Friends in Korea generally do not kiss as a casual greeting or sign of platonic friendship, especially across genders, as it's considered a romantic gesture, but same-sex friends often engage in significant "" like holding hands, linking arms, or hugging, which is normal and different from Western norms. Public displays of affection (PDA) are much less common in Korea than in the West, and kissing is rare even between couples in public.
PDA in Korea
Although you won't see many kisses while you're venturing around Korea, feel free to hold your date's hand or put your arm around them — these are both considered appropriate displays of affection and can make you feel closer to your date throughout the evening.
Strictly speaking, in Korean society you can only be friends with someone who is within the same age group. A hyung (형; a term used by a guy for an older brother) can't be friends with a dongsaeng (동생, a younger person), but this doesn't mean that they can't have a deep and close relationship.
Italians, Croatians and Hungarians usually kiss twice in a greeting and in Mexico and Belgium only one kiss is necessary. In Ecuador, women kiss on the right cheek only and in Oman it is not unusual for men to kiss one another on the nose after a handshake.
In Korea, it's common for friends and family to have close physical contact. Same-sex friends, both guys and girls, might hold hands, hug, or sit on each other's laps comfortably.
The "3 date rule" in Korean dating refers to the common practice of deciding whether to become an official couple after the third date, moving quickly from casual "talking" (sseom) to an exclusive relationship, a faster pace than many Western cultures where dating remains casual for longer. It's an unwritten guideline where the first dates assess compatibility, and by the third, couples often establish commitment, sometimes with "couple items" or frequent communication. While still influential, younger generations (Gen Z) are sometimes moving away from this rigid timeline.
South Korea's 52-hour work rule caps most employees' weekly working hours at 52, consisting of 40 standard hours plus 12 allowed overtime hours, aiming to reduce overwork, improve work-life balance, and boost productivity by ending excessively long workweeks previously common in the country. Implemented in phases for different company sizes, this law applies to a seven-day week, including weekends, and was a major revision to the Labor Standards Act, phasing in from 2018 to 2021 for most businesses.
As romantic as it might be to think so, kissing is not a universal gesture among human beings. Even today, there exist some cultures, such as the Mehinaku tribe of Amazonia and sub-Saharan hunter-gatherer societies, that have no place for it. This suggests that it is not innate or intuitive as it so often seems to us.
The 90/10 kissing rule, popularized by the movie Hitch, suggests that one person leans in 90% of the way for a kiss and pauses, allowing the other person to close the remaining 10%, which signals their consent and involvement, preventing it from feeling forced and creating anticipation. This technique gives the other person control, allowing them to either lean in for the kiss or pull away, indicating their comfort level.
When it comes to food, history and culture, the Italians and French are close rivals. However, Italy were recently crowned the undisputed master of passion, winning the title 'best kissers in the world.
Koreans consider it rude to look someone directly in the eye, cross your arms or legs, or have your hands in their pocket when you are speaking to them. Koreans usually focus their eyes on the lower neck of the person they are talking to and try to avoid staring.
The most common Korean slang for "WTF" includes 헐 (Heol) for shock/disbelief, 뭐야? (Mwoya?) meaning "What is this?", and for stronger vulgarity, the abbreviation ㅅㅂ (S-B) for 씨발 (Ssi-bal), similar to the English f-word.
The Youth Protection Revision Act, commonly known as the Shutdown Law or Cinderella Law, was an act of the South Korean National Assembly which forbade children under the age of sixteen to play video games between the hours of 00:00 and 06:00.
The biggest red flag in K-dramas is often the toxic, possessive, cold-hearted CEO/chaebol male lead who uses bullying, forced affection (wrist grabs, forced kisses), emotional manipulation, and controlling behavior (like isolating the female lead) as a form of "love," transforming into a doting partner only through the female lead's unwavering love, a trope popularized by dramas like Boys Over Flowers and The Heirs. Other major red flags include gaslighting, jealousy treated as romance, love-bombing, emotional unavailability, and characters with dark, violent pasts who inexplicably soften for the female lead.
Flirting in Korean culture is pretty much like what you see in Korean dramas. They use romantic, sweet, and cute phrases to touch the heart of the person they like. Aside from romantic phrases, they also flirt by acting cute, which is called aegyo (애교).
If kissing before marriage stimulates lust or leads to sexual immorality, it is a sin and should be avoided between couples that are not married.
The 6 Second Kiss Rule is a simple practice where couples make a conscious effort to kiss for at least six seconds every day. This rule was popularized by relationship expert Dr. John Gottman, who emphasized the importance of small, intentional acts of intimacy in maintaining a healthy relationship.
Therefore, it is crucial to be mindful of these cultural norms to avoid unintentionally offending people. Besides that, if you are dating in Korea, do note that showing a public display of affection or PDA is frowned upon. While holding hands is acceptable, kissing in public may attract judgmental eyes.
The “high-contact” nature of Mediterranean and Latin American cultures fosters frequent, accepted physical contact, which has been linked to better mental health outcomes, reduced loneliness, and stronger social bonds.
It's therefore not as common among Gen Z. Since lockdowns hit just as they were beginning to socialize, they didn't necessarily adopt it as a custom.
4B movement, South Korean feminist activist movement and political stance defined by four deliberate refusals: bihon (“no marriage”), bichulsan (“no childbirth”), biyonae (“no dating”), bisekseu (“no sex [with men]”).
Sealy Bed Surveys 20,000 People Around the World The average Korean sleep time is only 4-6 hours. 95% said, "I don't feel refreshed in the morning". According to a survey, the average sleeping time of Koreans is only 4-6 hours, which falls short of the global level.
South Korean law prohibits political activities by foreigners. Even peaceful demonstrations can turn violent at any time. They can lead to significant disruptions to traffic and public transportation.