Life in South Korea

History of South Korea

After the surrender of Japan to the Allied Forces, in 1945, Korea was divided into two parts: the northern one was occupied by the Soviet Union, while the US occupied the southern part. The Cold War has later led to the non-creation of a unified independent Korea because of failed negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union. In 1948, the Republic of Korea was established in the South, after UN-supervised elections were held there. This has later resulted in the establishment of the Democratic People's Republic in the North. The two governments claimed sovereignty over the whole Korea, which had ultimately led to a war between 1950 and 1953, with the US backing the South, and the Soviet Union the North. On July 27, 1953, the Korean Armistice Agreement, a ceasefire, was signed by the two opponents. However, the war never ended. Today, South Korea is one of the Four Asian Tigers along side with Taiwan, Singapore, and HongKong (China). Those countries underwent a rapid industrial growth, and are since 1990 considered developed countries.
So what's life like in South Korea today?

Living and working in South Korea

Despite being a technologically developed country, traditions are still a big part of the Korean culture. Nowadays, even with the efforts put to reach some kind of gender equality, the Korean society is still patriarchal. Women are expected to marry, have children, and become housewives by the time they reach their 30s. However, those traditional views are changing with the younger generation that follows more and more the western culture. In the country, the older you are, the more respected you will be. Age is highly regarded and being asked how old you are is quite common here. When it comes to work, the concept of a nine to five job is foreign in South Korea. Koreans usually work long hours and overtime. However, they do party hard and drink a lot. This begins as early as in college freshman year.

Food in South Korea

Like most East-Asian countries, Koreans eat lots of rice. However, they alone use metal chopsticks to eat. Kimchi, a traditional side dish made from fermented vegetables, is often served at every meal. Soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, salt, and pepper are commonly used ingredients in the Korean cuisine. Koreans also love meat. It's no surprise that the Korean BBQ has become a symbol of Korea, with it being famous all over the world. As for drinks, alcoholic beverages, especially Soju, are loved in the country.

Kimchi

Fashion and plastic surgery in South Korea

Koreans, generally, care a lot about the way they look, just like the French, if not more. Stylish, Well-fitting clothes are required, from men and women, and makeup is used by both genders. When it comes to women's dress code, the cleavage and the shoulders are considered private parts and are not to be shown in public. However, women can wear shorts and short skirts as much as they want.
Plastic surgery is also huge in Korea and the Double Eyelid Surgery is, by far, one of the most popular procedures. This may be the result of an idolization of the western beauty standers. In fact, the whiter your skin is, the more beautiful you are considered in South Korea.

Education in South Korea

Education is highly regarded in South Korea. It had definitely played a big part in the rapid development that the country had witnessed in 40 years after the war. It comes as no surprise that today, Korean students score very high on the international school tests. However, all these achievements come with downsides. Students, in the country, study long hours and very hard. School begins at 8 am and usually ends at 4 or 5 pm. Then, students will take complimentary classes at hagwons, also known as cram schools. At 9 or 10 pm, they can finally go home, but, they still have homework to do. Such a rigid system and very high expectations for students made their life very stressful, to a point where many chose suicide as an escape.  

You can find out more about life during the American civil war here.