Factoids

Random Facts that I've learned about Korea

1. Koreans figure out their age differently than we do. When they are born, they are 1 year old (I've heard other ways of counting, so this may not be the exact Korean way). So all Koreans have a Korean age, and a "western" age.

2. Koreans love to hold hands. When I was out with my friends, we held hands. I have a really large hula hoop, so it was a little weird.

3. 95% of the restaurants in Korea serve Korean food. I'm not sure how they all make it...because there isn't really a difference between many of them. At least to me.

4. Koreans don't have anti-discrimination laws when they hire. When you submit a job application someplace, you also have to include a headshot!

5. All Korean men must serve in the military for two years. Women do not have to serve. However, when a man is hired at a job, he will make better money for the first two years to make up for this time serving his country.

6. Korean bathrooms do not have shower curtains. So everything gets wet...and I'm still mastering the art of taking a shower without getting all of our stuff wet.

7. South Korea has the second highest suicide rate in the developed world. Only Lithuania has a higher suicide rate the South Korea. In 2009, there were about 31 suicides per 100,000 people in South Korea. In the United States, there were about 11.

8. Smoking is still allowed in bars. I dislike this immensely.

9. "Back Gate" in Korean is "hoo moon" which sounds like "who moon".

10. The Korean version of google is called Naver.

11. Most Korean families have 2 fridges. One is only for kimchi...the other is for everything else.