{"id":6305,"date":"2019-04-29T21:10:54","date_gmt":"2019-04-30T02:10:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/korean\/?p=6305"},"modified":"2019-04-29T21:10:54","modified_gmt":"2019-04-30T02:10:54","slug":"the-cultural-difference-between-korea-and-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/korean\/the-cultural-difference-between-korea-and-america\/","title":{"rendered":"The Cultural Difference Between Korea and America"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have been living in two different worlds, between Korean and American \ubb38\ud654<\/strong>(moon-hwa<\/strong>:culture), since I met my husband. I am a native Korean and my \ub0a8\ud3b8<\/strong>(nam-pyoen<\/strong>: husband) is an American. People say that it is normal for married couples to learn about their partner\u2019s peculiarities in the beginning of \uacb0\ud63c<\/strong>(kyoel-hon<\/strong>: marriage). I started to realize that my husband and I often think and act quite differently, especially in social settings. Despite being married to someone from another culture for over a decade, there are parts of American culture that are still foreign to me.<\/p>\n

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One of these is the culture of social interaction in America, such as engaging in \ud55c\ub2f4<\/strong>(han-dam<\/strong>: small talk), or smiling with \uc2dc\uc120\ub9de\ucd94\uae30<\/strong> (si-sun-maht-choo-gee<\/strong>: eye contact). I got accustomed to this culture now, so \u00a0I don\u2019t need to think too hard on this subject. In fact, I quite often enjoy making small talk with new people in different social settings. To look back, my \ub0b4\uc131\uc801\uc778<\/strong> \uc131\uaca9<\/strong>(nae-seong-juk-in-seong-kyuk<\/strong>: introverted personality) might have been attributed to my social relationship skills in the beginning. There was a time that I had to put effort to feel comfortable with this culture since I didn\u2019t grow up without a concept of small talk culture in Korea.<\/p>\n

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When I was in Seoul, I often took the \uc9c0\ud558\ucca0<\/strong>(ji-hah-cheol<\/strong>: subway) or buses to go to school since the public transportation system of Korea is incredibly convenient and affordable. Although you would hardly find social interaction inside the subway. People usually look at their phones or doze off. People in a subway don\u2019t talk to each other, particularly if they are a younger generation. Even if you smile to someone, people might respond with a blank face. Or, it is possible that they think that you are \uc9d1\uc801<\/strong> \uac70\ub9ac\ub2e4<\/strong>(jib-juk-goe-ree-dah<\/strong>: flirting with someone). Although most people would be friendly and nice once you initiate a conversation in Korean, it can bring an unfriendly vibe to foreigners. It is not natural for most Koreans to initiate small talk with strangers in public. At least, it wasn\u2019t for me.<\/p>\n

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Image by Pixabay<\/p><\/div>\n

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All of this may come from different cultural values. When you look at someone straight into their eyes while in conversation, Koreans might take it as \uacf5\uaca9\uc801<\/strong>(gong-kyuk-juk<\/strong>: offensive). If you talk to the elderly, it is \ubb34\ub840\ud558\ub2e4<\/strong>(moo-rae-hah-dah<\/strong>: disrespectful) to look into their eyes while you are talking. Koreans also value less talking, believing that to be the more prudent behavior. Therefore, the culture of small talk may be perceived as being a \uc218\ub2e4\uc7c1\uc774<\/strong>(soo-dah-jang-ee<\/strong>: chatty person).<\/p>\n

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Image by Pixabay<\/p><\/div>\n

The other difference that I have noticed in American culture is the social value in speaking your mind freely. I think most Americans prefer to speak freely in order to have clear communication and honesty. This individuality is respected in American culture.<\/p>\n

It is a good thing to speak your mind clearly, but it can be misinterpreted as arrogance in Korean culture. For example, when a host asks you what you want to eat, most Koreans would say \u201c\uc544\ubb34\uac70\ub098\uc694<\/strong>. (ah-moo-goe-nah-yo<\/strong>: anything, please.) It is considered to be \uc608\uc758\ubc14\ub978<\/strong> (yeo-uei-bah-roon<\/strong>: polite) not to respond with a specific demand or request, However, it is acceptable to pronounce your personal preference to a host in America.<\/p>\n

As another example, at work people would understand if you decline a company party or other social gatherings. It depends on the situation, but people at work would not likely \uc9f8\ub824\ubcf4\ub2e4<\/strong>(jja-ryae-boh-dah<\/strong>: give you a dirty look) nor think you are being difficult. However, you might want to reconsider not joining a social gathering from work in Korea. It is important to participate in social gatherings at work to maintain camaraderie. The ideology of collectivism is still prevalent over individualism in Korea, even if the culture of the younger generation is leaning towards individualism.<\/p>\n

My opinions about these two different cultures may be affected by my own personal experiences and personality. Some might disagree with my opinion, but this is how I have been looking at the cultural differences in Korea and America.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

I have been living in two different worlds, between Korean and American \ubb38\ud654(moon-hwa:culture), since I met my husband. I am a native Korean and my \ub0a8\ud3b8(nam-pyoen: husband) is an American. People say that it is normal for married couples to learn about their partner\u2019s peculiarities in the beginning of \uacb0\ud63c(kyoel-hon: marriage). I started to realize…<\/p>\n

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