Description: A short article about culture in Korea
Instructions: Read the short article and answer the questions or fill in the spaces
My Country’s Culture in Korea
Culture is a topic that many people talk about as we all have our own culture. What is ‘culture’? We often use the word ‘culture’ when we have a conversation but what does it actually mean? According to a dictionary, culture means the customs, arts and social institutions of a particular group or nation. Culture includes many things such as values, beliefs, thoughts in our mind, emotions, manners and tastes.
For over five thousand years Korean culture has been developing. The most outstanding characteristic of Korean culture are their language (Korean), their own alphabet system (Han-gul), Korean dress (han-bok), their own style of food (kimchi), and Korean style houses (on-dol with Korean under floor heating). Korean culture is represented by all these living cultural things. One most important part of Korean culture is the belief shared by all Korean people that they are from same forefather. His name is Dankoon.
Apart from these things mentioned, there are many other things that give an identity to Korean culture, such as respect for the aged and having strong family relationships. Koreans are taught to respect their parents, get along well with their siblings, treat their kids with love and be responsible for society and the nation.
Happiness of the family is more important than an individual’s happiness. Koreans tend to force themselves to value society rather than their individual ideas. Koreans live their lives as a part of a group rather than as a master of their own destiny.