6 Things About Korean Society That Koreans Hate

Although Koreans take pride in their country, just like everyone else around the world, they’re also the ones who can see its weaknesses better than anyone else. So the YouTuber JIN took to the streets of Korea and found out six of the things its citizens disliked, and even hated, most about Korean society.

1. Mandatory Military Service

Two men who were currently fulfilling their mandatory military service expressed their frustration at having eighteen months taken out of their life, especially without the certainty of receiving a break that entire time.

I think it’s kind of [like] losing time… And above all, we are not guaranteed personal time. There are still things to be fixed.

— Korean Citizen

2. The Age Hierarchy

A woman pointed out Koreans’ habit of sharing their ages when first meeting. She disliked the cultural norm because it opened the door to judging someone only on their age. They easily disregard a person’s intelligence and values by comparing them to the stereotypes of their peers.

But once you tell your age, people start judging if you’re mature or not, based on your age. I think it happens more in Korea.

— Korean Citizen

3. Clique Mentality

Because Korea is a society where it’s unnatural to greet strangers even if they’re passing by, Koreans stick to the people they’re familiar with. This causes an issue of not respecting others who aren’t close to them, especially among Korean netizens.

Koreans tend to treat only their own group favorably and exclude other people who aren’t in their group. It happens a lot. Because of that, many conflicts arise between different groups.

— Korean Citizen

4. The Senior Hierarchy

Going deeper into how much importance Koreans place on age, a man discussed the senior hierarchy that’s in place at work and at home. Instead of talking directly to a senior, he shared his frustration at the unspoken rule of speaking to someone else who would then tell the senior. He believed communication between everyone would be easier by talking directly to each other.

For example, when an intern tries to give a report. He shouldn’t directly give it to a senior. He has to give it to an assistant manager first.

This also happens between family members. For example, if you want to say something to your grandfather. You have to say it through your dad first.

— Korean Citizen

5. Cultural Pressure

A younger woman took notice of how much Koreans value the way they’re perceived by others, trying to show themselves positively. Because of that, they even pressure other people into thinking the same way and following the same trends.

Koreans care too much about what people think. Also, they care too much about others.

…Even old people tend to invade personal space, which should be respected, to often say, ‘Why are you dressed like that? Why do you behave like that?’

— Korean Citizen

6. Hate Comments

Using Koreans’ response to the 2022 FIFA World Cup after the country’s final match in the tournament, a man explained how “short-tempered” and “emotional” Koreans could be. Instead of praising a player for all his hard work, the man pointed out how Koreans bombarded the player with hate comments.

When a player didn’t perform well, people wrote hate comments on his Instagram. But you should say good things when they played well. And when they didn’t play well, you should correct them—not blame [them].

— Korean Citizen