Feelings about South Korea of a Filipina who Hasn´t Been There

I haven't been to South Korea yet. But when I think about South Korea, what comes to my mind first is K-pop, Korean drama, good food (sp...

I haven't been to South Korea yet.

But when I think about South Korea, what comes to my mind first is K-pop, Korean drama, good food (spicy foods are the best! ), the impossible beauty of the people, and places for sure all of us can agree.

I've encountered some Koreans before, many of them are fun and easy to get along with. The big factors are that Korean comedy movies and hilarious TV shows are also deeply rooted in my mind, giving me the impression that Koreans have this great sense of humor by nature. From seeing and hearing many South Koreans, I get this sense of honesty. There's also a refreshing directness on how they speak.

What I always find amazing is their culture of respect. The way they greet each other (lowering the head every time you meet), this sunbae (선배, 先輩) and hoobae (후배, 後輩) respect all the way, talking to the elders in a very polite manner, the house and the table manners, how random Koreans apologize for the entire nation when someone does something bad. This is just so humble that it always amazes me. I can't make any generalizations, but for me, I think Koreans are interesting people.

I may be right or wrong, but I want to share my opinions about this beautiful country.

South Korea in many ways

• offers very convenient living conditions (amazing wifi service everywhere, clean public transportation, food-delivery service that amazes every foreigner, pleasant and efficient public sector services such as banks, post offices, shops, and bars open until very late but it's still safe, a convenient cab ride and reasonable cab fees).
• has a fast-changing city development plan (business changes very rapidly).
• has large crowds during the morning rush hours so taking public transportation will not be very pleasant (especially when taking the Metro in Seoul going to work).
• has long working hours that cause burnout in most people who are constantly feeling fatigued, but they never forget to smile and still be very nice and kind.
• has caring people who are very concerned about others.
• are abounding in beauty and makeup trends.
• has eager Koreans who always have the urge to talk to foreigners in English and want to learn English fluency for day-to-day conversations. It is better to make some effort to learn Korean to converse easily.
• is also the home of tech giants like Samsung and LG, and global car manufacturers such as Hyundai and Kia.

Despite its size, South Korea also pulls a significantly large influence worldwide with its K-pop culture, not to mention the Korean dramas that all of us are so addicted to, movies that even won prestigious awards, fashion that influenced many Filipinos and Western cultures, too, and online games (FACT: You might not know that some of your K-pop idols are gamers and sports lovers.)

Like I said earlier, South Korea is quite an amazing country. I've never been to Korea, so all my opinions are based on the dramas, movies, and variety shows I've been watching.

Overall, Koreans have come a very long way in a rather short amount of time and their accomplishments are phenomenal and worthy of praise, in my opinion.