| South Korea is very rich in traditional culture with family being one of the most important things. Children often live with their parents until they are married and if the oldest son gets married the parents sometimes move in with their son and his new wife. Koreans do things that benefit their families rather than themselves.
During certain Korean holidays; such as Chuesok – Harvest Moon Festival, Buddha’s Birthday, and Lunar New Year, traditional clothing, such as the Hanbok is worn and ancestral shrines are bowed to in order to show respect and honor to the ancestors. With Buddhism being the main religion of Korea, the temples and even the streets are elegantly decorated with vibrant, traditional lanterns on Buddha’s birthday and the temples offer free food for the worshipers. During most holidays large amounts of traditional food are prepared and families spend the day together in celebration.
Some of Korea's main cuisines and staple foods include rice (밥 – bap), Korean barbeque (불고기 – bulgogi), rice roll wrapped in seaweed (김밥 kimbap), dumplings (만두 – mandu), and of course fermented cabbage (김치 kimchi). Korean food is often prepared with red pepper paste making it very spicy. Served with almost every main meal are a variety of side dishes (반찬 panchan) that range from dried squid to Korean style pancakes. The cuisine has stayed largely the same in Korean homes, even with western-style restaurants popping up all over the country.
As traditional and culture-filled as Koreans are they are still very technologically savvy and currently have the fastest internet connection in the world. Koreans are three times more likely than Americans to have broadband connection. In major cities like Seoul and Busan “PC rooms” are on almost every corner and Koreans spend hours playing computer games and surfing the internet.
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