Through one of my weekly sessions with my learning partner, we learned about the importance of the number 4 in South Korean culture. In Korean this is called “sa-ja-seong-euh,” where the first part represents the number 4. One example of this is shown on the South Korean flag, where there is 1 group of stripes on each of the 4 corners of the flag. The representation of the 4 corners are the 4 seasons and/or the 4 directions.
The 4 directions in the U.S. are typically known as North, East, South, West, which I remember through the acronym NESW aka Never Eat Soggy Waffles. In contrast, the directions in South Korea are remembered as East, West, South, North. These directions in Korean and in this order are “dong, seoh, nam, boouk.” It is interesting to see the theme of the number 4 in Korean culture and how it can be different to similar concepts in the U.S.!
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