The Most Common Misconceptions About South Korea

Difficult to find a trash can? Check! No tipping culture? Check! While some of the things you may have seen or heard on the Internet are true, there are also common misconceptions that often surprise people when they finally visit the country!

So let me shed some light on the situation and discuss with you some of the most widespread misconceptions I heard or witnessed during my stay there.

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1. All Koreans love spicy food

Since they do have lots of spicy dishes, people tend to think that the entire South Korean population can handle all levels of spiciness, which is actually not true. I’ve met a few people and even seen some a few of them dip their tteokbokki in water to tone down the spiciness of the sauce before eating it, for example.

Truth is, South Korea is like everywhere else: yes, they’ll probably handle crazy spicy food better than you, but don’t be surprised either if you see Koreans asking for a non-spicy or slightly less spicy version of a dish.

We’re all human after all, so there’s no point in trying to act tough if, in the end, you can’t even enjoy the dish or your mouth is too numb to taste anything.

2. It’s impossible to get around the country without speaking Korean

Although knowing a few basic words can be very useful, as in any country, or even being able to read and understand Korean can be a huge help, I have many friends and even family members who have visited South Korea without any real basic knowlegde, apart from “hello” and “thank you” (which Koreans already appreciate very much for the effort).

So, yes it’ll be more difficult to get around using only English and gestures, especially in remote areas, where there’s little or no chance that anyone will speak English, but it’s not impossible.

Koreans are friendly and will most likely than not try to help you if they see you looking lost or in trouble. Plus, the little trick I always recommend to my friends who want to visit the country without knowing Korean is to download the fabulous and indispensable Papago app, which is like Google Translate but for Korea.

3. It’s best to avoid visiting South Korea in the summer

I love summer, it’s my favorite season, so for me, there’s often no better time to visit a place, and South Korea is no exception.

People often hesitate to visit at this time of year because of the monsoon, which, I admit, can be annoying, but in reality, July is often the worst month of the year in terms of rainfall. However, as always, it really depends and varies from year to year.

I mean, the whole summer I spent there, I rarely saw any rain and mostly enjoyed hot, sunny days. Maybe because I was in Busan, or just lucky or for some other reason unknown to me, but I think this is another common misconception and that you shouldn’t refrain on visiting the country just because you’re afraid of the rain.

In my opinion, you’re more likely to suffer from the heat than the rain. On that note, here are 12 tips for surviving the summer if you want to give the season a try!

4. Only K-pop or K-dramas fans visit the country

In fact, as a foreigner, I’ve often been asked “What made you choose South Korea as your destination?”. And even though, yes, I love K-pop, K-dramas…, that’s not why I wanted to visit this country.

I love the world in general and fell in love with Asia a long time ago, but what really attracted me to this country was its different culture, language, history, food and architecture, which I had seen so many times in documentaries, magazines…

And while it’s true that many people first chose to visit Korea after the K-Culture boom or Korean Wave, they often decided to return for its rich culture, beautiful people and places. It’s important to remember that this isn’t the case for everyone, and I’d even go so far as to say for most of us.

So, it would be great to stop putting people in boxes and just think that, since the world is so big, it would be a shame not to visit South Korea.

5. South Korea lives in constant fear of North Korea

Well, nothing could be further from the truth. And with only the DMZ separating the two countries, it would be normal to think that South Korea isn’t a safe country, but on the contrary, it’s one of the safest countries I’ve lived in.

And what’s most surprising to some is actually how quickly you forget that you’re so close to North Korea and the supposed tensions and conflicts between the two countries.

When South Koreans are asked about the situation between the two countries, what comes up most often is that they don’t feel threatened or anxious about it, and when you see them simply going about their business, even after threats of missile attacks, I guess that’s true.

6. The climate is similar to that of Southeast Asia

It’s a bit like saying Korea is identical to Japan, which is actually another misconception about the country that I could have included here. Saying that the weather is exactly the same as in Southeast Asia shows that you’ve never spent a winter with sub-zero temperatures in Seoul.

Every country in Asia, and around the world, is different by its culture, history and even climate. And don’t forget that South Korea isn’t part of Southeast Asia, but is a country in East Asia, with four distinct seasons. So don’t expect only sunny, humid, or rainy days.

Here, you’ll get scorching days that will melt you as soon as you step outside, but you’ll also be able to enjoy vibrant fall foliage and pleasant temperatures, not to mention freezing days when even 100 hot packs won’t be enough.

7. All Koreans love K-pop or know all the idols

This is, in fact, the most common misconception about South Korea! To think that everyone loves K-pop when there are so many other genres of music out there, just because the country is famous for it, is a bit of a stretch. Many Koreans I met actually loved international rap, American or British rock bands, or even other famous pop artists.

The same goes for knowing all the idols by name or face. I mean, there are so many of them anyway that good luck remembering where you saw a particular idol or which group they’re in… Plus, if you’re not a fan or don’t know much about this stuff, chances are you’ll just know that someone is a celebrity because they appear in an advertisement or on a banner, and that’s about it.

8. They have strict dress codes

I really don’t think they have dress codes or things you should avoid wearing. I’ve mostly found that in South Korea, it’s all about comfort and modesty, not to mention a little style. Whether it’s streetwear, casualwear, or something more formal, it really depends on the person.

And even though at one time it was a bit frowned upon for women to show too much cleavage or collarbones, trends are evolving and you often see young people wearing crop tops.

So you can wear your usual clothes without worrying!

9. They may be perceived as rude

I know that many people have said that they find Koreans rude because they don’t hold doors open for them, stare at them, don’t say “bless you” when they sneeze… when in fact it all boils down to one simple truth: cultural differences.

What may seem obvious to you may not be so in South Korea, just as what you might consider disrespectful in your country may not be so in theirs.

So, next time you almost bump your face on the door because no one held it open for you, don’t get upset. The same goes if someone stares at you on the subway/bus: it’s just curiosity, often from young children or elderly people who haven’t been in contact with as many foreigners as you might think.

And that’s a wrap for the most common misconceptions about South Korea! Are there any false ideas about your country that drive you crazy? Feel free to leave them in the comments!

Don’t want to be perceived as rude in South Korea? Here are 10 cultural mistakes to avoid!