Naktong-gang is the longest river in South Korea. It has a length of 325 miles, and the port city of Busan is located on it. 1)
Pansori is a traditional genre of Korean music, called Korean opera. Pansori was proclaimed a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2003 and inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List in 2008. 2)
The axe incident took place in the Korean Demilitarized Zone and occurred in 1976. A group of unarmed Americans entered the zone and began felling with axes a poplar tree obstructing observation. After a few minutes, a group of soldiers from the North arrived there and, after ignoring a warning to stop the work, killed two Americans with the axes they had taken, claiming that the poplar had been personally planted by Kim Ir Sen. 3)
Magohalmi or “Grandmother Mago” was a shamanistic deity with the power to bring rain. She was especially venerated in the area of Mt. Chhonhwang, of which she was the protector, and called there-Songmo (meaning “Holy Mother”). 4)
The four symbols in the corners of the flag are called trigrams, which have extensive symbolism in Chinese philosophy. They stand for the sky, the sun, the moon, and the earth, but also for the four seasons, the four directions of the world, and for justice, wisdom, vitality, and fertility. 5)
The country's currency is the South Korean won. It has been in circulation since 1962. 6)
The highest peak in South Korea is the Halla-san volcano located on the island of Cheng. Rising 1950 meters above sea level, the volcano was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007. The last eruption of Halla-san took place in 1007. 7)
Most buildings in Korea and Japan lack the fourth floor, and the same is true of hotels, where there is no room number four. When buying a gift for a Korean, it is advisable to avoid any association with this number, why? In this country, it is considered to be unlucky because its pronunciation resembles the word 'death'. Seven is considered to be a lucky number. 8)
In Korea, most payments are made by phone. 9)
It is from Korea that taekwondo originated, which is the national sport and traditional martial art that was originally developed for military purposes. Currently, it is one of the Olympic disciplines. 10)
In Korea, the month of May is considered the month of family. Children's Day is celebrated on the 5th of the month, while Parents' Day is celebrated three days later. 11)
The age of maturity in Korea is reached at the age of 19. 12)
Unlike other Asian countries such as Japan or China, stainless steel chopsticks are used in Korea. This is explained by economic reasons. 13)
Famous global brands - Samsung, LG, Hyundai, or Kia - originate from South Korea. 14)
If a Korean's name is written in red ink, it means that person is dead or about to die. 15)
Nearly three billion views on YouTube - that's how many people have watched the music video “Gangam Style” by Korean artist PSY. Many famous people tried to imitate the dance from the video, these people were among others, Barack Obama, and David Cameron. 16)
Kimchi is a traditional dish of Korean cuisine. It is prepared from fermented or pickled vegetables, but usually, the basic ingredient is Chinese cabbage. Kimchi is served as a kind of appetizer with almost every dish, regardless of the time of day. 17)