50 Photos From South Korea That Prove It Is A Completely Different World

Who wouldn't want to live in a country where there are karaoke booths on the train?

Stephanie

• Published in Interesting
• October 20, 2021

If you, like me, have never been to South Korea, you will most likely not realize how unique this country truly is. So unique you'd be forgiven for thinking it's an entirely different world.

South Korea is an East Asian country located on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. It's known for its green countryside and pretty cherry trees as much as it is for its heavily militarized border shared with North Korea.

Hammer from Hong Kong and Guillaume from France, also known as A Fun Couple on Instagram and their travel blog, have lived in South Korea for 3.5 years now. They enjoy living in a place many people don't know much about.

"What we liked about the idea of moving here was that this country is still not on most people's bucket list when traveling to Asia," they said. "Many travelers would rather prioritize neighboring countries such as Japan, China or Hong Kong when visiting the continent."

Mind you, with K-culture taking the world by storm in recent years; South Korea is becoming more and more popular. You only have to look at the unmatched success of the thriller series Squid Game on Netflix.

Squid Game is the first-ever series to reach number one on Netflix in all 83 countries! And then you have the worldwide hysteria surrounding K-pop bands such as Exo and BTS.

1. Due to low birth rates, schools in South Korea are running out of children. One school has opened its doors to illiterate grandmothers so they too can learn to read.

2. A care package for people in quarantine, sent by The South Korean Government.

3. Pink explosion in Jeju City, Jeju Island, South Korea.

4. Korean trains play videos of newborn puppies. They are called "healing broadcasts."

5. Airports in Seoul provide a map to your gate on the back of your boarding pass.

6. Korea’s Four Seasons: Yeouido. Taken in the same spot throughout one year.

7. Still standing strong and healthy after a year of typhoons and landslides.

8. This subway car in Seoul has a mini library onboard.

9. An apartment complex in South Korea being painted. The painters shrouded every car in the parking lot to make sure they were safe from splatter.

"We were excited but also curious to live in a country that continues to develop fast yet remains a bit unknown to the Western world," said A Fun Couple. The couple says that they love South Korea's overwhelming sense of solidarity felt among the people.

"An aspect that's really astonishing and will help you understand what we mean by that is the gold collecting campaign," A Fun Couple said. "In 1998, South Korea was about $304 billion in debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF)."

"As a national sacrifice, 3.5 million Koreans donated their gold to the government to repay part of the debt," the couple explained. "About 227 tons of gold were donated voluntarily during that event - impressive, right?!"

"This sense of solidarity can be felt in everyday life in Korea," the couple said. "For example, during the pandemic, people were very supportive of each other."

"Koreans made a joint effort to keep social distancing rules and wear masks at all times. This is also why South Korea was seen as a benchmark when managing the COVID crisis in its early stage."

10. Starbucks in Seoul offers used coffee grounds for your garden.

11. Food rations given out to people in quarantine.

12. A hand-painted temple roof in Korea.

13. So beautiful!

14. This sign means "Caution: Cat Is Around."

15. A 2D café in Seoul

16. Modern Korea built around historic Korea (Seoul).

17. Seoul, South Korea. A small restaurant in the snow.

18. Solar-powered benches in Seoul. Complete with USB and wireless charging docks.

Hammer and Guillaume say it took some time for them to adjust to the Korean lifestyle. "Koreans are very hardworking," they said.

"The maximum number of working hours per week recently changed from 63 to 52, but it's still a lot. Although the work-life balance got better over the last few years, working overtime (and not being paid for it) is still pretty common."

"It is also very common to go out with colleagues multiple times a week after work and have dinner and drinks until late at night," the couple said. "We definitely had to cut down on our sleeping hours, but it's a lot of fun to live and work in South Korea!"

19. Bukhansan.

20. "Root Bench" by architect Yong Ju Lee in Hangang Art Park, South Korea.

21. South Korea has traffic lights on the ground for people looking down at their phones.

22. Ice lollies in South Korea come with a little tray to stop them from melting all over your hands.

23. Beautiful Korea.

24. An old pine tree, Daedunsan, South Korea.

25. In Ansan, Korea, there is a resting place for pedestrians every half kilometer.

26. Chips arranged into a rainbow.

27. Latte art from a cafe In Seoul, South Korea.

"Since there are much fewer ex-pats in South Korea than other Asian countries we've lived in, things are not always fully catered to foreigners," A Fun Couple said. "Opening a bank account, getting a local driver's license, getting a phone plan, using different apps; these things weren't always easy."

"Besides there is still a language barrier and most of the documents are rarely translated into English," they said. "However, we've noticed that it has become easier for a foreigner to go about their daily life than when we arrived here 3.5 years ago, so we hope that this trend will continue in the future as well!"

28. South Korea isn't joking around about battling Covid-19.

29. There is a TV channel programmed specifically for dogs.

30. The entrance to The Club Chroma in Seoul. The largest nightclub in the world.

31. Daegaksa Temple near Jongmyo Shrine in Seoul.

32. That's one way to encourage people to use the stairs.

33. Escalator sanitizer in South Korea.

34. Self-cleaning roads in South Korea.

35. Supermarkets in Korea offer toilet paper samples.

36. Cakes in South Korea usually come with free candles and matches hidden in a plastic knife.

37. Traditional Korean architecture.

38. In Korea, they have single person karaoke booths on the train.

39. The wavy building called The GT Tower in Seoul.

40. Pump toothpaste in South Korea.

41. Found on the side of the road.

42. Robots wander around Incheon Airport in Seoul, providing flight information to passengers.

43. This library in Seoul.

44. Automatic ramen dispenser.

45. The "1,000 Doors" building in South Korea.

46. There is a Sauron’s Tower in Seoul.

47. Cherry blossom themed Coca Cola bottles in South Korea.

48. Walk-through Covid-19 testing booths in South Korea.

49. Bananas come with little stickers to put on them.

50. In South Korea, the 4th-floor button in the elevator is 'F' because '4' sounds the same as 'death.'

Hammer and Guillaume started their blog to share their adventures with the world. They wanted to encourage others to visit South Korea and be open to the possibility of living in a different country.

"South Koreans are very welcoming and positive-minded people," the couple said. "We met so many great people here and made very good friends."

"Therefore, we highly recommend South Korea as an ex-pat destination. We started our blog so that more people can realize how great this place is and that they should add this destination to their bucket list!"

So, what do you think? Will you be adding South Korea to your passport?

Stephanie