South Korea has been through a lot. From wars to occupations, from widespread poverty to Hyundai and Samsung. But, somehow for more than two thousand years, it retains quite impressively, some very distinctive and astute values.
This is no less represented in some very peculiar proverbs that have been passed down for generations and are still expressed in the everyday world of Korean convention today. As an ode to the fascinating culture, I thought I'd dissect these proverbs that quite accurately reflect it.
“Cold water is at the top and the bottom.”
Probably one of the most prominent Confucian ideals still going somewhat strong in Korean culture today; respect your elders. Children who start eating or even drinking water, before their elders, are considered insolent. There is an order to everything and whoever is older comes first.
Now, I have to say, ajummas (아줌마) or middle-aged women kind of take the piss on this one. Don’t be surprised to be pushed out of the way by a Grandma while trying to get on the bus or squeezed out of a seat by an ajumma bum willing itself into a small gap on a subway seat- it’s just their right as a senior member of society.
I mean, I have to admit, their speed and will is impressive and I like that they are not conforming to a lady-like gender role. However, it’s definitely something to get used to.
In the workplace too, it’s uncommon to see young people being promoted above older people. Older people always get served first at a meal and generally are consider wiser and in a better position to have an informed opinion.
“Beans come out from where beans are planted, and red beans (팥) come out from where red beans are planted.”
Isn’t that obvious? Actually, this is not the first rule of agriculture club- the beans in this scenario stand for credentials. It is to be interpreted thus: if a person has an impressive background (good University and good job), with impressive surroundings (like a nice house, nice clothes), then it must follow that that person is also impressive. In sum, you are judged for what is seen on the surface. Perhaps you’re thinking- well that sort of makes sense.
However, a little film you may have heard of that won best film at the Oscars in 2020 and the Palm D’Or at Cannes, splendidly exposed the flaw in this thinking. Its main comment was that people in Korea are blinded by credentials, even though you might say, there is more to a person.
It’s true, the name of the University you attend or the level of fame of the company you work for will give you a lot of clout in South Korea. More than say, if you were a high up CEO of some unknown start-up or a talented engineer from some small university.
“Don’t Drink the Kimchi Soup (김치국) Before you are Offered the Rice Cake”
Its Western equivalent would be; don’t count your chickens before they hatch. Specifically, kimchi soup is supposed to aid digestion so is eaten at the end of a meal- especially with rice cake as its pretty sticky stuff. But its wider connotation is to the idea that we mustn’t be too presumptuous and assume things will happen before they happen.
It’s a good pearl of wisdom but the real reason I’ve incepted this proverb into this post is to discuss Korean food culture. Food is central to what it means to be Korean! And there are lots of little rules to follow while sitting down to feast.
Like a lot of other Asian countries, Koreans engage in communal eating and have what’s called banchan (반찬) –lots and lots of delicious side dishes all over the table.
The dipping of everyone’s’ chopsticks into different dishes is something wholly avoided in Western cultures but in Korea sharing is caring! Maybe it’s a stretch, but I’ve always thought that Westerners have their own plates of food because it’s historically embedded in them to be very territorial. No worries if you are, because banchan is often unlimited! So you don't have to worry about running out.
Aside from this, Korean food itself is very unique and delicious- at first sometimes I wouldn't be able to identify a single banchan dish on the table. But even if you have to wait for an older person to dig in, rest assured it will always be worth the wait!
“Clothes are wings.”
I’d like to say that Koreans have come up with actual clothes that make you fly, but alas, it is just a proverb. Maybe clothes can’t actually make us fly, but they definitely lift our mood and self-esteem. One of the things I most enjoyed about South Korea was undoubtedly the incredible diversity of shopping and fashion on offer. Koreans really are the best dressed in the world.
Admittedly, I used to think that the Korean obsession with appearance was a little off-putting. However, the more I saw how perennial this was, the more I realised that it was socially ingrained and that more than anything, looking good was merely a respected practice. Much like the way it is important in England to say please and sorry. Wearing nice clothes seemed to just be another way of being polite and not going against the grain. Call me shallow, but I think there’s something nice about that.
“At the end of hardship comes happiness.”
South Korea is probably one of the most, if not, most capitalistic countries in Asia. You earn your keep and boy is it competitive.
Most students will attend not one school per day but at least 2 or 3 until 10 o’clock at night. These evening schools are called hagwons (학원) or academies which parents are willing to spend whatever they can afford- which could be up to $1000 a month.
But it doesn’t end there. Korea also has the longest average working day of any developed country. One time when I asked a Korean to translate ‘social life’, her translation was something akin to ‘work life’. This is because they really spend all day at work and that’s where they have their social life, as well as do their job.
It might seem pretty harsh, but it’s believed that it was this mind-set that brought about Korea’s explosion of economic growth in the last 30 years, when just in the 50s they relied largely on foreign aid and most people were living rurally. It’s also an expression of an assiduous workforce, dedicated to contributing to their country and for a lot, this hardship has to led to happiness in the end.
“The crayfish sides with the crab.”
This proverb refers to the virtue of loyalty, succinctly promoting the idea that you should side with those from similar backgrounds.
This doesn’t at all mean Koreans are xenophobes. The whole Japanese occupation of Korea for 35 years thing, definitely left a sour taste in Koreans’ mouths but they’re not holding it against Japanese people per say- more the government who refuses to apologise.
What Koreans do have is a strong family value. Many Koreans do not move out until the age of 30, or whenever they get married. In the West, it is often feared that a child will not make it if they don’t become independent and the phrases “Mommy’s Boy” or “Daddy’s Girl” have negative associations. Koreans find this bewildering and uphold the values of filial duty and respect instead.
This loyalty, Confucian in origin, also follows into company life. The more loyal and self-sacrificing you are to your company ‘in group’, the more commendable of an employee you are.
Things are steadily changing however, in this regard, as Confucian ideas fall out of fashion in young people.
“A widower knows a widow’s sorrow.”
This essentially has the same meaning as the saying “misery loves its company”. Korean people are not miserable. In fact, they’re really fun and outgoing. So why in the heck have I included it in this article? Well, from what I’ve gathered Koreans love a good melodramatic sob story.
There’s nothing more popular than a K-drama or K-movie with a good soppy love story, protagonists on their knees crying their hearts out with a cheesy orchestral score playing in the background. In fact, they wouldn't be complete without it.
It’s the same in all the books I read- the suffering parts are always long and drawn out, and quite frankly indulgent.
Ballads are very popular in the charts and feature little build up and then extended sections of the singer blasting their lungs, to cry out what seems like a life time of pain. It’s perfect for embarrassing noraebang (karaoke) performances that you’d much rather forget happened.
I can’t say a lot of the content in this media is very authentic- melodramatic being the operative descriptor - but it’s certainly very popular and contributed a lot to the dissemination of Korean popular culture around the world.
