A/N: The purpose of this chapter is not to bash Korea but to be realistic.

Naturally a lot, I dare to suggest that majority, of fics here are about life in South Korea, in one way or another. But to create a believable atmosphere in your fic you must know certain things about South Korea and its culture, you must know it in depth like your own (if you want to make your characters/atmosphere of the story realistic). Unfortunately it would take me too long to go in depth but if you have seen a couple of Kdramas and if you are an attentive person you might have spotted a lot of differences between life in South Korea and other countries, especially the west and America.

One thing is that Confucianism is deeply rooted in South Korean culture. Elders are to be respected and your boss or supervisor (anyone up higher than you at your work place) is a God. Korean’s are not supposed to talk back to their bosses or teachers. If someone with higher status than you scolds you, you must stay quiet and listen even if it wasn’t your fault. Just accept the blame and take responsibility. Being different is not a gift but a fault, you need to blend in and stand out as little as possible.

Kdrama cliché’s which are true

Rude ahjummas are everywhere.

erted old men are everywhere (in the evening they are drunk)

The wrist grab is a powerful weapon and it works. possessive boyfriends and crazy girlfriends are real.

Yes, drunk Koreans pee and puke all over the streets (or they sleep on the streets)

Taxis are super cheap.

Koreans go to hospitals for the smallest reason (they usually have insurance which will cover the hospital costs).

No one abides by the traffic rules and the traffic is crazy, people do u-turns and park anywhere they want.

All older male friends are oppas (respectively nuna, unni and hyung, sunbae, ahjussi, ahjumma etc).

Between work mates or distant relations Jung Woo shi or Hye Jeon shi (no last name!!!!!) and family relations or close relations Jung Woo ya or Hye Jeon a

Koreans drink soju all the time.

First your life is all about education, then education and looking pretty and then looking pretty and career.

If you are not married at the age of 29 you are an old lady no one wants anymore because you are too old (for everything). And if you haven’t advanced with your career you are practically a loser. If you get fired at this “old” age you probably won’t find a good paying job anymore.

If you haven’t graduated from a prestigious uni (top 10) you are nothing,

To get a good job you need papers from one of the top 10 uni + experience of studying/working abroad + previous experience in some big company (like internship) + winning awards in several activities.

I repeat, no top 10 uni no life.

Plastic surgery in South Korea is as neutral procedure as washing hands in your country.

If you are not pretty enough people will tell you to get a plastic surgery.

If you are not pretty you are a loser.

If you are normal weight you are fat and ugly = loser.

To be skinny or normal in Korea you have to have bulimia or anorexia. (Just go to the bathroom after lunch hours and you will hear girls throwing up and see them washing their teeth.)

If you are not pretty you must be nice to be appreciated but if you are pretty you don’t need to be nice (everyone will respect you anyway).

Gossiping and jealous coworkers will give you hell.

If you get accepted to a company but don’t have a good background (for example didn’t graduate from famous uni and did not study abroad) people will look down on you.

You can speak English = you have a high status.

Education is super expensive so students have to take student loans and if bank doesn’t give you one you won’t be able to study in a well-known uni = you basically have no future.

If an ugly person and a good looking person are dating the ugly will get the death glares.

Everyone is pretending. Girls are so weak and frail and super nice but then behind their masks… And anyway, girls are supposed to be super innocent and clueless (apparently that's what males appreciate). Guys usually have plenty or erted jokes in store. But anyway, Koreans can be pretty crazy, especially when partying.

Army is a serious topic. It lasts for 2 years, not many holidays. Dating before army -> probably not dating anymore after those 2 years (the sad reality).

Most of the people have the latest cellphones (can afford them no matter how poor) because they buy them with monthly plans, that is pay in small amounts for following 2-3 years, then they probably get a new phone.

Loan sharks you see in dramas do exist, they loan you some money and then require you to pay it back with very high interest rate. If you don't have money to pay back they will come and threaten you. Sometimes they will use violence.

High school

1. Most of South Korean high schoolers/university students don't drive cars to school (they might drive motorbikes). If you have ever been to Seoul you know that the traffic jams there are awful and a lot of people live in suburbs (about 1 hour by train from the city center if not more). Subway system is very developed and practical so a lot of people use it, the bus system is also quite developed but the fastest and most convenient way to move around is the subway. If the students don't live in suburbs then they most probably live in dorms of the school. High schoolers rarely move out from the house to live alone (unless they move to a boarding house or dorms of the school, to be accepted to the dorms you must be a good student with awesome grades). And anyway, young people are seen as adults only when they turn 21.

2. Koreans are not very open about uality. If a boy and a girl sleep in the same room a lot of people will assume that they are dating, even if they don't share a bed. That's why in most of the dramas or manhwas characters are annoyingly innocent. In real life they are less innocent but compared to the west still annoyingly innocent. People hold hands but kissing and hugging in public isn't common at all.

3. In high schools students stay in one class and teachers go from class to class, it's like in regular school. At the beginning of every semester the classes are formed.

4. No proms, homecomings or such, instead students make trips to Japan or China or hot springs etc. But maybe a school might arrange a dance of some sort if the students take the initiative or as a part of a festival.

5. Usually there are no lockers in the hallways like in American or Japanese high schools (In Finland we also don't have them). In university they have lockers here and there. Anyway, in high schools they should have little cabinets for shoes in the classrooms or in front of the classrooms.

6. High School is though, many students go home like after 11pm or so because they have cram school or tutoring sessions after school.

7. Usually high schools have websites and there are notice boards and forums where rumors could be spread. (if you ever read Korean fanfics or manhwa you will know what this means)

9. High school students and teachers change their outdoor shoes into slippers inside the school building.

10. The teachers in schools can use physical punishments on students (corporal punishment) but recently it was banned, many probably use it anyway. Some info: http://www.corpun.com/counkrs.htm

10. Here is a list of Korea's high schools for your reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:High_schools_in_South_Korea

Living

Koreas live either in apartments or houses. If they are not rich they will live in a suburb area where the houses are very close to each other and there is no space for backyard or front yard. Most of the people live in apartments but if you are poor and have a big family you won't be able to afford an apartment, Koreans think that it's better to live in an apartment rather than in a house, at least in Seoul.

So, the houses are usually build very close to each other and there are dark narrow streets between them, a lot of house numbers are missing or they are not marked in right order so often it's hard to find a specific house, most of the times Koreans don't write the address down but print a map. In Korean dramas the house is often on top of a hill, this is because there are a lot of hills in SK and Seoul, if you take a walk around there you will notice that you need to climb hills all the time. Because there is not much space a lot of people have gardens on their roofs, or at least they stack their kimchi pots there.

Yes, you can live in a rooftop apartment but that's very uncomfortable because in summers it's very hot and winters are very cold. Rooftop apartments are cheap.

In the winter it can be so cold in the house that people need to wear coats inside, this is because many want to save electricity. Traditionally there is floor heating in most of the houses. (students in schools might need to wear jackets and coats inside).

Korean dormitories have strict rules, boys and girls live separately and no outsiders are allowed to enter the living area in the dorms, there is no kitchen but a cafeteria. Dorm rooms are small and usually shared amongst two people. There is a curfew which is lifted two weeks before exams because that's the time when everyone studies hard, many uni libraries are open 24/7 too. 

Other

Most popular shopping areas are Dongdaemun and Myongdong (a lot of Japanese tourists), for cheaper clothes. Shopping malls host only high end expensive stuff.  Yongsan electronic market for electronics. Itaewon is a street for foreigners. Sinsa-dong is the road of artists, a lot of unique boutiques, coffee shops etc. (a place Korean celebrities love to visit). Ewha Women’s University is a favorite place for students to hang out and shop for fashion (another is Sinchon, heaps of cheap stuff and good restaurants). Insadong is for tourists or souvenir shopping. Coex Mall is the most famous mall in Seoul.

Popular hang out places: malls, karaoke (noraebang), computer places (pc bang), amusement parks (Lotte World, Everland, Dreamland, Seol Grand Park) and movie theaters (usually on the top level of a shopping mall).

Partying/night life & more shopping: Hongdae (lots of students, foreigners and young people). Gangnam (high end expensive clubs, you might spot celebrities), Apgujong, Cheongdamdong (less popular, there are high end and cheap places too) Usually though apgujong is popular for restaurants (Apgujeong Rodeo Street for shopping) and cheongdamdong for high end shopping ('Cheongdam’s Fashion Street').

More: http://seoulistic.com/what-to-do-in-korea/21-hotspots-where-to-go-in-seoul-and-how-to-get-there/

Popular street foods: tteokkbokki, mantu, hottok, odeng (my favorite!), sundae, roasted sweet potatoes, twigim

more info: http://migrationology.com/2012/05/korean-street-food-seoul-guide/

Most used phone apps

Kakao Talk: this is a chat application for smartphones.

Naver and Daul are the most used search engines

티몬 (Tmon) and 쿠팡 (Coupang) – Discount sites

Koreans shop on Gmarket, an online store (like amazon). The things can be delivered anywhere at any time.

Food delivery apps, restaurant apps 

Jihachul App: subways and buses.

To learn more about Korean culture: read manhwa, watch drama, watch variety shows, read books.

If you have any questions about Korean culture you can ask me (I watched Kdramas for 8 years now, read manhwa even longer, lived in Seoul for 1 year, studied Korean language (2 years), culture and politics (4 years) on university level. I don't know everything but I believe I know a lot. I can also ask my Korean friends if I can't aswer.