Korean differences in society (social interactions SSem mentioned in the workplace)
I was talking to Seong Hye Teacher today, and she said that she will miss the USA a lot when she leaves because the work/ life atmosphere is different from South Korea. When I asked her to explain, she gladly did. She shared that in Korea, there is a larger emphasis on working longer hours. She said that it is not unusual to work twelve hours or more a day compared to the American average of eight or nine hours. Furthermore, she also shared that the dynamics between superiors were different. When a superior asks you for something, it is highly rude to not do as they say.
She also shared that the work/life balance is very different in the USA. She shared that in the USA, she noticed that college students work very hard. This is contrasted in South Korea where college students work hard, but the hardest parts of their academic career (getting into university) is already done. Thus, the cultural norms surrounding college are different between the USA and South Korea.
I think that it is interesting to see what is normal from one country to another. It is interesting because hearing new perspectives that do not align with mine makes me curious about what made it so that our values differ in that way. I want to learn more about these cultural differences, and if the impact of Westernization is potentially changing the cultural norms in countries, such as South Korea.
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