Japan vs Korea

[beu]

Hi, it is not my intention to offend anyone, but I would like to know how different this cultures are one from the other.

I've met several japanese people and they're so well mannered and shy; they try hard to please but sometimes they end up being insincere.

And then, met korean people, and got no clue of what to think.

Many people think that everyone in Asia is the same, like they share some cultural similarities; but many people know theyre very different worlds.

I know this is a japanese forum, yet i'd like to ask... how different are japan from korea?

Thanks
PD i knowyou cannot know EVERYTHING about a country by meeting a few guys,and im also aware that everyone is different. But its true that you can get an idea of how people from certain countries are just y talking to some. And thats my inquiry.

[MMM]

If this thread heats up I will be closing it, so let's see if a civil discussion can take place.

Language-wise Korean (S. Korea) and Japan are very similar, but the social structure on the surface may seem similar, but there are fundamental differences.

We often hear about how Japanese value harmony within a group, and that is true, but competition is also valued. Average test scores between different homerooms are ranked, pushing students to work harder to not be the lowest class.

In Korea that harmony is valued, but in a different way. It isn't about harmony as much as everyone being the same.

I heard a first-hand story from an English teacher in a Korean high school. Cheating was not discouraged on tests as it "spread the knowledge" among students. The hope was for everyone to get the same score. During one test the teacher left the room, and many of the students began cheating. At the end of the day one of the smarter students went to the teacher and told him who had been cheating. The next day the teacher told the class that the girl was a rat, and she shouldn't be trusted. No one in her class ever spoke to her again, and she ended up changing schools.

This is just an example, and I have never been to Korea but have taught Japanese to dozens of Korean kids. The main problem I had to deal with was cheating. Part of the reason was I had mixed age kids in the classroom, so younger kids had to bow down to whatever the older kids said. Often that meant sharing work and showing tests.

I remember one time another teacher caught two Korean boys smoking. The boys were separated and the younger boy could not admit the older boy was smoking, even if it meant he would get in more trouble for lying. The words wouldn't come out of his mouth, as the repercussions from the Korean community for being a rat were worse than anything the teachers could dish out as punishment.

I did teach in an Japanese high school, and did deal with cheating a couple times, but it was never students sharing their work, but individuals making cheat sheets for themselves.

[Heru]

ooh interesting

[Yonsu]

Hmmm. Well, the cultures may be a bit similar because of diffusion and such (and don't all people think Chinese, Korean, and Japanese cultures are all somewhat similar?) but they are rather different. The main factor would be because Japan was isolated from the mainland and had time to develop by itself.

Like MMM said, cheating is a pretty serious issue in Korea. It's really as MMM says; cheating isn't exactly discouraged. Students view it as a way to help other kids. If teachers find the person is cheating, the punishment ranges from getting hit on the head to having the whole class kneel and raise their hands, etc. (Yeah, hitting kids in school isn't exactly criminal in Korea, or any other country, I believe, unless it becomes abuse. ^^;;; ) But if not, then oh well. The mentality of the teacher is that because they also cheated when they were little, they shouldn't be completely horrid against their students because that would be hypocritical.

Also, students usually cheat on regular school tests because the grades don't matter very much towards getting accepted into university. The entrance exams count a lot, so they wouldn't be caught dead cheating during that critical examination.

Aaaaand, there is the whole senior student/junior student/sempai thingie that goes on as well. I don't think Japan and Korea differ much in that aspect. There's a lot of pressure for the junior students to please the senior, and 'unspoken rules' for them to obey.

Koreans might come off as cruder to foreigners, especially in huge metropolitan places where people don't say 'excuse me' every time they bump, elbow, or step on someone else. (Otherwise by the end of the day, their voices would be hoarse!) But if you really talk to people, they really are so sweet. People in general are extremely courteous to visitors. I'm not sure about teens, since, well, they are teens, but from my experience, people try to give the best impression they can.

Koreans are extremely interested in foreigners, like Japanese. XD It might be a bit intimidating when a crowd of girls start squealing and pointing and waving saying, "Hi! How are you?! I speak English! Where are you from?"

I don't know if this applies to all Asian cultures, but Koreans have this way of circling around the point when talking. They expect the other person to know what they are actually saying. (It's pretty frustrating for Westerners, hahaha... It's viewed as rude to go straight to the point for Koreans.) I don't know if this applies to Japanese as well, however.

I hoped this helped~ ^^;;

[MMM]

Those were some good clarifications. I worried I was far off base, but am glad I wasn't.

In Japanese, speaking very directly is sometimes frowned upon. Why say what you don't need to say? This is hard for Westerners to understand, because we value direct communication, where in Japan "mutual understanding" without saying your thoughts or feelings directly is valued.

A typical conversation in Japan might be.

"We are going to the candy store. Why not come with us?"

"I want to go, but . . . "

Instead of being required to say why, the main point, that he can't go, is understood. He may or may not be pressed as to why, but my point is that the response "I want to go, but . . . " is basically considered a complete sentence in Japanese.

Yonsu, maybe you can confirm this for me:

In my experience, Japanese people often aren't confident in their English-speaking skills, so are relieved when a foreigner can speak Japanese.

I have heard that this isn't the same in Korea, and even if you have a perfect accent, Westerners speaking Korean are looked at as if they are speaking Greek. Is this true?

[Yonsu]

Originally Posted by MMM

Yonsu, maybe you can confirm this for me:

In my experience, Japanese people often aren't confident in their English-speaking skills, so are relieved when a foreigner can speak Japanese.

I have heard that this isn't the same in Korea, and even if you have a perfect accent, Westerners speaking Korean are looked at as if they are speaking Greek. Is this true?

Well, from what I know, Koreans look at Westerners speaking Korean as if they were speaking Greek... in a good way. I guess people would be shocked and surprised, of course. Korean isn't exactly a famous language compared to Chinese and Japanese. But I doubt they would be outright rude, unless they're very narrow-minded. I know there are some nasty people around, moreso in Korea for some odd reason (I think it's because of the philosophy that everything should be conformed, but that shouldn't be so prevalent because of westernization), but doesn't that apply to any country?

I assure you, most people would be absolutely delighted! <3 Koreans will also probably try to practice their English every chance they get, too. :P

[MMM]

Originally Posted by Yonsu

Well, from what I know, Koreans look at Westerners speaking Korean as if they were speaking Greek... in a good way. I guess people would be shocked and surprised, of course. Korean isn't exactly a famous language compared to Chinese and Japanese. But I doubt they would be outright rude, unless they're very narrow-minded. I know there are some nasty people around, moreso in Korea for some odd reason (I think it's because of the philosophy that everything should be conformed, but that shouldn't be so prevalent because of westernization), but doesn't that apply to any country?

I assure you, most people would be absolutely delighted! <3 Koreans will also probably try to practice their English every chance they get, too. :P

I see. Korean isn't taught really in American schools, so I guess I can understand their surprise. Japanese often speak to foreigners in Japan assuming they know Japanese these days. In that regard maybe Korea is like Japan 30 years ago, before many non-Japanese could speak Japanese.

[tifa]

Yonsu and MMM are myy herooss!!!! i would soo sit a whole day and read what ever they say!!! woooo!!

[SGTOkinawa]

Pretend I sat and typed all this stuff about it, okay> and just click the links and read the WHOLE THING and think I'm telling you this first hand... LOL!

(the internet is your friend)

(Sorry but you have to be more specific, food, travel, buildings, religion, suspicions) (One whole culture to another, come on, who has time to type all that out, wait what? LOL!)

KOREA

JAPAN

There, now that my hands are bloody from typing and I spent the last 10 hours typing that all out, .... j/k.

Have a nice day! Peace!

[xYinniex]

I've only ever been to Korea, I havent visited Japan yet, But Korea isn't big on learning english, learning chinese-yes. The koreans tend to stick together no matter what.

Foodwise, the soups are very similar, But apart from that Koreans tend to pickle food and eat less meat.

Thats what i picked up, I doubt thats what it really is. Im not trying to stereotype. [just for the record]