Food Options

Unless you’re Bear Grylls, you’d probably like to know what food is going in your mouth. And although there definitely is variety among Korean street food, the most popular and common Korean street foods you’ll find are below. Here’s a list of the most common foods along with a few tips:

Spicy Rice Cakes
(tteokbokki, 떡볶이)
Approximate price: 2,500 won

This quintessential Korean street food is made from rice cakes (tteok, 떡), spicy red pepper sauce (gochujang, 고추장) and fish cakes (odeng, 오뎅). It’s a favorite for students and office workers alike (basically just anyone looking for a quick bite to eat on the go). It’s extremely popular, so it’s found everywhere in Korea, and there are always trucks that sell this red gold late at night too. Warning, it can get quite spicy (depending on the vendor).

Tip: If you don’t want to order a full serving and just want a little taste, see next tip

Looking for awesome tteokbokki? Try these 7 Place for Must Eat Tteokbokki in Seoul!

Fried Snacks
(twigim, 튀김)
Approximate price: 2,500 won

Another reason Korean street food is so popular is because of the variety of foods (i.e. hardboiled eggs, sweet potatoes, shrimp, dumplings, vegetables, etc.) that are deep fried to satisfy your snacking cravings. Order one serving of fried snacks, and you can pick and choose from a number of items (for example, 2 squid, 1 dumpling, 1 vegetable, 1 sweet potato – 5 total). Load up on your favorites or just get all of the same thing. These tents are like Burger King — “Have it Your Way!”

Tip: You can dip these fried snacks in soy sauce if you want. But if you want to have a bit of spice in it, you can ask the vendor to mix the fried snacks in the tteokbokki sauce. It’ll give you a bit of sauce, and they’ll throw in a few rice cakes as well. And it’s totally free

Language tip: mucheo juseyo – 무쳐 주세요 – please mix/season it (in the tteokbokki sauce)

Fried Snacks to Choose From: 고구마 (goguma) – sweet potato; 계란 (gyeran) – hardboiled egg; 고추 (gochu) – pepper; 야채 (yachae) – vegetables; 오징어 (ojingeo) – squid; 만두 (mandu) – dumplings; 김말이 (gimmari) –  gimbap rolls; 새우 (saeu) – shrimp 

Blood Sausage
(sundae, 순대)
Approximate price: 3,000 won

For some reason, pig intestines stuffed with cellophane noodles, barley and pork blood is quite popular in Korea. Every order comes with a side of liver (gan, 간)  and other non-specific innards (naejang, 내장). Slightly season it with salt, and you have one of Korea’s most representative street food dishes. It’s not one for dainty princesses and there are even local Koreans that don’t like this gritty Korean street food. But those that eat it, swear by it. If you’re feeling adventurous, give it a shot .

Tip: You can ask for more, less, or none of the sides [liver (gan), innards (naejang)].

If you love the stuff, why not check out an entire town dedicated to this dish? Read about Sundae Town along in our post on Seoul Food Towns for Korean Food Lovers.

The Extras 

Fish Cakes
(odeng, 오뎅)
Approximate price: 500 won

Fish cakes are the cheapest of snacks you can find. You don’t have to order this one at all. Just grab a stick and start eating as many as you like. The vendor will count up the skewers before you leave to tell you how much owe.

Fish Cake Broth
(odeng gungmul, 오뎅국물)
Price: Free

The broth the fish cakes are bathed in is completely free with unlimited refills. Pick up a cup and pour yourself (it’s usually self-serve) that hearty broth for the beautiful price of free .

Tip: Odeng Broth is a great hangover cure. See this along with a few other Korean hangover cures here

Keith: Of course there’s bad kids in Korea! The Korean gangsters have to come from somewhere right??

As for what bad high school kids in Korea do? Well, I think it’s mostly the same anywhere. Not going to school, smoking, alcohol and sex. That kind of stuff. But there’s no gangs or anything like that. Sure kids will fight, but that’s just kids being kids. There’s no turf wars, or drug disputes because drugs are suuuuuper illegal in Korea. Any kind. So no for drugs or gangs. But yes for smoking, alcohol and sex.

Keith: First I think this might be the first time I’ve heard the words ninja army used to describe night cleaning. But this is definitely not the first time I’ve heard… the public garbage complaint. Many foreigners complain about this when they first come to Korea. Why does Seoul not have public trash bins? I want more trash bins! Give me more trash bins!!!!

I’m not sure if this is the main reason, but in Seoul, you have to pay for these special plastic bags if you want your trash picked up. If you don’t have it, they won’t pick it up. But if there were free city garbage bins everywhere in Korea, people could save a tiny bit of money by throwing out their stuff there. And you must remember, Korea has ajummas. There are plenty of women who will walk with trash on their head with no shame just to save a few cents.

Keith: Priveet Rachel! For Russian speakers, I’ve met a few ethnic Koreans from Kazakstan and Uzbekistan, and they speak Russian. Yes, very nice! There’s even a small Central Asian neighborhood in Dongdaemun. I actually went there last week. And I saw a store with a whole wall full of only… vodka. So if you need a conversation in Russian and/or a bottle of vodka.. maybe at the same time.. just go to Dongdaemun.

But for speaking English? Iunno man, I think a lot of Koreans speak English. Like… the first time I came to Korea was 11 years ago, and me and my friend would be talk about people just for fun… “yo, this girl right next to us smells like puke…” and there’d be no problem!

But these days, you can’t be doing that. People be popping up behind your back saying, “what do you say???” Gotta be careful.
So yea, I think a lot of Koreans are ok at English. Not everyone’s fluent. But in the cities, I think everyone understands the basics. And there’s definitely a lot of people that can understand quite a bit.

Keith: Uh…I don’t know…. But I think I found one in the comments!

A Native American or a Twilight fan.

And I think she’s right. Remember, they’re men before they’re Korean. And sometimes guys think with… body parts…… and you know… they’re not very emotional body parts… and sometimes guys are assholes because of that. I think it’s more about being a guy than Korean. So don’t hate on Korea, hate on the entire male gender

Keith: Aww that’s nice man. Hope you have an awesome time Ibrahim!

Keith: Ana, I’ve been living here for quite a bit, and I do not know. If you’re not sure what Ana is talking about, sometimes if you’re walking and someone is walking towards you, sometimes you will get CRUSHED! The easy thing to do is step one way to avoid getting hit all together. But it doesn’t work like that in Korea. Most people just kind act like nothing happens after a crush… and just keep walking.

Ana… I don’t know why…. T.,T It’s just something you have to get used to. I usually just give people stink eye .

Keith: The monsoon season is usually sometime in July. It usually rains every day. And yes, it is humid. July and August both are hot and humid. But you should be straight if you’re coming from Singapore, girl. Singapore so hot, la?

That’s it for this week’s Q&A! If you have any questions, be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you want to know! Holla atcha boy!

Of  course if your best friend is from the good ol’ Dae Han Min Guk (Korea), that means you’re chummy enough to talk about your sexy time escapades. But if you’re so close to all your Korean friends, you might want to know why sex, drugs and politics aren’t the best conversation topics.

Talking about Sex in Korea

Although some Kpop music videos are sexy enough to get banned on national TV, if you’re talking to your Korean best friend about your buttons being pressed last night by your Korean boyfriend, your gal pals might give you awkward half smiles. Generally, in Korea, sex isn’t talked about as openly as it might be in other countries, and more people in Korea are on the conservative side. Of course there are people that are comfortable talking about the topic of sex (boys will be boys). But most people in Korea won’t be comfortable talking about your ex’s… shortcomings.

Talking About Drugs in Korea

(Last.fm)

Some countries have loose anti-drug laws, resulting in people that are comfortable using, being around and talking about drugs. But Korea’s anti-drugs laws are not loose at all. The possession of, use of and selling of any and all drugs are considered big offenses that usually result in jail sentences and a people that aren’t comfortable around the stuff. Bottom line is, drugs are super illegal in Korea. You won’t see some homies selling some oregano on a street corner at night, hear stories of your ex-boss going on a cocaine binge, or see people at clubs enjoying velvet couches a little too much. So if you ask your Korean co-worker for a hook up, you might find yourself spending a few nights in a Korean jail!

Talking about Politics & History in Korea

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Politics can be a touchy subject anywhere in the world. There’s always disputes and people have strong opinions. We’re here to tell you that many Koreans have strong opinions about Japan related stuff. There’s Dokdo Islands, which has resulted in people getting tattoos with the nationalistic phrase, Dokdoneun Uri Ttang (독도는 우리땅 – “Dokdo is our land”). Sometimes people get some fired about about this stuff that they burn innocent things.  There’s also the super touchy World War II sex slave topic, too. Of course there are other political/historical topics that can light fires under people’s butts (i.e. American Military in Korea, North Korea, historical disputes with China, etc.), but Japan related conversation topics tend to be hotter than the rest.

What are some topics that have made your conversations uncomfortable or fired up?

These conversation topics won’t make the best first impression, but if you want to know a few ways you can make a good first impression, check out these things you can do:
8 Ways to Make a Good Impression in Korea

Source

Kimchi

Kimchi is literally everywhere in Korea because it’s a part of every meal. Even many non-Korean restaurants will also have secret stashes.Part-time workers at a Gangnam Burger King will bring a stash of their own kimchi to chow down on Whoppers with a side of the good stuff. If your stomach gives you a scary sound every time you eat kimchi, you might be in trouble. We suggest getting used to eating kimchi; it’s something that would make living in Korea much easier. Plus it’s healthy, delicious and free with most meals

Metal Chopsticks

Tons of people throughout the world have Mr. Miyagi level chopstick skills. But that’s usually with well-gripping wooden chopsticks. In Korea, metal chopsticks are more common, making japchae glass noodles extra slippery. These metal ones are harder to grip as they’re usually quite narrow as well. Bottom line is, the metal ones are generally tougher to use than wooden chopsticks. So, if your chopstick skills aren’t so great, get used to eating food off the table (5 second rule!).

Soju

Soju is liquid gold to some and liquid kryptonite to others. And no matter which side you stand on, soju is something you’ll have to get used to in Korea. It’s cheap, strong alcohol that’s sold everywhere. So even if you don’t drink it, you can’t escape it in Korea. It’s mixed in with beers (ssomaek), in cocktail format (cocktail soju), and oozing from the pores of drunk businessmen on crowded subway trains. Wherever you go, whoever you’re with, whatever you do, soju will be with you. Like batman.

Sitting on the Floor

Ondol, the Korean floor heating system, is one of the reasons even many modern Korean families still choose to sleep or sit on their floors. For some people, it’s more comfortable than sitting on a couch. Sitting on the floor is still a big part of modern day Korean culture. You’ll be sitting on the floor if you go to Korean restaurants or jjimjilbang, or even if you’re invited to someone’s home to watch some TV.  So if your legs fall asleep easily when sitting on the floor, you might want to get used to it.

Expensive Fruit

Fruit prices in Korea is one of the biggest complaints of foreigners in Korea (mostly of the North American variety). Of course fruit can be bought for cheap from the back of trucks or from local grocers. But if you’re shopping at large super markets or department stores, you’ll see that they have their own section for expensive fruit baskets. These gift baskets are filled with hand-picked “luxury” fruits that are guaranteed to be super delicious. But it comes at ridiculous prices that can go well beyond 100,000 won. But even at non-luxury prices, larger fruits like pears can go for 5,000 for a single one, and even 25,000 won a large watermelon. Either way, you’ll have to get used to fruit prices.

Few/Thin Napkins

If you’re a heavy napkin user at the dinner table, you might find living in Korea a bit of a pain in the butt. Many places throughout Korea give one single napkin for meals. It’s not a lot, so you have to make efficient use of each clean surface area of the napkin. You can always ask for more napkins, of course, but even still, you might find the thinness of the napkins found in many restaurants in many Korea to be too thin for your liking. That means no hard nose blowing and no wiping of wet tables.

Cars

Korea’s trouble with agressive drivers is always blamed on Korea’s ppallippalli (do things quickly) culture. It might be accurate because the drivers always drive a bit reckless like they’re always in a rush. But even if you’re not going to be driving on the mean streets of Seoul, if you’re going to live in Korea, you should get used to watching your back for cars. Many streets are small, and many drivers think their cars are smaller than they actually are. Oh yea, and be careful when taking taxis. Some people might get a free real-life demonstration of the arcade game Crazy Taxi.

Corn and Mayonnaise

For some reason, Koreans have a fondness for corn kernels and mayonnaise. And sometimes they seem inescapable. You’ll see them in salads, pizzas, hamburgers, Korean food and even just by themselves as banchan (side dishes) or dip. So if you dislike either of these two foods, you might find yourself picking at a lot of food just to not eat them. We suggest you getting used to eating corn and potato pizza with mayonnaise on top.

Pushy Old People

Another common complaint of foreigners (as well as many Koreans) is the pushy ajummas and ajeoshis. Instead of “excuse mes” many older Korean men and women opt for forearms and palms to lower backs to push someone out of their way. More often than a gentle and endearing nudge, it’s more commonly a forceful and assertive shove. Either way it’s annoying. And since you would be a super jerk foreigner if you yelled at older people (big no no in Korea), you’re going to just have to get used to it.

Bowing

Captain Obvious says if you’re going to say hi to Korean people, you should do it the Korean way. Most of the time, if it’s a casual hi — like at the convenience store or your building security guard — you’ll say annyeonghasaeyo with a short quick head nod. These short nods should be a part of every greeting and parting you take part in. If it’s an important occassion, you’ll need a suit and/or hanbok. And you’ll also need a super hardcore knee bow. Bowing is part of everyday life in Korea. Get used to it.

Don’t know how to bow? See our video here:

If you’ve ever needed to send a package, many people automatically think about heading over to the local post office. But in Korea, one of the more convenient places to get your packages delivered are convenience stores!

Korean convenience stores are always open, found on nearly every street corner and have pretty much everything you need. Even if you need a package delivered (CU, GS25 and Buy the Way convenience stores). That means you don’t have to spend time looking for the closest post office and then wait in long lines. You can walk down your building in your pajama pants, pick up a carton of eggs, some milk, and send your package all at the convenience store!

Look for the Post Box machine and start punching away at the buttons to get started on sending your package. It’s all in Korean, so if you need help, all properly trained convenience store clerks should know how to work the machine. And don’t be afraid to bring that small package you want to send back home; they also do international packages. Yay for sending myself delicious Korean snacks!

New Village Restaurant (새마을식당)

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This chain local Seoulites are probably too exposed to to get excited about. But any new traveler to Korea should definitely give this place a visit if they’re looking for some gritty Korean food that can be found just about anywhere. This chain Korean restaurant has the very delicious thin beef slices called chadolbaegi (차돌백이). But more than fast cooking strips of juicy beef, one of the reasons this chain is so famous is because of its tuna filled kimchi jjigae. It’s broiled hard and that means less soup. You also slice in Korean seaweed (gim – 김) into it, mixed with rice. Basically, that just means its one of the heartiest kimchi jjigae you can find on the planet!

Shinseol Seolleongtang (신설설렁탕)

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For you lovers of that hearty, milky Korean seolleongtang broth, one of the most famous Korean chain restaurants out there is Shinseol Seolleongtang. Their buttery garlic seolleongtang is one of the reasons they’re so famous. They also got some pretty monster dumplings (만두 – mandu) in servings of 3 or 5 for a decent price with that precious Korean aged jang (장). And of course no seolleong tang restaurant can become famous without an awesome kimchi. And the kimchi here isn’t for everyone. It’s that really sour and brined kimchi that can only be washed down with a nice milky bowl of seolleongtang. Mix in the kimchi into your seolleongtang and you’ve got all the flavors!

The Bon Chain (본죽, 본비빔밥, 본도시락)

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The Bon chain is one of Korea’s monster chain restaurants. But they didn’t get there just because of daddy’s connections! The fairly consistently high level ingredients and nice tasting, but small portioned, side dishes are also part of the reason they’ve done so well. The fact that they can boast a chain that sells the slow-cook juk (porridge) in several different flavors (their pumpkin porridge is pretty sweet), a separate chain that sells Korea’s most representative dish (비빔밥, bibimbap), and another chain dedicated to Korean style take out lunch boxes. They’ve got to be doing something right to be popular so long!

School Food (스쿨푸드)

This Korean chain offers some funky fushion gimbap as well as some pretty spicy tteokbokki. They even got fried chicken and salad, noodles and rice dishes. It’s Korean teenager and college student food that’ll be hard to come by in other parts of the world. And even though its geared towards the young crowd, be sure that you’ll be getting adult portions to fill you up. Try their everything platter (모듬마리 – modeum mari) if you want 21 gimbap pieces of party pleasing goodness. And go for the cheese tteokbokki if you’re looking for spicy tteokbokki that sorta gets its spices canceled out by the thick cheese on top.

Jaws Tteokbokki (죠스떡볶이)

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You might have Korean tteokbokki places in your home country, but do you have the consistency and deliciousness of Jaws Tteokbokki? That is the question, my friends. Jaws tteokbokki’s consistently chewy tteokbokki and never old and unstirred sauce make this one of the best tteokbokki joints in Korea. There’s also their deep fried but flaky fried snacks (튀김 – twigim). And of course no street food restaurant (분식점 – bunsikjeom) would be complete without stomach warming odeng broth. Yea, this one’s a good one.

Looking for a few good tteokbokki restaurants in Seoul? Check out our list here!

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In many places throughout the world, taxis are often thought of as luxuries. And people with small budgets may rule out taxis altogether when traveling. But taxis in Korea are quite affordable, and even if you’re on a tight budget, it might be cheaper to take a taxi. Here’s a friendly reminder to take a cab if you and your friends are coming back from a Korean brand shopping spree to your hotel that’s nearby.

Subway/bus fares in Seoul start at 1050 won, and taxi fares start at 2400 won (although it is said that it will rise fairly soon). Simple math says that if you’re with three other friends (4 people total), it will be cheaper (as a group) to take a taxi if you’re only going a short distance. The distances are an inexact science as traffic and routes may play a role. But a general rule of thumb is to take a cab if you’re only going two to three subway stops on the same line (given you’re with three other people).

A few destinations we’ll recommend taxis for (with 3 other friends!) are:

Myeongdong, Gwanghwamun/Gyeonbokgung Palace, Insadong,  Samcheongdong, Namdaemun Market, City Hall, Deoksugung Palace - These places are all fairly close to each other (some can even be walked without even breaking a sweat)! But if you’re not sure of the roads, taking a cab can be worth the money. Some of these will only come out as the initial fare for the taxi, and some might be a little more than paying for 4 subway fares. But you’ll get there fast and quick with no transfers .

Ehwa Woman’s University, Sinchon, Hongdae - These three are all on Seoul Subway Line 2. And because they’re so easy to access from each other, it might be tempting to take the subway. But they are also quite close to each other. If you’re with several friends, taking a cab should be cheaper.

See these and 25 other places to go on Seoul Line 2!

Gangnam Station, Express Bus Terminal Station – Go to these two underground shopping centers for pretty much the same price as taking the subway or bus.

Note: For many of these, you should be aware of which side of the road you’re on. If you’re catching a cab that’s going in the opposite direction (i.e. supposed to go north, but standing on the road going south), the taxi driver might have to go around, and that will cost you extra money (or they might not pick you up at all!). So be sure to ask someone (maybe someone other than the taxi drivers) which side of the road you should be on to get to your destination the cheapest way

You might not be able to catch a cab sometimes though. See
Why Taxi’s Might Refuse to Take You!

Here’s our second installment of Korea Q&A with your homeboy Keith! Enjoy!

Laura Escobar asks: 

Helen Yue asks:

As for the couple shirts, not everyone does it because they think it’s embarrassing just like you! But the people that do it don’t think of it that way at all! (Well… maybe some boyfriends that are forced into it ). It’s mostly a younger couple thing, but they mostly do it because they’re proud to be in a relationship and want to show off. It’s a way of saying: “Hey! I’m in a couple! What, what!!!”

Keith: Hola senorita (senor?) kimchi! Korea is still pretty conservative when it comes to la homosexualidad (K, no more Spanish. I had to Google that, haha ). I hear a lot of stories of Korean gays just staying in the closet for fear of being disowned by their families. Actually, someone I know personally is gayer than Tom Cruise rollerblading in hot pants. Everyone agrees. But he won’t ever admit it (even though I’ve seen him kiss another man in a “I want to boom shakalaka” kind of way). My guess is because he’s afraid of his family’s reaction. It’s kind of sad, but when it comes to LGBT rights, Korea’s not as quick to change as other countries.

Keith: This is the most random question ever. I like it! No, there are no lizards in the Corea.  Well… there are some in rivers and you know nature-y places. But personally, I’ve never seen one. You’re safe homegirl .

But they’re still kids, and I see them hanging around all the time. A lot of them have boyfriends and girlfriends too. I’m guessing they don’t have as much time as kids in other countries, but they still find the time to do stuff .

Mic DBernardo asks:

Keith: Ahh… not a fan of Korea’s World Cup slogan, Be the Reds, huh? Understandable, buddy. Korea’s got some spice, and some people can’t handle it. To order something not spicy, say:

안 맵게 만들어 주세요 (an maepge mandeuleo juseyo) – Make it not spicy, please.

And here’s some more helpful phrases just cause

덜 맵게 만들어 주세요 (deol maepge mandeuleo juseyo) – Make it less spicy, please.

매운 거 못 먹어요 (maeun geo mot meogeoyo) – I can’t eat spicy things.

너무 매워요 (neomu maewoyo) – It’s too spicy.

매워 죽겠어요 (maewo jukgesseoyo) -It’s so spicy, I think I’ll die!

James Flowers asks:

Hey if you’ve got a question, write a comment here, our Facebook page, twitter, or morse code

Hongdae is one of the most popular places to hang out with friends in Seoul. And there’s definitely things to do during the day, but Hongdae just seems to be much more lively at night. And that’s because…

There are a lot of bars in Hongdae. Too many bars. There’s Korean style bars, Western style bars, hooka bars, live music bars, wine bars, makkelloi bars. There’s literally tons of places people go to loosen up a bit.

Hongdae Children’s Park is one of the most famous attractions in Seoul, and that’s because it’s super lively with tons of people just looking to have a good time. While there this time around, there was the famous Hongdae Silent Disco, tons of street performers, and people just hanging out and having a good time!

Of course if you’re not into being too crazy, you can always just chill out at some of Hongdae’s famous cafes. Hongdae is known for it’s cafes and it even has several streets dedicated to the art of espresso! If you want something more interesting, you can always check out some of the quirky theme cafes that are located in Hongdae as well.

If there’s going to be a lot of people, there’s going to be a lot of eating. Hongdae definitely has a lot of variety, but some of the more popular foods are the street foods (like tteokbokki), Korean barbeque restaurants, and a lot of Japanese and Western food as well.

In addition to eating, there’s also a lot of shopping. And since Hongdae is a college town, there are two benefits: the clothes are relatively inexpensive and shops are open late at night. Also, since Hongik University (the university the area is based around) is an art university, the people there are on the edgiest fashionistas. It’s one of our most highly recommended places to go shopping in Seoul

And of course there’s clubbing. The Hongdae area is known for it’s partying lifestyle, and it’s definitely a lot of fun if you like that kind of stuff. Hongdae has the highest concentration of clubs in a single area for any part of Korea. And that means there’s a lot of club hopping. If you like clubs, you should come here.

The loud kids always get the attention in school, but sometimes the quiet kids are easier to get along with. And even though Hongdae can be very loud and busy, there are many side streets and alleys to explore that are quieter and calmer. So there’s definitely something for everyone here

Have you ever been to Hongdae? What do you like about it?
If not, what do you want to see the most here? Leave a comment!

So without him knowing it, you’ve been planning on marrying G-dragon for a whole year now. And in your stalker mind, you’ve even dreamed up your own wedding! Well if it ever becomes a reality, make sure you know what’s expected of you if you’re marrying a Korean! (Weirdo )

Note: This is a list of common expectations for when Koreans marry other Koreans. But of course if you’re a non-Korean, you will become a multicultural family, and that means your Korean lover and his/her family will have to adjust to you as well. So not all may apply.

1. You’ll Need Mommy and Daddy’s Permission
“Son, don’t you be marrying no crazies!”

So you’ve been dating that Korean for a while now and you’ve even got the whole Korean style proposal thing done. The girl’s got the ring and the boy’s got the swag. Congratulations! But it aiin’t official yet. Although getting married is about love, in Korea, many people also see marriage as a union of two families. And that means most marriage plans are on hold until the scary moment when both sides of the family meet. The families of the potential bride and groom will get together for an official dinner at a nice restaurant to make sure no one’s getting married to a family of crazies. And even if it’s a real life Korean drama love story full of childhood first kisses, life threatening diseases and sacrificial eye transplants, if the parents say no, then the wedding might not happen. (Of course, people sometimes go ahead and do it anyway. )

2. Parents will Pick up the Tab
“Daddy, Can you buy me a wedding?”

Weddings are expensive ordeals in any part of the world, and people everywhere don’t hesitate to spend butt loads of money on that one special day. And of course, weddings can be very expensive in Korea too. But if you’re still at the bottom working your way up to the top manager position at the local McDonalds, don’t worry too much. In Korea, most young people are broke too. That’s why most families will pay for their share of the wedding costs. That means most brides and grooms in Korea will not pay for the wedding themselves, but their families (parents) will. Korean parents see marrying off their children as their very last duty as a parent. Goodbye, so long, fare thee well young child. It’s a crazy butt load of money (see #3), but they’ll get it back. Big time (see #6).

3. Splitting Wedding Costs is Crazy Complicated
Or just avoid by marrying a Samsung heir

Wedding costs are always tricky arrangements for any marriage, and that’s why most families will figure out things amongst themselves (i.e. if one family is richer than the other, they may offer to cover more of the costs). So if you somehow convinced the heir to the Samsung empire to marry you, you’ll most likely get the most bomb wedding ever for basically just being an awesome husband or wife. For the rest of the not-so-lucky 99.999941%, many Korean families will split marriage costs like this:

Splitting wedding costs can be crazy complicated and that’s why we need the scientific chart above. It’s easy enough to see the wedding ceremony and honeymoon are usually split down the middle. But the groom’s side typically provides the payment for the home/apartment, and the bride’s side usually provides all the furnishings inside the home. Fair and simple enough to follow right?

Ok, now see if you can follow this! The gifts involved might be the cultural part you might not have known about. Yemul (예물) comes from an old tradition of giving a bridge wedding gifts of red and blue yarn. Unfortunately for modern day cash-strapped grooms, that usually translates to a matching jewelry set: diamond ring, earring and necklace (or other jewelry). But brides return the favor with yedan (예단), a gift for the groom’s family, typically a cash gift that equals 10% of the housing costs as well as gifts for the family such as nice silverware, bags, jackets, etc.

Of course, none of this is set in stone as it’s different for every marriage (especially true for multi-cultural marriages!). This one you’ll have to talk out with your future Korean spouse/in-laws.

4. You Might Not Get that Cool Korean Name You’ve Always Wanted
Unofficial ones are still gravy tho  

In many places in the world, it’s common for the bride to take the groom’s family name. Ms. Smith becomes Mrs. Johnson in many places everyday. But if you’ve ever made up a Korean name for yourself because you think they just sound so darn cool, your dream of having an official Korean name might not come true. In Korea, brides keep their family names, even after getting married. That means even if Seonmi Choi marries Kyungsu Park, she will still keep the name her daddy gave her, Choi. But if you’re kind of creepily obsessed with having an Korean name, there’s no law against it. You can still do it at city hall.

5. Holidays Might mean Work (for Women)
Follow orders from bossy Korean aunts

Now that you’re married to the love of your life, you’ll probably be spending time with his family on the big national holidays. And the two big ones out of the year, Chuseok (추석) and Seollal (설날), are typically when families gather with their aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents, the whole shebang with lots of people and lots of food. But in most Korean families, women are in the kitchen all day to prepare the food. If you’re a woman that’s married into a Korean man’s family, don’t worry too much. It’s usually pretty fun to talk with the other ladies of the family while preparing the food. And even if you don’t have any idea how to do anything, there’s usually a bossy aunt in every family that takes over the kitchen like she’s running an army.

Tip: For Koreans, a new female family member not helping out in the kitchen isn’t always the best. So even if you’re all thumbs when it comes to cooking, try to offer your help (if you’re trying to get on their good side!).

6. New Years Mean Less Money
In exchange for hardcore bowing

Just like in many Asian countries, New Years in Korea (Seollal – 설날) is a time for little kids to receive cash envelopes from their elders to bring to school and compare with everyone how much they got. If you’re Asian, you know how awesome it feels to have envelopes piling up in your back pocket. But for all you non-Asians out there that’s never experienced counting that stash of New Years money in some corner when no one’s looking, sorry to say that you’ll only be counting the money you’re giving out. That’s because if you’re married into a Korean family, that means you’re part of the adult side. And even though you’ve never received money as child, you’ll be expected to give money to your own kids, as well as your nieces and nephews. At least they give you a hardcore New Years bow  in return.

6. You Might Have to Live with Parents (Again)
Korean mama food 

You thought it was over when you moved out didn’t you? Well remember when your Korean in-laws paid for all your crazy wedding expenses that almost mortgaged the house? Well they’re old and retired now. And for Korean families with more traditional values, many sons and/or daughters will invite their parents to live with them when they reach an elderly age. Although this is a changing trend in Korea, and many Korean families just tend to get the elderly parents their own home/apartment nearby (if they can afford it), if the Korean family that you married into has more traditional values, you might have to live with the in-laws for a while, which is not necessarily a bad thing. You’ll get real Korean mama food and a someone to help take care of the kids, too .

Special thanks to TalktoMeinKorean.com‘s Kyeongeun Choi for the help!

If you’re going to a Korean wedding, here’s the gifts you should give:
Korean Culture Says Buy These Gifts!