List of countries in the world. Facts and information

Ondol - a system of heated floors - appeared in Korea about two thousand years ago. The source of heat - a wood stove - was placed in the kitchen or in the outer wall of the room. Hot air from it passed through tunnels located under the floor and heated the stones in the foundation, which could retain heat for a long time. Thanks to ondol, many customs have developed in South Korea. For example, it is not customary to lay carpets and mats on the floor. Sleeping and sitting are also customary on the floor - without beds and chairs. Favorite guests were traditionally seated on the warmest place on the floor - as a sign of respect.

South Korea consistently occupies a leading position among countries with the largest number of plastic surgeons. This is not surprising - facial reshaping surgeries have long been a social norm there. Adults seek to correct their appearance in order to get a promotion, young people - to become like their favorite K-pop idols or find an attractive partner.

Most often, Koreans correct the shape of the eyelids, cheekbones and nose, less often they do face whitening. The Korean cult of beauty has led to the country becoming one of the centers of the beauty industry - hundreds of thousands of tourists come there every year to have plastic surgery, and Korean cosmetics break sales records all over the world.

Koreans calculate age using a very peculiar method. They add one year to the baby's age - this is how they take into account the time spent in the mother's womb. Another year is added on the first day of the new lunar year. Thus, a child born in the last week of the lunar calendar is considered two years old, although in fact he is only a few days old.

The capital of South Korea, Seoul, is one of the ten most populated cities in the world. Therefore, it is hard to believe that in the very center of this densely built-up metropolis, a real village has been preserved! In the Bukchon district, you can see how Koreans lived several hundred years ago - it has preserved authentic narrow streets and houses in a traditional style. Every year, this village is visited by several hundred thousand tourists.

The workaholism of Koreans is not just a common stereotype. For a long time, many of them worked 68 hours a week - for comparison, in Russia the length of the working week is legally limited to 40 hours. Now the authorities of South Korea have reduced the maximum permissible working hours to 52 hours a week. This does not save its residents from overtime - in Korean corporate culture, it is not customary to refuse additional workload.

Korean women have a lot of cosmetics. A lot. A lot, a lot. If you try to count the number of products for evening care, you will get about ten: makeup remover oil, cleansing foam, scrub or peeling, face mask, toner, essence, lotion, serum or emulsion, cream, sheet mask and, finally, a night mask.

It is hard to believe, but every fifth Korean woman has already had plastic surgery. And the most popular surgery is changing the shape of the eyes.

Appearance is almost the most important thing for Koreans. If you look tired and shabby, they will definitely tell you about it, but not to insult you, but solely to help you.

Koreans love to bargain, for them it is something like an integral part of the shopping process. If you know the language and find yourself at the market, then be sure to try to knock down the price of the product you like, at least for the sake of interest, rest assured that you can get the desired product 3-5 times cheaper.

Restaurants and cafes can be divided into four categories: Korean, Japanese, Chinese and European. The most expensive and prestigious are Japanese, then come European, and Chinese and Korean you can find both very expensive and very simple eateries.

Koreans love to drink and there is even a special ritual called hoeshik, according to which colleagues must gather at a bar after work and drink together once a month or even more often. If you refuse to drink at hoeshik, you will be considered a weirdo.

The main product on the Korean table is rice. It is used as a side dish, and regular rice porridge with water is often eaten instead of bread to kill the spiciness. Rice must be eaten to the end, and if you leave it in the plate, you will be considered a very rude person.

In Korea, it is customary to slurp. Koreans do not even think that it may look indecent, because in this way they show the chef that they really liked the dish, of course, it is not customary to do it deliberately loudly and defiantly. But chewing with an open mouth or talking until you have chewed food is considered bad manners, just like in our country.

One of the manifestations of friendship for Koreans is touching. Do not be surprised if you see on the streets of Korea how guys pat each other on the shoulder, tug at hair and even give a light neck massage.

In Korea, they like to make noise, it is not customary to complain to the police about neighbors who listen to loud music. Loud advertising on the streets is also within the norm.

Popular sports are baseball and golf. Baseball is played by children and adults, and golf is a pastime for middle-aged people. Another type of physical activity that all Koreans love to do is go to the mountains.

If you decide to write a letter or a postcard to a Korean, then put aside red ink, as it is believed that a name written in red ink will bring misfortune and even death to the person.

Koreans are very hardworking. The school routine is also maintained at work - the workday starts at 7.30-9.00, depending on the company, and ends late in the evening. Although the official workday should last until 18.00, many Koreans try not to leave before the boss.

A 30-day vacation is an unaffordable luxury for Koreans. Some companies literally force their employees to take a vacation for one or two weeks, since stubborn Koreans refuse to rest in order to prove their professionalism to their bosses.