15 Ways Living In Korea Might Transform You

You may notice some changes if you live in Korea for an extended period of time.

We’ve all heard it before: the more you hang out with a certain group of friends, the more your habits start to align. Do you use ㅋㅋㅋ instead of LOL? Has your hairstyle or fashion changed? Do you enjoy soju? Let’s take a look at what influences might have changed you by living in Korea.

 

1. You listen to too much K-Pop for your own good.

BTS. TWICE. EXO. With so many recommendations coming your way, what’s a person to do but listen to them all? Besides, you know you’re already hooked to K-Pop, and need to feed your addiction with more!

 

2. You know & believe in your blood type profile.

You also know all of your friends’ blood types & associated personality traits too. It makes sense to you that Type A’s are OCD, Type B’s are cold-blooded, Type O’s are a bit flaky, and Type AB’s are just weird.

 

3. You know all the names of K-Pop band members.

Let’s be honest, whether it be 5 members or 101, it’s not a problem for you to remember all the names of your favorite group members. After all, you listen to them everyday.

 

4. You feel the urge to bow in front of an elder.

You’ve seen your Korean friends do this time and time again, and it’s not just a sign of respect. It’s deeply ingrained in the culture itself and a customary action of greeting.

 

5. You can probably speak & understand Konglish.

Or Korean-English if you will. You’ve listened to enough K-Pop songs and caught on to enough Korean catchphrases & slang from your friends to start utilizing it in your daily speak.

 

6. You’re on the top of your game in fashion.

With all the K-Pop music videos that you’re either been recommended / made / urged to watch, you’re constantly inspired to try out new and crazy styles. You’re open to try any style!

 

7. You’re a total kimchi snob.

You don’t just know and love kimchi, but you’ve had it freshly made. Being a kimchi connoisseur, you can tell the difference between kimchi that’s been fermented longer versus shorter amounts of time.

 

8. You’re not easily impressed with soap operas.

Since you’ve probably watched your fair share of K-Dramas (with or without your Korean friends), you’ve definitely seen it all in terms of utterly unbelievable plot twists. You won’t be impressed easily!

 

9. You expect side dishes with every meal.

Side dishes comes with every Korean meal. Be it in a restaurant, at a bar, or with a friend’s home-made lunch, you will have many different side dishes to choose from. After all, banchan is life.

 

10. You’re an avid soju drinker.

Forget beer, soju is your alcoholic beverage of choice. With a much higher alcohol content than beer, this is definitely not a drink that you can pound back unless you’ve had some experience.

 

11. Your hairstyle may be subject to change.

Inspired by your favorite idols, you have no fear when it comes to trying a new, stylish hairstyle. You’ll probably love it too, whether it matches you or not. Although, ALL hairstyles probably look good on you, right?

 

12. You start typing “ㅋㅋㅋ” instead of “LOL.”

You know it’s true, there’s just something you love about using ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Who has time to type three different letters anyway? Well, technically it’s two, but it’s still not as fun!

 

13. You can handle eating spicier foods.

After eating eating so much kimchi, tteokbokki, and ramyun, you’ve built up a tolerance to spicy foods and can eat pretty much anything! Peppers are more of a seasoning than a spice now.

 

14. You pay more attention to skincare.

Surely you’ve learned a thing or two about skincare, and tried out a few Korean products as well! You know you gotta use some essence before putting on that lotion, right?

 

15. Your singing has improved.

If you live in Korea, there’s no way to avoid going to noraebang and singing your heart out. Surely you’ve tried to sing your favorite K-Pop songs too! Don’t forget to warm up your voice first!