15 Funny Or Unusual Things I Noticed In South Korea

Between doing your daily workout without having to go to the gym or the speed at which trends develop, South Korea and its blend of modernity and tradition will never cease to amaze you during your stay.

Here are some funny or unusual things I noticed during my time living and traveling there!

Save it for later!

1. Trends and stores change very quickly

You can walk down a street one day and find a cute coffee shop or something else, only to find it replaced by a flower shop a few months later. And while starting and running a business is pretty hard anywhere in the world, I think there’s a direct link to the speed at which trends evolve in South Korea.

For example, when I first visited the country, photo booths were all the rage but today many of them have disappeared and been replaced by game arcades, mainly featuring claw machines.

The thing is a lot of businesses seem to open to cater to the needs of a certain crowd and follow the trend, only to be replaced by another trend when the previous one doesn’t interest anyone anymore or just disappears.

You’ll also see many similar stores next to each other, which can be quite difficult in terms of competition, not to mention the increase in rent as soon as a business becomes succesful, among other factors. This is probably also why many businesses are said to fail in the first year.

So don’t expect to find your favorite shop/restaurant 5 years later, unless it’s a very famous one!

2. Alcohol costs about the same as water in convenience stores

Alcohol is deeply ingrained in Korean society, where it plays an important role in socializing, especially during after-work gatherings, which are a way of basically showing that you’re part of the team.

Given the drinking culture, it’s then not surprising to find alcohol, such as soju, in convenience stores at a price almost identical to that of a bottle of water or a soft drink.

3. Portions are generally generous

Worried you won’t be full? Not in South Korea, where portions are usually larger than you might think.

And even though you’ll usually be full, keep in mind that some restaurants sometimes don’t accept solo diners (I’m thinking in particular of restaurants serving samgyeopsal, dak-galbi…) as you’ll need to be at least two people or order for two people, even if you’re alone.

Fortunately, this isn’t the case everywhere, and today you can also find places serving these dishes where honbap (eating alone) is accepted.

You can also go to an all-you-can-eat restaurant, but don’t worry, it’s not difficult to find a place to eat alone in South Korea and more places are now welcoming solo diners.

4. Buffets or all-you-can-eat places are actually very good

Let’s stay on the topic of food a little longer with this funny fact! You know how buffets are often the places where you’re most likely to get sick and have food poisoning, at least where I come from. Well, not in South Korea where buffets or all-you-can-eat places are actually good, like really good.

So choose an all-you-can-eat samgyeopsal restaurant or a buffet place (and I’m not just talking about high-end restaurants), as even the cheap buffets are good, and enjoy a dinner without food poisoning, I promise!

5. The mystery of toilets

Here’s an unusual, maybe not so funny anecdote. If you’ve ever traveled to Korea, you know how clean the toilets are everywhere, even in subway stations. And if, like me, you’ve tried (tried makes it sound like I went on a toilet tour, but anyway) a lot of them, you may have noticed a peculiar thing: here, people don’t always wash their hands after using the toilet.

The fact is that I noticed it rather quickly, because for me it’s obvious, whereas here it’s only a possibility.

And while I’ve seen this several times among girls, it seems to be the same, if not worse, among boys…

As the reason why, I literally have no clue, and I’d like to add that washing your hands with only water for two seconds doesn’t actually wash anything at all.

6. Squat toilets still exist

Yes, still on the subject of toilets. Just so you know, so that you won’t find it unusual if you visit the country: there are still a few squat toilets in South Korea. And even though they’re becoming scarce, you can still find two for every five flush toilets, for example.

One last thing about toilets, then I’ll leave you alone: you’ll sometimes see a small sign on the toilet door telling you not to throw toilet paper in the bowl. This is simply because, even though South Korea is a modern country, its plumbing pipes aren’t and they can easily become clogged, so do follow this advice if you see it.

7. Konglish words & English

Streets lined up with English signs and people mixing Korean and English (Konglish) in their conversation? Chances are you’ll see and hear a lot of it, but there’s one thing you shouldn’t forget.

Even if those facts are true, don’t think that it means that Koreans are fluent in English or you’ll quickly find yourself in a bind. While it’s getting more common to see and hear English, the number of people actually speaking it (and not being shy or embarassed about it) is rather low.

Your best bet: learn a few local words and extensively use the wonderful Papago app!

8. Sniffing? OK! Blowing one’s nose? Not really!

Here’s a fun, weird, or just plain gross fact!

Whether your nose is running because of spicy food, freezing cold weather or just because you’re sick, there’s one thing you should be aware of in Korea: no one blows their nose.

I’ve never seen anyone blow their nose, but sniffing, oh that, that happens all the damn time. Why? Because blowing your nose is seen as gross and can also be perceived as a little rude.

And sniffing every two seconds isn’t gross, huh?

Anyway, just a reminder to prepare yourself for the orchestra of sniffles that awaits you!

9. Bathroom & toilet together

I’m sorry, I know I said no more toilets anecdotes anymore, but I just thought of this one and decided to include it!

So, to put things in perspective, you know that at home (wherever you are), chances are your bathroom consists of two distinct rooms or there’s at least a wall, or small space separating them.

Well, in South Korea, more often in houses and apartments, the bathroom and toilet are actually together, and when I say together, I mean right next to each other, which can sometimes lead to a funny situation where you have to squat if you don’t want your toilet to flood.

There’s also the amusing story of the shower head being directly connected to the sink, which makes waking up very enjoyable if you forgot to turn off the shower faucet the night before. Or how to find yourself soaked from head to toe in one second.

10. Stairs & steep roads to tone your legs

Worried about gaining weight and losing muscle during your trip to South Korea? Think again!

Here, stairs and steep roads will greet you and make your stay unforgettable, especially for your legs, trust me.

Burning thighs will become the norm here, and you’ll soon find yourself welcoming escalators and elevators with open arms.

Pro tip: take the bus, just to avoid those endless subway stairs!

11. A cute warning sound

If you’ve ever done your laundry in South Korea, you’ll immediately understand what I’m talking about.

Here, there’s no fear of forgetting your laundry while you’re busy doing something else, because as soon as the washing machine has finished its cycle, you’ll hear a gentle, sweet melody inviting you to come and get your clothes.

How sweet is that?

12. Smart and efficient

I don’t know how escalators work in your country, but in mine, they run continuously, so better be careful where you put your feet if you don’t want to miss a step and tumble all the way down.

But in South Korea, I noticed something unusual (at least for me), namely that some escalators only start moving when you get closer to them and are about to step on.

Easy, smart and not scary anymore!

13. Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?

Something quite funny that I’ve seen over and over again here! True, beauty standards are different here, and are rooted in societal norms, so I wasn’t really surprised when I realized how much a lot of Koreans constantly care about their appearance.

Not only will you see girls carrying small mirrors and fixing their make-up everywhere, but there are actually mirrors in many stores, even those that have nothing to do with cosmetics, fashion or skincare…

So it’s not surprising to see a woman or man looking in the mirror to check if there’s nothing wrong with their appearance and instantly fixing their hair or make-up, as if it were completely normal.

14. Bus rides can be quite bumpy

Yes, I prefer buses to the subway because you can enjoy the scenery and you don’t have to cross the entire station to get to your exit, and you can also avoid the hellish stairs.

But if you choose to take the bus, just a quick, tiny reminder: get ready to feel like you’re on a rollercoaster, as the drivers don’t wait for anyone. As soon as everyone is on the bus, whether you’ve had time and luck to sit down or not, off you go!

And I’m not even talking about the ride itself, sometimes bumpy or feel like you’re in one of the Fast and Furious movies. Sometimes both fast and furious.

So grab a seat or a bar handle or two and enjoy the ride (if you can)!

15. Safety alerts

Another thing I wasn’t used to was receiving safety alerts on my phone. If you get a Korean number while visiting the country, chances are you’ll hear an alarm accompanied by a warning sign and text message at some point.

Used to inform people about traffic disruptions, missing persons, weather alerts, and more, it’s rare to go a day without actually receiving one.

And while it may seem scary or annoying to some at first, I think it’s a great system for staying informed and feeling safe when traveling around the country.

Note: the alerts are in Korean, so you’ll probably need to take a screenshot to translate them and understand what they’re about.

So have you learned anything new about South Korea? What about your country? Any funny or unusual anecdotes you’d like to share?

Visiting South Korea soon? Here are the most common misconceptions I noticed during my stay!