Is Korean. In general, Koreans are a big ethnic group speaking the same language. Although there are many dialects of Korean, almost all Koreans speak standard Korean, which is based on the Seoul dialect.

The population has little command of spoken English, but all signs and signs are usually translated into this language.

Religion in the state is completely free. In general, South Korea is a fairly religious country - believers here make up more than half of all residents. The main religions of the country are Buddhism - 51.2% of believers, Protestantism - 34.4%, Catholicism - 10.6%, shamanism and Confucianism - 1.8%.

Population

In total, about 46 million people live in South Korea. Seoul has a population of about 11 million people. The population density in the country is generally one of the highest in the world.

The share of Koreans in the country's population is 99%. The remaining 1% is almost entirely Chinese.

Regardless of religion, almost the entire Korean society lives according to the teachings of Confucius. Confucianism in general is less a religion than a philosophy, life teaching and instruction. According to this philosophy, every person has a place in society. The employee is dependent on the employer, and the son is dependent on the father. This structure cannot be changed in any way. Dominant place in society South Korea belongs to men.

Confucianism is based on respect for family, parents, ancestors, and friends. And also to people in power. In addition, Confucianism emphasizes the critical importance of humanity, change, education, peace and justice. Many South Koreans think their nation will reach unprecedented heights in the near future.

A distinctive feature of all Koreans is respect for any culture, as well as for foreigners.

Since age and position in society play a huge role, everyone is expected to completely submit to their elders. That is why in Korea it is considered natural to ask about marital status and age, in order to immediately understand what position he is in relative to his interlocutor.

Any man, regardless of age, will not be considered an adult if he is still unmarried.

Korean Sign Language has some peculiarities. It is not customary to call a person with a hand that is facing upward. It is also not customary to beckon with a finger, since this is a gesture used by dogs. To call a person, you should wave your hand, palm down.

When meeting people, it is customary to shake hands, as in European countries. Women don't shake hands.

Family life

In the past, in traditional Korean society, 3-4 generations lived together in one family. However, when in 1960-70 Korea became at a fast pace With industrialization and urbanization taking place, as well as restrictions on the birth rate of children, the culture in the country began to change, and since the 1980s it is rare to find more than two children in one Korean family. In Korean society, Confucian traditions have been preserved to this day, according to which preference is given to the eldest son. To combat gender discrimination, the government passed a law according to which the son and daughter are equal heirs when dividing property. Young married couples Currently, they mostly live separately from their parents.

Names

Most Koreans have surnames, the most common of which are: Kim (approximately 21% of all Koreans), Lee (14%), Park (8%), Choi (or Choi), Jeon, Chan, Im, etc. Korean name consists of a surname, as a rule, it is always one syllable, and a given name, usually two syllables following the name (but it happens that the name also consists of one syllable). Women do not take their husband's surname when they marry, but children will bear their father's surname.

Marriage

Koreans consider marriage the most important stage in a person’s life, and have an extremely negative attitude towards divorce, as a sign of disrespect not only for each other, but also for parents - although, despite this, the number of divorces is over Lately is growing at a rapid pace.

Chere (rite of remembrance of ancestors)

According to Korean belief, a person's soul does not leave immediately after his death, but remains with his descendants for another four generations. All this time, the deceased person is still considered a member of the family, and Koreans perform a special ceremony in his honor, Chere on Seollal - New Year By eastern calendar Chuseok is a Korean Thanksgiving day and also the day of death anniversary. Koreans also believe that their life here in this world can be happy and prosperous only if their ancestors bless them.

Language of the body

When you call someone to you, place your palm down and wave it, moving all your fingers. Never call anyone with your palm up, and especially with one finger - this is how Koreans call dogs.

Ondol

Traditional Korean rooms are very multifunctional. They have no special purpose; the same room, for example, can be both a bedroom and a dining room, etc. Almost all Koreans sit and eat on the floor, and therefore simply bring a mattress or dining table into the room as needed.
The floor is usually stone or concrete, and hot air is specially blown under it to heat the room. The top layer can be clay or cement, protecting people from harmful gases. This heating method is called “ondol” (literally from Korean: “hot stone”).
Currently circulating under the floor hot water, and the floor itself is usually covered with linoleum.

Korean cuisine

Korean cuisine is famous for its wide variety of dishes and food products used in them. In ancient times, Korea was an agricultural country that mainly grew rice, which served as the main food product for the population. Currently, in Korean cuisine, along with herbs and vegetables, different kinds meat and fish. Korean foods such as kimchi (sauerkraut), jeogal (salted shellfish, fish or shrimp) and twanjang (soybean paste) are famous for their distinctive flavor and high nutritional value.
The most distinguishing feature Korean table is that all dishes are served at the same time. Traditionally, the number of snacks varied from 3 for the poor to 12 for members royal family. The table setting varies depending on what is served: noodles or meat dish. Formal table setting rules show the attention Koreans place on food and the eating process. Compared to neighboring China and Japan, the spoon is used more often in Korea, especially when serving soups.

Gimjang is the time to prepare kimchi for the winter, a special method whose secrets are passed down from generation to generation. Since vegetables practically do not grow in Korea in winter, Gimjang is held in late autumn, supplying Koreans with their staple food, kimchi, for the entire winter, since Koreans simply cannot imagine a table without it.

National clothing (hanbok)

Hanbok has been traditional Korean clothing for thousands of years. All its beauty and grace can be seen in photographs of women wearing hanbok. Hanbok was everyday wear in Korea before the arrival of western style about a hundred years ago. Men wore "jeogori" (jackets) with "paji" (pants), and women wore "jeogori" with "chhima" (skirt). These days, hanbok is worn for holidays such as Seollal (Oriental New Year), Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving), or weddings.

Traditional korean house

A traditional Korean house is called a "hanok". When building such a house, a place is selected where people can coexist with nature. That's why natural conditions of a traditional Korean house include from the interior structure to the building materials used. Another unique feature of traditional houses is their special layout, which allows the house to be cooled in the summer and heated in the winter. Hot summer and Cold winter led to the invention of the Ondol Gudeul floor heating system and the Daecheon ventilated terrace. Thanks to such inventions, Koreans were able to endure the cold of winter and stuffy, humid summers. Such simple heating and air conditioning systems are so effective that they are used in many homes even today.

Korea is a peninsula in South-East Asia, divided by political map on North Korea and South Korea. Political and social structure The two states are radically different, but the thousand-year-old culture is alive throughout the Korean people.

The life of every Korean in this culture is divided into 4 stages or “4 tables”. It's true family holidays, designed to unite relatives.

Birth of a child

The first table is the first anniversary of the little Korean’s life; only after this date is the child considered “accepted” into this life. This date is celebrated magnificently, almost like a wedding. It is believed that whatever the celebration of the first table will be, such will be the whole subsequent life of the child. In the morning, a table is set for the baby, on which they lay out various items and food: stationery, money, kitchen utensils, bread, rice, etc. The first three items that the little one takes will determine his life.

Wedding

The second table is marriage. Attitude to family life Koreans are not like in Western culture. Here marriage is considered sacred and concluded for life. Divorce in traditional Korean culture is an unheard of shame. Korean weddings involve a matchmaking process; it is conducted by the groom's senior relatives. Having agreed among themselves, the parents organize an engagement, which consists of demonstrating financial opportunities the future husband in front of the bride's relatives. On the wedding day, the groom must give a ransom for the bride, after which everyone sits down at the table in the bride's house and hands the dowry to the groom. After this, the young couple goes to the house of the future husband, stepping over a bag of rice, where the young wife, in the name of peace, looks together with her mother-in-law in the mirror brought from home. The celebration is celebrated magnificently, with a large number of invited guests. Gifts are usually money in envelopes. No holiday is complete without karaoke.

Anniversary 61 years

The third table is hwangab - the celebration of the 61st anniversary, the first year after the completion of the 60-year zodiac cycle. This is another one important milestone in the life of a Korean. IN Asian cultures, in particular in Korean, it is customary to treat the oldest members of society with special respect. This holiday is traditionally organized by adult children for their parents. All relatives gather to honor the hero of the day. The hero of the occasion sums up the years he has lived, evaluates how correctly he behaved and what actions he performed.

Funeral

The last table in Korean culture is a funeral and commemoration of the deceased. All adult members of the family and relatives are involved in this sad event, as at all previous tables. Children take on the main responsibility - this is their last tribute to their parents. After the body is buried, the clothes of the deceased are burned and a funeral dinner is held, which is repeated the next day. Once again the relatives gather for a funeral after 2 years. After this, mourning for the deceased is lifted.

Behavior rules

Koreans great importance give age and social status person. The entire social hierarchy is built on this basis. Young people here always treat their elders with respect.

Residents of Korea for the most part are polite and quiet. You can often see girls holding hands on these streets. Such a manifestation of friendship is considered quite normal. But lovers show their feelings in in public places don't - it's considered obscene. When entering a Korean home, you should always take off your shoes.

Kitchen

The gastronomic preferences of the inhabitants of the peninsula are not particularly demanding. Traditional Korean food consists of rice, seafood and vegetables. Recently, meat has been appearing more and more on Korean tables.

Gimjang - the tradition of preparing kimchi for the winter - sauerkraut. The recipe for this pickling is passed down from elders to younger family members. It is impossible to imagine the traditional table of an ordinary family without kimchi.

TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS OF KOREANS Basically, Koreans living in Russia today are descendants of Koreans who migrated at one time from the northern part of Korea to Russia in search of better life. This happened, according to documents, around 1864, although there is evidence that Koreans settled before this date. Russia in general treated Korean settlers very favorably. Seeing the hard work and peacefulness of the Koreans, Russia not only allowed them to settle and cultivate the lands of the Primorsky Territory, but also gave them its citizenship. Koreans who accepted Russian citizenship began to consider it their Motherland. What exactly makes people Koreans and identify themselves as such? There are three signs by which a Korean can be identified: surname, cuisine and adherence to traditions. To feel like a Korean, you must first of all preserve the spirit of the people. And it lies in observing the traditions, customs and rituals of this people. Not in carefully observing them, but in preserving the spirit. Koreans, brought up on Confucian norms in relation to the country, when they find themselves in Russia, consider these states to be their homeland. and cremation. From wooden memorial plaques to photographs and paper memorial leaves (chiban), which are burned at the end of mourning. From remembering ancestors up to the fourth generation - to remembering only parents. Koreans mourn for three years. If there are no sons in the family, then mourning ceremonies for ancestors and parents are performed by daughters. Holidays. Celebrations of “sollar”, “hansik”, “tano”, “chuseok” no longer play such an important role. social role what before. Previously, rituals showed the connection between production activities And social relations , today this is not the case. In conclusion, I would like to say to those who, due to various circumstances, did not know anything about customs and rituals before, so that they become imbued with the spirit of our people and finally feel like who they are and feel a connection with their fellow tribesmen, receiving harmony and tranquility."The ancients said that any country can perish, but its history will live forever. Therefore, a country is a shell, and history is its spirit. If the spirit is immortal, then the shell can be reborn again. For example, as long as Judaism exists, there are Jews scattered throughout do not mix with other peoples. India also ceased to exist as a state, but as long as the Brahmans observe the precepts of Hinduism, India will live forever." To paraphrase it, we can say: ...we will feel like Koreans as long as we observe the customs and rituals bequeathed to us by our ancestors. Hard work, respect for elders, the cult of education were and are considered today, the most important virtue

, including among Koreans, and this is known all over the world. The feeling of respect for elders is so strong in every Korean that, whether he wants it or not, it sometimes manifests itself unconsciously. At the core

Korean customs

and rituals lies the desire for Order and Harmony. They must reign in the soul, in the family, in society, in the state. After thousands of years of such upbringing, it is natural to assume that every Korean unconsciously strives for order and harmony. What's in a name? When a young couple meets their parents, the elders never say their names, but introduce themselves simply and clearly as “mom” and “dad.”

This is due to the fact that one of the main signs in South Korea is that the name has a very

Despite the closeness of the relationship, the wife cannot call her husband by name, thereby insulting and belittling his dignity. If such scene will happen in a crowded place, in 99% of cases a woman will be reprimanded.

South Korean Family Customs

Family values

After the news of pregnancy, the young mother is surrounded by hyper-care; grandparents, uncles, aunts, sisters and the entire extended Korean family are involved in the process.

Immediately after giving birth, it is customary to feed a woman in labor a special seaweed soup made with beef broth. It is believed that Miyok-guk soup improves lactation and restores strength.

This is due to the fact that one of the main signs in South Korea is that the name has a very

Traditional holidays in Korea are usually celebrated with family. Koreans gather with their parents, the grandson and his grandfather make kites, and in the evening they fly them on the street. At this time, grandmothers pass on their family kimchi recipe to their granddaughters, which they keep behind 7 locks.

South Korean Family Customs

Sons are held in high esteem

According to Confucian teachings, the birth of a son is a necessity for every family. "Why? Is there really no use for the girl?” - you ask, and the Koreans will answer you that you know nothing about the afterlife.

Only a son can remember the spirits of his deceased parents, thereby opening them a passage to the afterlife. A family deprived of a son is doomed to forever “starve” in the afterlife, and this explains the special love of Koreans for the birth of boys.

This is due to the fact that one of the main signs in South Korea is that the name has a very

About 30-40 years ago, in the Korean family, only boys' birthdays were celebrated, while girls remained in the shadows. However, girls were never given any concessions, and they performed their duties at home and at school on an equal basis with boys.

Interesting family customs South Korea

“You can’t clap your hands with one hand,” says a Korean proverb. This expression perfectly describes the attitude of Koreans towards family and, you see, reminds us of our Russian fairy tale - remember when the father asked three brothers break a broom? In general, sit back and invite your mothers and fathers, grandfathers and grandmothers to the monitor - they will definitely like the customs of the South Korean family.