South Korean Data and Research Analysis

This assignment provides a comprehensive overview of research papers, studies, and data analysis related to South Korea. It includes a list of academic articles and publications covering topics such as the National Health Information Database, government support for SME innovations, personality and subjective well-being, and more. The assignment also includes information about cultural differences, trust formation in university-industry research collaborations, and the utilization of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) among ethnic minorities. Additionally, it provides summaries of studies on pain management using acupuncture and factors influencing mothers' parenting style of young children at risk for developmental delay.

Running head: SOUTH KOREA
SOUTH KOREA
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Executive Summary
South Korea is one of the most developed and technologically advanced countries in the
globe. The country is famous for its high internet speeds, presence of big multinational
organizations, and a state of the art healthcare system. This paper aims to discuss the cultural
practices of the Koreans by studying and carefully analyzing the important elements of
culture in South Korea. The conclusion is drawn that traditional values are still prevalent in
Korean families, however women are still lagging in terms of status and respect and this
requires change.

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Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Elements of culture....................................................................................................................3
1. Health beliefs and practices...............................................................................................3
2. Family Patterns.......................................................................................................................5
3. Communication Style.............................................................................................................7
4. Death and dying practices......................................................................................................8
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................9
References................................................................................................................................11
Appendices...............................................................................................................................13

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Introduction
South Korea, officially known as Republic of Korea, is a sovereign state located in the
southern side of the Korean Peninsula. It is a developed country, which is technologically
advanced, and possesses a high rate of skilled and educated work force. The country has the
presence of state of the art healthcare facilities, provides personal and job security and is
supportive to conducting business activities (Doh & Kim, 2014). The country is renowned as
being the highest spender on ‘Research and Development’ activities. It is also home to a
number of multinational business corporations like Samsung, LG and others. It is due to this
reason that South Korea ranks in a favorable position globally (Shin, 2013).
South Korea is a country with the presence of a diverse ethnicity with the country’s
population being close to 51 million at present (Sung, 2013). This paper discusses the four
important elements of culture present in South Korea relating to health practices, family
patterns, communication styles and death/dying practices.
Elements of culture
1. Health beliefs and practices
The healthcare system in South Korea is considered the 4th best in the world. The life
expectancy rate has experienced a steady growth since 2011 (Cheol Seong et al., 2016). The
average life expectancy of a person in South Korea is at an estimate of 82 years (77 years for
men and 83 years for women). An average South Korea diet is rich in fish and usually
consists of rice or noodles. The rate of consumption of fruits is more than sweets that are
made from processed sugar. The rate of smoking however, is high.

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It has been observed that South Koreans have a tendency towards adopting curative
measures rather than taking preventive measures. Traditional practices in the field of
healthcare are common since some citizens consider western medicines to be too strong in
their composition and dosage. Some of the famous forms of traditional treatment are as
follows:-
 Acupuncture- It is a form of treatment that involves piercing various pressure points
of the body with thin needles (Kim et al., 2013). The thin needles are pierced and
kept in place for a certain duration of time. Acupuncture is a debatable treatment
practice however there have been reports of it helping reduce lower back pain,
stiffness of muscles and pain in various joints of the body.
 Traditional forms of medicine- South Koreans use various forms of medicinal
herbs to create tablets and pills (Hwang et al., 2014). ‘Ginseng’ is the most
commonly used medicinal herb which finds its application in tea, candy and tablets
or capsules (Baeg & So, 2013). A medicinal herb festival is also host by the city of
Daegu every year.
 Cupping- It is a form of treatment that makes use of suction cups made from glass,
bamboo, mud or silicone. The cupping therapy process is said to be helpful for the
treatment of inflammation and it helps in maintaining a proper blood flow. It is also
said to provide relaxation to the various muscles of the body via deep tissue
massage.
 Seaweed soup- It is considered as a good source of protein and vitamins for
pregnant women and is considered beneficial for the baby (Shin et al., 2013).
 Moxibustion- It is a process of burn or heat therapy. It requires the burning of a herb
called mugwort, either close to the skin or on it.

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 Shaman- they are people who are known to practice ‘hanyak’ which is a practice of
using herbal medicine to induce a state of trance that is said to have healing qualities
as well as providing personal harmony. At present however, the number of shamans
is low and they are a rare sight (Yun, 2015).
 Consumption of hot water- The consumption of hot water is considered a healthy
practice in South Korea. It is even practiced during summer. Due to this reason,
‘sungyung’ is a popular dish among Koreans, which consists of hot water and burnt
rice.
The various beliefs relating to healthcare in South Korea are as follows:-
 Karma – Buddhism is prevalent among the South Korean culture and it greatly
influences them. The beliefs regarding sickness and death in Koreans are mostly
formed from Buddhist principles.
 Um and Yang- They are considered to be the two forms of life force present in
every individual. A conflict between these two forces is believed to result in
depression, hypothermia, seizures, stroke and so on.
The South Korean hospitals are well known for the availability of latest technology
and medical equipments along with the presence of skilled nurses, doctors and other
staff. The rate of suicide however, is high and it is a serious cause of concern in the
country (Chan et al., 2014).
2. Family Patterns
Although there has been a great increase in western influence, the traditional practices
regarding marriage and family still exist in South Korea. In a typical South Korean family,
the father acts as the head of the family. As in case of the father, the eldest son gets more

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respect than the other children do. The eldest child in the family is also expected to inherit his
father’s wealth and business. Recently however, the implementation of a new law has
changed this practice and the wealth needs to be divided equally among all children. Women
are expected to take care of their husband’s parents and be engaged in household work.
However, with time, the position of respect and power of women has changed, and women
actively take part in different work roles. Although half of the labor force comprises of
women, they are still somewhat below the male population in terms of status.
A South Korean family usually follows the nuclear style. This is mainly due to the
reason of low fertility rates among Korean women. The respect is given to the members of
the family according to their age or seniority. The parents have great expectations from their
children in terms of academic performance and therefore this puts a lot of pressure on the
children (Nam & Chun, 2014). The South Koreans also take part in traditional ceremonies
that take place throughout the year in order to show their respect and gratitude to their parents
or deceased family members.
When it comes to marriage, the practice of dowry still exists and the bride is expected
to pay a large sum of money for the furnishing expense of her home. The men over the age of
18 years and women over the age of 16 years, are legally permitted to be able to get married
with the consent of their parents. In case an individual wants to marry someone of his own
consent, the legal age for marriage for both the genders in this case is over 20 years (Ha &
Kim, 2013). Arranged marriages remain a common practice in the country until this day. The
South Koreans were previously intolerant towards homosexuality. However, with the influx
of western influence, people have started to accept homosexuality and all genders and sexual
orientation receive equal treatment by the country’s youth (Hemmert, Bstieler & Okamuro,
2014).

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3. Communication Style
The Koreans are known to promote peace and harmony through their messages, but
have a tendency to become extremely rational when they are emotionally hurt. This is
credited to the long history of conflict and suffering faced by the people of the country. The
Koreans consider saying no to someone as a display of poor manners and therefore they
refrain from saying no directly. Disagreement or unhappiness is usually portrayed in a very
vague manner and may get frustrating while engaged in a communication process.
The official language of South Korea is Korean, and it makes use of a system of
writing known as ‘Hangul’. The use of Chinese Hanja characters is very limited in writing
and is seen to take place only in print and legal documents. The Korean language has the
presence of a standard dialect called Seoul. There is the presence of four more Korean
language dialect groups throughout the country (Jeon & Cukor-Avila, 2015). The learning of
English language has become a popular and compulsory practice in recent times with
students also opting to learn Japanese language as well as Mandarin.
The verbal communication style in South Korea is considered to be indirect in nature
with less reliance on verbal words and more reliance in paying attention to the posture and
expressions of the speaker is given priority. However, the style of speech delivery may often
feel serious and stern in nature. Laughter is often used as a tool to escape uncomfortable
situations. In South Korea, more priority is given to the way a speech is delivered than the
information contained in the speech.
In case of the non-verbal styles of communication, smiling, eye contact and the use of
certain gestures take place. The Koreans are usually seen to have a straight face in terms of
facial expression which is bound to change drastically in case of disagreement or rage. The
personal space is not much guarded and people are expected to apologize in case of invasion

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of privacy caused due to contact in a busy street. Sneezing is considered rude in South Korea
and an individual who is sneezing or about to, is expected to excuse himself from the room
while doing so. While receiving something, the use of both hands is considered to be a polite
gesture.
4. Death and dying practices
It is mandatory to obtain a death certificate from the local hospital in the event of the
death of an individual in South Korea. If the cause of death is due to an accident or a crime,
the police need to give clearance via an Autopsy Certificate without which cremation or
funeral would not be possible. The death certificate is handed out to the family members of
the deceased individual.
Usually, the funeral of a deceased individual takes place after a time period of 3 days.
Cremation or burial cannot take place within 24 hours of death of an individual since it is
illegal to do so. The funeral process consists of several rites that need to be followed (Davies,
2017). The ears and nose of the deceased are plugged with cotton and the body is washed
using incense water. Coins are placed on the eyes of the deceased member and his mouth is
filled with rice thrice. The eldest son of the family is supposed to place himself in a mountain
tomb and pray while his wife is expected to manage and cook the food for the funeral.
During the event of death of parents or elder members of the family, the mourning
process is to take continue for a time period of 3 years. During a funeral, men are expected to
remain calm, composed and are not allowed to shed tears. However, in case of women, they
are expected to be emotional and shed tears for the deceased individual. A friend, relative or
family member is supposed to deliver a formal speech regarding the memories and good
qualities of the deceased person.

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The burial may take place on a private property or private ground only if approved by
the local office or the district. The same process is to be followed while burying in the family
grounds as well. The burial process requires the presence of important documents, which may
consist of the total size of the property where the burial is to take place, the documents of
approval obtained from the local office and a map of the property. However in case of burial
in a public cemetery, the rules are not as rigid and it only requires the death certificate and a
certain amount of fee.
The process of cremation may take place at any crematorium in the country if the time
is set and service is arranged accordingly. The scattering of the ashes after the cremation
process is prohibited in public places and rivers. It is allowed to be done only in designated
areas of burial.
In recent times, if a death occurs at a hospital, all the activities of the funeral,
including the fixing of a venue, is conducted by shops located in the hospital.
Conclusion
Thus the conclusion can be drawn by stating that South Korea is a technologically
advanced, developed nation. Even after the vast advancements in technology, the cultural
values of the country still remain traditional where emphasis on respect and authority is given
to the elder members of the family. The progression of time and the substantial increase in
western influence has brought about necessary changes in the mentality of the individuals
present in the society. It is due to this reason that women are given more important work roles
rather than being limited to a homemaker only. Homosexuality was practiced in secret due to
the high level of intolerance, which is gradually changing with more and more people being
acceptable of it. The youth today is heavily influenced in western culture and the concepts of
love marriage and learning new languages is gaining popularity. In terms of health care,

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traditional practices still exist but the country is renowned for its state of the art technology in
healthcare. The number of immigrants is high and this has contributed to a diverse ethnicity.
Rice and fish are the most staple forms of diet and the consumption of medicinal herbs is
popular. Though the country is developed in nature, practices like dowry still exist and need
to be checked. Apart from this, more respect should be given to women and an increase in the
rate of participation of women in positions of power is required. The status of women needs
to change and practices like dowry which exist till this day need to be abolished.

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References
Baeg, I. H., & So, S. H. (2013). The world ginseng market and the ginseng (Korea). Journal
of ginseng research, 37(1), 1.
Chan, C. H., Caine, E. D., You, S., Fu, K. W., Chang, S. S., & Yip, P. S. F. (2014). Suicide
rates among working-age adults in South Korea before and after the 2008 economic
crisis. J Epidemiol Community Health, 68(3), 246-252.
Cheol Seong, S., Kim, Y. Y., Khang, Y. H., Heon Park, J., Kang, H. J., Lee, H., ... & Lee, E.
J. (2016). Data resource profile: the national health information database of the
National Health Insurance Service in South Korea. International journal of
epidemiology, 46(3), 799-800.
Davies, D. (2017). Death, ritual and belief: The rhetoric of funerary rites. Bloomsbury
Publishing.
Doh, S., & Kim, B. (2014). Government support for SME innovations in the regional
industries: The case of government financial support program in South
Korea. Research Policy, 43(9), 1557-1569.p
Ha, S. E., & Kim, S. (2013). Personality and subjective well-being: Evidence from South
Korea. Social Indicators Research, 111(1), 341-359.
Hemmert, M., Bstieler, L., & Okamuro, H. (2014). Bridging the cultural divide: Trust
formation in university–industry research collaborations in the US, Japan, and South
Korea. Technovation, 34(10), 605-616.

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Hwang, J. H., Han, D. W., Yoo, E. K., & Kim, W. Y. (2014). The utilisation of
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) among ethnic minorities in South
Korea. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 14(1), 103.
Jeon, L., & Cukor-Avila, P. (2015). " One country, one language"?: mapping perceptions of
dialects in South Korea. Dialectologia: revista electrònica, (14), 17-46.Kim, K. H.,
Kim, Y. R., Noh, S. H., Kang, K. W., Kim, J. K., Yang, G. Y., & Lee, B. R. (2013).
Use of acupuncture for pain management in an academic Korean medicine hospital: a
retrospective review of electronic medical records. Acupuncture in Medicine,
acupmed-2012.
Lee, H. Y., Hahm, M. I., & Park, E. C. (2013). Differential association of socio-economic
status with gender-and age-defined suicidal ideation among adult and elderly
individuals in South Korea. Psychiatry research, 210(1), 323-328.
Nam, S., & Chun, J. (2014). Influencing factors on mothers' parenting style of young children
at risk for developmental delay in South Korea: The mediating effects of parenting
stress. Children and Youth Services Review, 36, 81-89.
Shin, H. K., Jeong, S. J., Huang, D. S., Kang, B. K., & Lee, M. S. (2013). Usage patterns and
adverse experiences in traditional Korean medicine: results of a survey in South
Korea. BMC complementary and alternative medicine, 13(1), 340.
Shin, J. S. (2013). The Economics of the Latecomers: Catching-up, technology transfer and
institutions in Germany, Japan and South Korea. Routledge.
Sung, M., Chin, M., Lee, J., & Lee, S. (2013). Ethnic variations in factors contributing to the
life satisfaction of migrant wives in South Korea. Family relations, 62(1), 226-240.

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Yun, K. (2015). The economic imperative of UNESCO recognition: a South Korean
shamanic ritual. Journal of folklore research, 52(2), 181-198.
Appendices
1. South Korean family picture
2. Medicine Market in Seoul

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3. Students of South Korea
4. South Korean Cuisine