Foreign visitors to South Korea can learn about various cross-cultural themes.
Posted December 25, 2022 | Reviewed by Abigail Fagan
As a professor who leads the South Korea study abroad program for American students, I am well aware of the most popular activities:
- Eating Korean barbeque.
- Hanging out at Hongdae – a hotspot in Seoul among young people.
- Shopping at beauty product stores.
- Touring the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
These are activities that I do not need to introduce to my students; they find out about them on their own through their Korean media consumption.
But South Korea in its unique blend of traditional and modern aspects offers a rich array of activities that international visitors can experience, including those who want to broaden their understanding of cross-cultural psychology.
So, for those visitors to Korea who want to engage cross-cultural themes beyond the typical “top 5 things to do in Korea” touristy lists, here are a few recommendations from a psychology professor (Full disclosure: I have no financial relationship with any of the activities/sites described below):
1. To learn about collective trauma and its lasting impact (P. Y. Kim, 2020)
In addition to the aforementioned DMZ visit, the War and Women’s Human Rights Museum (sometimes referred to as “Comfort Women Memorial”) in Seoul is a powerful space to deepen your understanding of collective pain of a nation. The Memorial is located in a relatively small space — the building feels more like a large house, and the entire location can be toured in about 1-2 hours — but the emotional and cognitive impact is substantive. Feel the angst and anger of a nation for how their ancestors were victimized. Learn about how sexual violence against women was organized at the systemic level. And pledge to do your part to never let this kind of atrocity happen again.
2. To learn about conformity to norms as a core Asian value (B. S. K. Kim et al., 1999)
Witness and participate in conformity to the larger group, by the thousands, at a professional baseball game. The baseball game itself is the same, but the cheering among the attendees is done in unison, with constant singing accompanied by choreographed moves. It is quite an experience for those who are new to the Korean baseball scene. It is also an opportunity to appreciate the ways in which conforming to the norms is an important cultural practice in South Korea.
3. To engage the topic of proximity, or personal space (Hall, 1966)
In many parts of Korea, the distinction between private and public spaces tends to be blurred. In cross-cultural psychology, we might even describe this from a boundary perspective: In an interdependent context, the boundary between the individual and others might be less clear (e.g., Markus & Kitayama, 1991). To literally feel this type of boundary intrusion, walk through a crowded marketplace. Bonus points if you can brave the subway train during commute hours and truly feel the overlap between public and private spaces.
4. To be introduced to religion in a cross-cultural setting
Visit a Buddhist temple. There are many temples open to foreign visitors. Learn about how traditional cultural values and practices might still inform how the religion is practiced today (e.g., prayers for the educational success of children, religious chants in unison). One does not have to be religious (or Buddhist) to appreciate how a traditional religion like Buddhism continues to inform modern practices in Korea. If you have the chance, consider a temple stay experience for additional engagement.
References
- Hall, E.T. (1966). The hidden dimension. Garden City, NY: Doubleday.
- Kim, B. S. K., Atkinson, D. R., & Yang, P. H. (1999). The Asian Values Scale: Development, factor analysis, validation, and reliability. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 46(3), 342–352. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.46.3.342
- Kim, P. Y. (2020). Teaching Korean cultural constructs to American students: Examples from a South Korea study abroad course. Psychology Teaching Review, 26(2), 5-11.
- Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S. (1991). Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. Psychological Review, 98(2), 224–253. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.98.2.224
