Culture Smart! KOREA: The Essential Guide to Culture & Customs

by James E. Hoare

JAMES HOARE spent over thirty years in the British Diplomatic Service, with postings to Seoul and Beijing.  His last job was Chargé D’Affaires in Pyongyang, North Korea, where he established the British Embassy. Since retirement, he has become a regular radio and television commentator on Korea, and he also teaches at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. He has written numerous books and articles about East Asia, including Embassies in the East: The Story of the British and Their Embassies in China, Japan and Korea from 1859 to the Present (1999), and, with his wife, Susan Pares, North Korea in the 21st Century: An Interpretative Guide (2005).

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Reference, Cultural, Asia

168 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2004

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I borrowed this little guide from the library on a whim and the librarian issuing it asked me if I'm going to Korea or whether it was speculative. I replied the latter - I've developed an interest in Korea from watching kdramas and am learning Korean on duolingo. Until the library acquires a more substantial history of Korea, or I find one in a bookshop, I will keep borrowing whatever relevant non-fiction I can find. Korea - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Culture & Customs is brief and compact yet covers a lot of ground. Of particular note is that fact that it covers both North and South, resulting in some striking comparisons, as the author has spent time in both. Most tourists are likely to be visiting the South, I expect.

The updated 2021 edition that I read doesn't appear to be listed on goodreads. It mentions the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in the North/South political dynamics since 2018. There are a lot of useful tidbits about good manners in Korea (e.g. do not offer anyone something with your left hand, use both if possible) and little details (e.g. use of metal chopsticks rather than bamboo and eating rice with a spoon). The author's specific experiences and interests show at times, for example in his amusing snootiness about the quality of Korean wine. He also confirmed my experience of duolingo Korean so far: that the Hanguel alphabet is nice and easy to learn, but Korean grammar is complicated and challenging for a native English speaker.

I expect this book would be useful for someone actually planning to visit either North or South Korea. I found it a quick and diverting read. The most intesting thing I learned from it was a key historical role of kimchi: as a source of vitamin C during the winter months. Maybe polar explorers should have taken some with them to avoid scurvy.

[Elise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm thinking of traveling to Korea in the future to see my niece, so I picked this up from the library. It's not exactly a travel guide, more an overview of history and customs for both South and North Korea.

It feels like the target audience is a business person who doesn't want to mess up a potential deal by making a major faux pas. Or a minor faux pas like leaving your chopsticks straight up in a bowl of rice, which is what you do when honoring ancestors. Or that if you are planning to play golf or tennis you should pack an appropriate outfit for that pastime. Or if you visit a Korean home you should wear slippers inside, and they might have you change to a different pair when you go to the bathroom.

It gives a nice overview of the rather complex history of the peninsula, which was fairly vague to me previously (and also cautions that bringing up some of these issues is not always wise).

I could not discern the publication date, but this edition felt a few years out of date from things my niece has described.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, informative pocket book of North and South Korean customs and culture of various types. I think this book is quite useful and does just what it was supposed to do: give the reader an introduction enough so they wouldn't be completely out to sea, if visiting Korea, but not burdensome amounts of information. Hoare writes clearly and conversationally. Was fun to read. My Korean husband was surprised at how well a non-Korean summarized (accurately) the current culture and feel of Korea.

I did find Hoare's treatment of North Korea very nice and diplomatic. Just a point that made me smirk some.

[Eli Breakstop-Kings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative if Distant

It has a lot of good info, but seems to be written from a tourist’s perspective. At times, it poses questions that someone who regularly (or even recently) visits should know. At other times it feels like the author is reflecting their personal experience with Korea, which itself feels a tad quick and shallow. It might have been beneficial to include native perspectives more or to have this written by an expert vs what appears to be a traveller who did some good research and then visited Korea once or twice.

[Julie Shuff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite the fact that the date on the ebook publication says 2012, for some reason this book reads as out of date. It's as though certain parts were updated, but others have been left alone since 1997. I was a bit disappointed after the funny and engaging style of Culture Smart! Japan, but this book still had many interesting nuggets of information and things I hadn't heard about before. Still likely a valuable resource for anyone traveling, but not as enjoyable as the Japan volume.

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good book on essential cultural aspects of both Koreas, and a valuable source to anyone going to Korea.

[Marjorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had some good bits of information

[Vincent V · Rating 5 out of 5]

South is a splendid place!

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this (very short) book for a cross-cultural psychology course I teach. We're traveling to Seoul for a week in March, and when I taught the course last year students said they wished they'd learned more about Korean history and customs. It's a psychology course, not a history course, so this year my co-instructor and I are assigning this book as one means of delivering the content students requested. It's a decent brief introduction to Korea, although it's almost too short. The section on Korean history was dry, but that's a difficult topic to cover in such a short space so I'll give it a pass.

What I found most interesting about the book is how it devoted roughly equal space to South Korea and North Korea. It's targeted to foreigners (particularly Americans) visiting Korea, so it's all about tourism... That's right, it covered tourism in North Korea! While reading, I kept wondering how many readers the sections on North Korea would be relevant to. In a way, it was almost as if it was written to be funny, because the descriptions of South Korea (e.g., "luxuriant hotels...", "excellent shopping...", "vibrant entertainment..." These aren't direct quotes, by the way) were immediately juxtaposed by North Korea descriptions ("cleanliness will be a problem in hotels...", "good luck finding your favorite toothpaste brand...", "the only plays you'll find are about Kim Il Sung..." Again, I'm exaggerating here, but that was the gist of it).

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to read this Culture Smart! book on Korea in preparation for a Korean language and culture class I am taking this fall. This seems like a decent general overview of Korean culture. It could have gone into more detail in a few areas and I wondered if some of the information was a little dated, but it was still an enjoyable quick read and provided interesting comparisons between life and culture in both South Korea and the more carefully controlled North Korea. I also liked that I could easily fit this book in my back pocket which made it more easy to carry around and pull out to read whenever I had a few free moments. I may check out other books in the Culture Smart! series if I get the chance.

[Yingtai]

I like this. Concise, friendly, practical. And humorous at times. The tone is totally different from The Korean Mind.

I think this may be the one I read all those years ago. It has the funny bit about how if you're standing on a bus you shouldn't be surprised if someone gently tugs at your bag and takes it on their lap for you. On the other hand, I don't recall the story about the author's one and only kisaeng party and how the hostess massaged perilously high up the author's leg and kept encouraging him to eat pieces of wriggling octopus. He tried after it stopped moving and the sucker attached itself to the inside of his mouth and took a long time to let go. You see why I say it's funny sometimes.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every country has it's quirks, it's customs and little bits of randomness. This is a book designed to introduce you to some of Korea's both North and South.

Why I started this: I'm flying to South Korea on Tuesday. (Favorite sentence.) And I thought that it was time to do some serious cramming.

Why I finished it: Who knew that people on buses and subways who are seated will hold packages for those who are standing? Or that the business card is vital to social interactions in Korea? And that the more information you can fit onto the card the better? My favorite is that 4, is the same sound as death, and so many Korean buildings don't have a 4th floor or a 13th floor.

[Zaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cover Art: 🥕
Title: 🥕
Review: 🥕🥕
🐰 I wasn't a big fan of the format and the information felt dated.
First Page Nibble:
🐰 The past century has not been kind to the people of the Korean peninsula. Nearly one hundred years ago, Japan's defeat of Russia paved the way for the Japanese protectorate in Korea. Then in 1910, the Japanese annexed Korea as a full-scale colony. Liberation in 1945 brought not independence as all Koreans had hoped, but the division of the peninsula that has lasted until today.
Format: Paperback
Date Read: January 1, 2021🐇

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is essential for anyone thinking about travelling to Korea. It is filled to the brim with facts and statistics about the country and its citizens; tips and need to know information about the etiquette and customs of the country; and information about getting around, things to do, where to stay, etc. Even though I have yet to go to Korea, I feel better about myself when I do so, after having read thia book. I am seriously thinking about going to Korea to teach ESL for a year and this book will definitely be going with me when I go.

[Ira Noviani · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very brief introduction about Korea and its people. What I like the most about the book is that there is a delicate balance of the stories of North Korea and it is not depicted as negative as what the main stream media has been doing. While the content may not be so in details, it touches the necessities to have a social conduct with Koreans in general. It would be interesting to know what the native Koreans think about this book though. This book could also be the prelude to more in-depth study about Korea from other sources.

[Maya · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a compact smaller size book meant to take when traveling. Most bits are surface observations one might be curious about during a quick trip through Korea. I found some interesting info, like how puddle jumper air flights used to be and are again becoming a better way to move about the country than taking cars. Or comments on the prostitution culture. Sigh. However, nothing had the depth or breadth or historical reference I was looking for.

[Barry · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction to Korean culture and customs and even historical background. Mr Hoare has worked and lived in both the North and the South and does a fine job of distinguishing between the two countries. However, the descriptions of the South are predominantly based on Seoul and mostly from Mr Hoare's personal experiences so don't expect a comprehensive overview.

[Rusty · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone traveling to Korea and needing a brief, yet informative, primer on Korean culture--North and South--this is an excellent choice. The author writes from extended experience living in both Koreas and the information he provided is as thorough as a book of its length can do. I recommend this to anyone traveling to Korea for the first time.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for a nice, succinct overview of Korean culture and customs. We'll see how much I remember when I'm there... I think I'm supposed to use two hands when offering anyone anything, never pour my own drinks,.. and point to my white boyfriend so people know I don't speak any Korean.

[Sabrina Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gave me some basic background to the country while Frank was there. Cool to learn about a place when all of a sudden it becomes important to you!

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best book I found about Korean culture. It includes North Korea so I skimmed those parts. It's very readable and the information is practical.

[M Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent, brief introduction to Korean history and culture may be found in this slim book, primarily meant for the traveler.

[Scott Worden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although some of the tips are a bit outdated due to the social changes in South Korea, I still agreed with a lot of the tips.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good overview of Korean culture. It was a quick and easy read. However, it's a little dated.

[Brandon Current · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read and Pass. This book was a helpful brief overview of Korean culture and what it is like to live among and interact with Koreans.

[Diane Gibson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I learned about what to expect if I were to move to Korea about cultural norms.