koreans use. It might shock you to find out about…
Using a Pair of Scissors
Yes. A pair of scissors. I don’t know the exact reason for it, but I’m going to guess that it has something to do with Confucius. The ideas of Confucius are still very popular in Korea, and he said that it was dishonorable to have a knife at the dinner table. The idea is that knives are for fighting and slaughter, not for dining. This idea is a large reason for the use of chopsticks in Asian countries, and I have a feeling that it also influenced someone, at some point, to cut food at the table with a pair of scissors rather than with a knife.
Anytime you go to a restaurant and they bring you a plate of meat to grill on your table’s barbecue grill, they will also give you a pair of scissors to cut the meat as or after you cook it. You also use it to cut up any vegetables you may have or even the noodles in your soup (if they are the kind of noodles you need to cut right away, lest they stick together in one massive ball of noodles).
Or maybe Koreans just use scissors because, hey, no cutting board required. It’s pretty easy. I think a lot of things in Korea are designed to be easy. Except…
Doing Laundry
Most Koreans don’t own a dryer. I’ve heard that some Guest English Teachers have washers that double as dryers (how cool is that?), but most people have to hang their clothes up to dry. I don’t know if it’s an energy conservation thing, or a money-saving thing, or if Koreans just like clothesline apparel, but they hang up laundry on racks for drying. Our rack hangs from the laundry area ceiling.
Hanging stuff up to dry is nice in a way, because once it’s hanging, you can leave it there and not have to put the clothes in their proper places right away. With dryers, you have to fold and put away the clothes as soon as possible. The downside is, you still have to hang up the clothes right away. And it’s a time-consuming process, especially with socks and underwear. But sometimes, if the clothes need to be dry sooner, you can put them on the floor, and the ondol heating system will speed up the process, if you have it turned on.
You’ll notice now that my transitions are getting weaker. So I’m not even going to pretend I have a good one this time. I’m just going to jump to…
Using Toilet Paper
Oh, no, what am I going to say now? Koreans do use toilet paper, right? Yes, of course they do. But it’s a bit different, mainly for two reasons. The first reason is what to do with toilet paper before using the restroom. Here is the answer: obtain it. If you’re going out in public, it’s a good idea to carry some with you. Not all bathrooms are well-stocked, and I’m sure you would hate to learn that the hard way.
Sometimes, though, there might not be toilet paper in the bathroom stalls themselves, but near the sink there will be a toilet paper dispenser. One of those ones that dispense the 1-ply, non-perforated rolls. I think at first, many foreigners I know thought that Koreans had a strange concept of drying hands. But I think the answer is actually that you pull a few feet from the dispenser before going into the bathroom stall. I guess that makes checking and changing the roll easier. Oh, and you can use it to dry your hands, too.
The other difference, which I’m sure you could guess if you caught onto my clue earlier, regards what to do after using the restroom. Here is the answer: throw away your toilet paper. You don’t flush toilet paper in Korea, especially in public facilities, where the higher volume of waste means pipes are more likely to clog.
I could tell you an advantage to this practice, but it might be a little bit too much information. So I’ll spare you and move onto another difference, which is…
Not Wearing Sunglasses
Koreans hardly ever wear sunglasses, from what one of my co-teachers told me. Apparently some students were asking her why I wear sunglasses. She told me that only certain people wear them at certain times and that it’s not very common. I often forget that my glasses change tint in sunlight, and even after my co-teacher provided that piece of cultural information, I still forget. I wonder sometimes if my dark shades keep Koreans from seeing my eyes and, thus, from thinking that I’m a respectful American. I’d better be, because in Korea, people are concerned with…
Keeping a Reputation
Most countries, including America, have slander and libel laws. Basically, a person or organization can sue you if you tarnish their reputation with spoken or written words, unless you can prove that your words were true. In Korea, that last part doesn’t apply. You could be found liable to pay the plaintiff even if everything you said was accurate and without exaggeration, but still highly damaging to the plaintiff’s reputation. I’ve read that foreign teachers have gotten into trouble because they did not know this law before making public statements regarding the unprofessional practices of certain hagwons (private, after-school academies). The teachers thought of the public statements as warnings to potential job applicants. The hagwons and the government thought of them as reputation destroyers.
Why? Because in Korea, reputation is important, and it’s reflected in the country’s slander and libel laws. (But it’s also reflected in positive things, don’t get me wrong.)
Well, I think that’s it for now. I feel like there should be more. There probably will be more.
So the toilet paper goes in the trash? Isn’t that extremely stinky? Just curious!
The trash has a lid.
wow, I’m Korean American living in ny. very good observations, especially on that chopsticks topic. Not sure why but there are many unique features on Korean culture, compared to other Asians’. Thanks and keep it up!
..correction..not all Asian countries use chopsticks..and not only Korea uses spoon for rice..
..don’t get me wrong…just want to say..
kk…love reading your posts by the way
Thanks for the comments. I was aware that, while “pretty much” any East Asian country uses chopsticks, some don’t. (I know Thailand doesn’t, but that’s as far as I know.) But I guess I learned some misinformation long ago. I heard (now I don’t remember where) that Korea was unique in using spoons for rice. So thanks for the correction! (I’m curious, by the way, what countries use spoons other than for soup.)
In Thailand, you will likely see everyone using a spoon in their right hand and a fork in there left hand. We sometimes use chopsticks but it’s not common.
Most South East Asians (Indonesian, Filipino, Malaysian, Thai etc) as well as South Asians eat rice with spoons. I think only Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese eat rice with chopsticks.