What are Koreans like?
Just like us. I’m not being glib. They want the same things from life that we do — happiness, wealth, comfort, love. But they are not us. Their traditions and ours are half a world apart, so they pursue those goals differently. Some of the cultural differences can lead a first-time western visitor to think of Koreans as rude or thoughtless. The classic example is crowd behavior. The English form nice polite queues for everything; Americans stand around somewhat impatiently; Koreans just shove their way through. Try to make a line at a ticket window and there’s a good chance someone will just push you aside and step right up. He will not apologize. In crowds (which you’ll run into just about everywhere in Korea, since it’s one of the world’s most densely populated places) you’re going to be jostled and bumped and pushed. No one will apologize. This is probably considered rude where you come from. But this is not home, and these are not westerners. Your manners and rules don’t apply. Pu
