South Korea - Research Paper Example

In any country, the daily life of people is guided by cultural practices and believes. In South Korea the daily lives of the South Korean people is guide by Century-old Confucian principles. These principles include among others dedication to hard work and a devotion to family and society. Another unique cultural aspect of the South Korean Society is the use of both the Gregorian calendar and the lunar calendar. The Lunar calendar, with its ties to the land and awareness of changing of seasons assist them in identifying seasons and activities of those seasons.

Unlike other societies, their festivals and holidays are based on the lunar calendar so it is advisable that one take necessary measures when planning a visit to this country (Lee 13). According to Lee (13), another part of Confucianism deeply practiced among the South Koreans is the idea of the patriarchic system that regards fathers as the most responsible members of the family and gives elders very much honor. In addition, in this kind of system, the fathers can only undertake certain activities of the society and in most cases; the father is expected to lead in everything a family does.

The problem with such a system is when the father turns to be irresponsible or he is not there at all. These can lead to some of the important family activities failing. In addition, Lee (13) states that the most predominant traditional festival among the South Koreans is the traditional Jesa. This is a ceremony organized to honor the ancestors. In South Korea rice is the most popular food in South Korea, taken as the main dish at almost every meal. Other parts of the meals may include vegetables, soups, fish, and meat.

The most common food among the South Koreans is kuk (soup) and chim (stew) made with vegetables, rice, and meat. In addition to this, they also eat kimch’i. This is a spicy, pickled vegetable dish, which is served with other dishes (Davis 13). Changing from a developing to a developed nation has resulted in the change of the diet of the South Koreas. These changes include the importation of beef that has encouraged meat eating and the availability Americans’ food such as bread, dairy foods, baked goods and fast foods (Drago and Goody 150).

Therefore, no one visiting South Korea should be afraid of the issue of food. Like the Chinese, the South Koreans have the culture of using chopsticks to eat instead of the cutlery used by the Western countries (Davis 13). It is important to note that some in-depth South Korean issues can be of interest to us. Some of these issues include ceramics, paintings, sculptures, Architecture, and religion. In this case, I will discuss the issue of religion. This does not mean that other issues are trivial; they are equally important as they are rooted to this community and have been practiced for years.

They have also been developing from generation to generation. There are various religions practiced in the country of South Korea. According to Clark (29), these religions are in three main categories, which include established religions, newly raising religions and the popular religion. Established religions include Buddhism, Christianity, newly rising religion include unification of churches, and the popular religion include shamanism (Clark 29). The oldest religions in South Korea are ideas, shamanism, and animism.

In these kinds of religion, adherence