South Korean culture pairs fast, high tech convenience with deep respect for age and hierarchy. Expect very low crime, quiet public transport, little personal space, delivery within 24 hours, expensive imported fruit and strict table etiquette built around elders. For foreign teachers the biggest adjustments are bathroom habits, dining rules and how seriously school is taken.
What should you know about South Korea culture before you arrive?
The ten shocks below are the ones a first year teacher in Seoul actually runs into, in the order they tend to happen. Everything in the table is a first hand account from Madelyn Osborne, who taught in Seoul on a Premier TEFL internship.
Verified 26 August 2026. Structure, links and cultural guidance on this page were reviewed on this date. Prices shown are Madelyn's own observations while shopping in Seoul and are approximate and seasonal, not official market figures.
| # | Culture shock | What to expect | What to do about it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Public bathrooms | Often no toilet paper and no soap. Seated and squat stalls both common. Used paper sometimes goes in a bin, not the bowl. | Carry tissue and hand soap. Check the sign on the stall door before you flush. |
| 2 | Safety | CCTV almost everywhere and a low crime rate. Laptops and phones left on cafe tables. | Relax, but keep bags close in crowded bars and clubs. |
| 3 | Personal space | Near silence on buses and trains, and a lot of bumping and squeezing on the street. | Take the contact as normal rather than rude, especially in Seoul. |
| 4 | Delivery culture | Almost anything, at almost any hour, usually inside 24 hours in Seoul. Parcels left at the door. | Set up a local delivery app once your address and phone number are sorted. |
| 5 | Dating | Dates run as full day events across several places. Introductions through friends are more common than apps. | Keep the whole day clear rather than booking plans afterwards. |
| 6 | Fruit prices | Imported fruit is a luxury item. Around $20 for a watermelon and around $10 for a small punnet of strawberries or blueberries, approximate and seasonal. | Buy in season and local, and shop open air markets rather than supermarkets. |
| 7 | Speed | Restaurant food in minutes, government paperwork often same day, repairs inside the hour. | Match the pace, and expect little patience for queues and delays. |
| 8 | Beauty standards | Skincare and cosmetic procedures are affordable and widely used, and appearance carries real social weight. | Enjoy the skincare, and be deliberate about not absorbing the pressure. |
| 9 | School pressure | Children attend school plus after school academies, called hagwons, from a very young age, aimed at exam results. | Support the academic focus while protecting some space for play in your classroom. |
| 10 | Table etiquette | Age decides who pours, which way you turn to drink, and what you never do with chopsticks. | Default to the most polite version until you see what the table does. |
Hello! My name is Madelyn, and I currently teach in Seoul, South Korea. I have been living in Korea for the last year but have been an avid traveller for 10 years.
Seoul has definitely won my heart and is an incredible city to teach in. I got my TEFL certification through Premier TEFL and then embarked on their internship program soon after! When you move to a new country, there will inevitably be cultural differences.
Some of them are fun, and some of them can be a bit scary if you don’t know about them ahead of time.
Below are 10 things I tell every one of my friends that comes to experience culture in Korea. If it’s for a visit or to live and teach, these are definitely things you should know before landing!
IMPORTANT NOTE: I want to note that these Korean 'culture shocks' are not a way to shame any way of living; the joy of moving abroad is to experience new ways of life. These tips are purely here to help you be prepared and respectful when coming to South Korea.
What are public bathrooms like in South Korea?
Public bathrooms in South Korea often have no toilet paper and no soap, come in both seated and squat versions, and in older buildings used paper goes in a bin beside the toilet rather than down it. Bathrooms were probably the biggest culture shock as they can be very different spaces than where I come from (Canada).
Firstly, take toilet paper with you everywhere. Some bathrooms will have tissues outside the stall but some bathrooms will not have any tissue at all. This is the same for soap. So always carry a little of each with you when you go out.
Also, you don’t always flush toilet paper. This took a while for me to adjust to. But due to the old plumbing in a lot of the buildings you place used tissue in a trash can next to the toilet. If you don’t know if you are supposed to toss or flush, look for a sign on the stall door.
It’ll usually have a little picture showing you which to do. When in doubt though, chuck it in the trash. You don’t want to be the one that clogged up the toilet! There are two types of toilets in Korea, seated and squat.
Seated toilets are where you can sit on a seat to do your business. Squat toilets are placed in the ground and you squat to do your business. Usually, the stalls will be marked outside, so you know what you are getting before walking in.
SAFETY TIP: A problem that has popped up in South Korea in recent years is hidden cameras. Particularly in women’s bathrooms, you will see tissue that has been shoved into holes in the walls/ceilings/doors and sometimes blocking the bottom of the stalls.
This is to prevent anyone from placing a hidden camera there. Just give the stall a little look over before you drop trou (do your business!).
Is South Korea safe for foreign teachers?
South Korea is one of the safer places a first time teacher can move to, with extensive CCTV coverage, a low crime rate and streets that are comfortable to walk at night. The second biggest shock for me was how safe South Korea is. There are literally CCTV everywhere in South Korea, so the crime rate is moderately low.
People will leave their computers, phones and wallets on tables at cafes and it’s perfectly safe to walk around at night. You will even see people leaving credit and debit cards on benches if they have been dropped so the owner can find them.
I have lived here for over a year and still can’t get used to it.
TIP: The only place I’ve heard of people having anything stolen is at clubs/bars. These areas are targeted because there are so many people and they are usually dark.
So it’s easier to grab someone's purse or coat. Stay safe if you plan to go out dancing.
How much personal space should you expect in Korea?
Expect very little personal space in public and a lot of quiet. Personal space isn’t really a thing in South Korea. People are extremely aware of noise and will often be near silent on buses and trains.
But you will get pushed, squished, and bumped into when walking down the street. It’s not considered impolite in Korean culture and often isn’t done with any malice.
But just be prepared to not enjoy as much personal space, especially when in Seoul.
How fast is delivery in South Korea?
Most things ordered online in Seoul arrive within 24 hours, and food and groceries arrive at almost any hour of the day or night. Clothes, shoes, makeup, food, literally anything can be ordered at any time of day. If you live in Korea, you will be able to use Coupang.com, which is the North American equivalent of Amazon (except better).
Usually, anything you order will be delivered within 24 hours in Seoul. As I mentioned before crime is very low here so packages are just left outside your door.
No one will touch or steal them! 3 am and want a pizza? You can order that. Want an ice cream sundae with ALL the toppings at 2 pm on a Tuesday delivered to your work? You can order that.
What is dating like in Korean culture?
Dating in Korea usually means full day plans across several venues, and introductions through friends are more common than dating apps. Another shock I underwent coming to Korea was how different dating is.
In Canada, if you go on a date it’s dinner and maybe a movie or some other activity. In Korea, dates are often full-day events with multiple locations, activities or meals.
The first date I went on here I thought was going to be an hour maybe two and I made plans with my friends for afterwards. When I told the person I was with I had dinner plans after our hike they were a bit upset.
Later, they communicated that they thought I didn’t like them because I “left early.” Now I know to keep the day clear if I’m going out with anyone.
The other difference I’ve seen is that most people rely on blind dates over dating apps. It’s much more common for friends to introduce you to an acquaintance than to meet online in Korea.
When looking through popular dating apps you will see a lot of people conceal their faces as they don’t want anyone to recognize them.
Even if you meet someone online and like each other, they will usually ask you to tell their friends you met in a different situation.
Why is fruit so expensive in South Korea?
Fruit is expensive in South Korea because most of it is imported and flown in, and because gift quality fruit is treated as a luxury rather than a staple. Fruit here is very expensive and seen as a luxury. As most fruits have to be flown in, it costs a lot to transport them.
You can find the best deals on fruit, especially tomatoes and bananas, at local open-air markets.
In my own shopping in Seoul, a watermelon ran to roughly $20, and a small package of strawberries or blueberries to roughly $10. Treat those as approximate and very seasonal.
I highly suggest eating more local and in-season fruits such as persimmons (Oct-Jan), Korean melons (summer-early fall) or Asian pears (year-round).
You should also shop around in order to find deals, especially in the summer months!
Why does everything move so fast in South Korea?
Speed is a cultural expectation in South Korea, so restaurant food arrives in minutes, official paperwork is often processed the same day, and repairs and dry cleaning can be done inside an hour. Koreans are well known for efficiency, but I didn’t truly comprehend this until I got here. If you order food in a restaurant, it will be on your table within a few minutes.
If you have to go to a government office to process paperwork, it will routinely be performed on the spot or within a day. Coming from a country that is agonizingly slow this was a wonderful surprise.
If you need clothes fixed, dry cleaning, or ordering something online - it can be done within the hour.
The flip side of this though is it has produced an impatient society. People will not want to wait in line or too long for anything.
This keeps the systems moving quickly but can also be a bit stressful when the people around you are agitated.
How important is appearance in Korean culture?
Appearance carries real social weight in South Korea, skincare and cosmetic procedures are affordable and normalised, and the beauty standard is narrow enough that it can be uncomfortable if you sit outside it. A large influence in Korean culture is the K-Beauty industry. Anything you have ever desired to fix about yourself is achievable, and usually quite affordable, especially in Seoul.
As someone with troubled skin, it felt like paradise to be able to get facials and healing skincare.
But there is an obsession with appearance that can lean into the toxic side. Wanting to be pale, skinny and beautiful are strong beauty standards.
Plastic surgery, including botox and other such procedures, is very popular here. Especially if you visit Gangnam, you will frequently see people coming out of surgical clinics looking like movie stars wrapped up.
Personally, I don’t believe there is anything wrong with changing your appearance, as long as you are safe and happy. But the pressure of “perfection” can definitely get to you if you are outside of the desired standard. So just remember to stay gentle with yourself and give yourself some extra self-love when you’re here!
Why is school taken so seriously in South Korea?
School is taken very seriously in South Korea because a single high school entrance exam, and later the university entrance exam, shapes a student's route into a highly competitive job market. Even starting as young as 5 years old children will attend multiple schools and after-school academies (Hagwons) or activities.
I currently teach 7-year-olds and they are learning at a gr.2-3 level in science, English and Maths.
They get homework both online and written along with weekly journals they need to fill out.
The early preparation for kids is so they will obtain an excellent score on their high school entrance exam. This exam starts the pathway from high school to university and finally into the job market, which is extremely competitive. Students experience severe levels of stress throughout their schooling and have very little time to relax and play.
As a teacher, it’s important to be able to support this focus on learning while holding a safe space for them to still be kids.
If most of your teaching hours will sit inside one of those after school academies, it is worth reading what a hagwon is and how they are run before you sign anything.
What are the table etiquette rules in South Korea?
Korean table etiquette is organised around age: the youngest person pours for everyone else with two hands and never for themselves, you turn away from an elder to drink, and you never stand chopsticks in your food or pass food chopstick to chopstick. Like any country, there are rules around how to be polite. In South Korea, a lot of these rules revolve around table etiquette. Below are some I’ve learned to help you be respectful during your dining experiences.
Now a lot of these are old traditions so not everyone follows them. When in doubt it’s better to be overly polite until you see what everyone else at the table is doing! Pouring drinks, if you are the youngest at the table it is your job to pour drinks for everyone else. Always pour with two hands but don’t pour for yourself.
Once you have filled everyone’s glasses, someone will fill your glass for you. When you are drinking, make sure you turn your face away from anyone older than you.
It is considered impolite to drink facing someone especially if they are your elder. Don’t stick your chopsticks in your food or use your chopsticks to pass food to another person’s chopsticks.
Both of these resemble traditional death rituals and are considered bad luck and rude. Sticking your chopsticks into your rice or meal looks like the incense that is used when someone dies.
Passing food from your chopsticks to someone else also resembles how bones are passed during funeral services. If you need to put your utensils down, place them on a napkin next to your plate!
Why is South Korea so strict?
South Korea reads as strict to newcomers because age and seniority decide a lot of everyday behaviour, from who pours the drinks to how you address a colleague, and because school and work culture both run on high expectations and long hours. It is less about rules being enforced on you and more about a shared social script that everyone around you is already following.
In practice, the strictness a foreign teacher actually meets is mostly hierarchy and etiquette rather than law. Your school will have expectations about punctuality, appearance and deference to senior staff that may feel firmer than you are used to. The upside is that the script is learnable, and getting it roughly right buys you a lot of goodwill in your first term.
Moving or visiting a new country is always an adventure.
As long as you learn about the cultural differences and respect them you will have a fantastic time. Every culture has its own wonderful aspects that make traveling so enjoyable. So even if some things might shock you, embrace the differences and enjoy the experience!
If you want the practical side rather than the cultural side, our complete guide to teaching English in South Korea covers visas, school types and what the job actually involves. You can also see which countries are hiring right now on The Departure Board, or browse our TEFL courses if you are still choosing a qualification.
If you have more questions about moving abroad or Korean culture, be sure to check out the other amazing blogs below or see Premier TEFL’s blog library. This blog will give you inform you about in and outs of the TEFL industry.
What else do people ask about South Korean culture?
What is South Korean culture like for foreign teachers?
For a foreign teacher, South Korean culture feels safe, fast and closely packed. Crime is low, delivery is near instant and public transport is quiet. The adjustments that take longest are the age based etiquette at meals, the small amount of personal space, and how much pressure sits on your students.
Why is South Korea so strict?
South Korea feels strict because age and seniority shape everyday behaviour, and because school and work culture both run on high expectations. Most of what a teacher meets is etiquette and hierarchy rather than law: punctuality, deference to senior staff, and a shared social script that colleagues already follow closely.
Is South Korea safe to live and work in?
South Korea is widely considered a safe place for foreign teachers to live. CCTV coverage is extensive, the crime rate is low, and walking at night is normal. People routinely leave laptops and phones unattended in cafes. The usual exception is crowded bars and clubs, where bags and coats do go missing.
What are the main table etiquette rules in South Korea?
The youngest person at the table pours for everyone else, using two hands, and never pours their own drink. You turn your face away from an elder when you drink. Never stand chopsticks upright in food and never pass food chopstick to chopstick, as both echo funeral rituals.
Why is fruit so expensive in South Korea?
Most fruit sold in South Korea is imported and flown in, and premium fruit is treated as a gift item rather than a staple, so prices are high. Buying in season and shopping at open air markets rather than supermarkets is the practical fix, along with local fruit like persimmons and Asian pears.
What is a hagwon and why does schooling matter so much in Korea?
A hagwon is a private after school academy, and many Korean children attend one on top of regular school from a young age. The driver is exam results: entrance exams shape the route from school to university and into a very competitive job market, so families invest heavily in extra tuition.
How to cite this page: Osborne, Madelyn. "A Guide to South Korea: Top 10 Korean Culture Shocks." Premier TEFL, reviewed 26 August 2026. https://premiertefl.com/blogs/posts/culture-shocks-south-korea
More Blogs Like This:
5 Ways to Make Friends When Living Abroad TEFL Contracts: What You Should Know 6 Ways to Save Money in South Korea Teaching in South Korea | A Day in My Life Best Cities to Work as an English Teacher in South Korea
