INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SOUTH KOREA
Want to know more about South Korea? Here are 15 Interesting Facts about South Korea that you probably didn’t know before reading this!
To make this even more fun, I want to challenge you as well. How many of these South Korea facts did you know before reading this? Share your result in the comment section!
ONE OF THE LEAST OBESE POPULATION IN THE WORLD
Only 3% of the population is considered obese. Compare this with countries such as the US, where more than 60% is considered obese.
Along with Japan, South Korea is one of the least obese countries in the world.
AT LEAST 20% OF SOUTH KOREAN MALES USE MAKEUP
While makeup is becoming more popular among men worldwide, I think it’s safe to say that South Korean men are way ahead when it comes to makeup. At least 20% say that they use makeup on a daily basis, and the annual spend for all males and makeup products is estimated to be as high as 900 million US Dollars.
THEY DRINK TWICE AS MUCH ALCOHOL AS RUSSIANS
You probably didn’t see this one coming, at least I didn’t before visiting. South Koreans have a long tradition of drinking alcohol, and they’re “magical” drink is known as soju.
Of course, other types of alcohol is consumed as well, but Soju is by far the most popular. Soju is a distilled colorless beverage that can be as strong as 53% down to 16.8%
IT’S ONE OF THE BIGGEST ECONOMIES IN THE WORLD
It’s quite fascinating how this country has risen from war and poverty, and become one of the major economies in the world. The South Korean economy is now ranked at the 11th largest economy in the world and the 4th in Asia.
K-POP IS THE COUNTRY’S THIRD LARGEST EXPORT
K-Pop, also known as Korean Pop has taken the world by storm in recent years. First out was Psy with his world hit “Gangnam Style”, which is btw the most viewed video ever on Youtube!
After Psy, numerous K-Pop bands have delivered hit after hit. Both girl and boy bands are popular, and many of them now offer international concerts.
However, the largest market for K-Pop is obviously still South Korea, where the K-Pop idols are considered superstars!
One of the many interesting facts about South Korea!
KIM, LEE, AND PARK ARE THE MOST COMMON KOREAN NAMES
If you guess that a South Korean is named Kim, you have a 20% chance that you’re right. At least 20% of the population is named Kim.
Lee and Park are another two common names.
K-BEAUTY IS LOVED BY BOTH WOMEN AND MEN
As already mentioned, a lot of Korean males make sure to look good. This is true for women as well, and they are famous for their beauty routines. K-Beauty brands like Innisfree and various brands offering snail products have all taken the beauty world by storm.
If you have wondered what the secret about their flawless skin is, now you know, it’s called K-Beauty!
SYMPATHIZING WITH KIM JONG-UN IS ILLEGAL
The North Korean leader is not someone to cherish. In fact, according to the law, it’s illegal to sympathize with him and the North Korean regime. Doing so could even land you in jail.
CHERRY BLOSSOM CAN BE SEEN IN PLENTY IN SOUTH KOREA
Japan is famous for its cherry blossom, and it’s quite funny because South Korea has a great share of the wonderflower as well. If you want to escape some of the crowds in Japan, then you should come here during Cherry blossom season instead.
JAYWALKING IS NOT A THING
One thing that you will notice (at least if you come from a country where jaywalking is common practice), nobody, and I mean 99,9% of the people will NOT walk when it’s red. It doesn’t matter if there is no car in sight for 5 minutes.
People will generally remain on their side of the crossing, and start walk only when the light turns green. As a Swede, this can be quite frustrating, especially in places with less traffic.
However, it is one of the fascinating facts about South Korea, and something that’s good to know before you go there.
THERE ARE 12 UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES
This is also a country full of history, and with history often come interesting World Heritage Sites.
South Korea has a total of 12 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and some of the most famous include Changdeokgung Palace Complex, Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes, Historic Villages of Korea: Hahoe and Yangdong, and Gyeongju Historic Areas.
THEY EAT DOG MEAT IN SOUTH KOREA
While this is true, I also want to clarify that far from every Korean eat dog meat. It’s far more common to eat chicken, pork, and beef for example, but in some places, they do eat dog meat as well.
PLASTIC SURGERY IS BOTH ACCEPTED AND COMMON
Did you know that as many as 1/3 of all women is said to have done at least one beauty procedure? Unlike many other countries in the world, plastic surgery is widely accepted here and even encouraged in some cases.
IT IS COMMON TO FORCE CRIMINALS TO RECREATE THEIR CRIME FOR THE PRESS
This is definitely one of the strange facts about South Korea, and it’s typically common for high-profile crimes. The police force the criminals to reenact the crime scene, and the press is allowed to take photos and make a video.
THERE’S AN ANNUAL MUD FESTIVAL
Every summer, for 14 days, there is a mud festival in Boryeong. The final weekend of the festival is normally on the second weekend in July, and this is where most people attend the festival.
It’s very popular among the western population of the country, but many locals attend as well. The festival started as a commercial stunt to sell cosmetic products containing mud from the area.
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