What is culture? Well, it's a lot of things! Culture includes music, food, manners, language, rules and more! Learning about Korean culture is the most important way that I can be respectful to my community in Korea.
When you think of Korean culture, you might think of K-pop, kimchi or the war with North Korea. Read on to learn more:
Greetings (Insa)
Korea has a rich history of following traditions. Part of that tradition is being super respectful to people older than you. Korean people greet (or insa) people older than them by bowing. The lower the bow, the more important the person is. For example, when I met my school principal, I bowed at a 90-degree angle to show respect. Students greet me in the hallways by bowing slightly when they pass me. It's kind of like waving in the U.S.!
Language
When speaking to people older than you in Korean, you should use "honorifics" which are different kinds of sentence endings. This version of Korean is more formal and is considered more respectful.
Least formal "hello" - annyeong (say this to close friends only)
More polite "hello" - annyeonghaseyo (say this to peers, teachers and strangers)
