KOSIN UNIVERSITY

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF WORLD

MISSIONS
COURSE TITLE: MISSIOLOGY
INSTRUCTOR
: PROFESSOR ARON
BAE

NAME OF STUDENT: KWADWO OPOKU

SARKODIE

EASSY ON EXPERIENCE WITH KOREAN

PREPLE

The Lord will bring a nation against you from far away, from the ends of the earth, like an eagle swooping down, a
nation whose language you will not understand, a fierce-looking nation without respect for the old or pity for the
young (Deuteronomy 28:49-50).
Koreans are very proud of themselves and the progress they have made in the past forty to fifty years. From the
colonial oppression and the devastation of the Korean War has risen up to take its place among the more advance
nation and the world. Korea is admired around the world for its great accomplishments. Nowadays, I can see more
and more international companies are doing business in South Korea. Now more foreigners have become aware of
Korean history and are curious about its culture and its people. Tourist visits and international travel to Korea are on
the rise and will almost certainly continue for a very long time.
The reason I like the Korean people so much is because their culture is pure. The pureness between women and
men. The people express themselves through respecting each other. I admire how young people bow to older people
as a sign of respect and the formal endings people use in consideration of the situation and to the position of the
person they are conversing with. When picking something up or taking something from somebody older, always the
younger uses both hands. If you have to reach to get it and it's impossible, you can simply support your right arm
with the left hand. Likewise, when shaking hands with somebody older, support your right arm with your left hand.
The aspect people do to show respect for each other is extremely beautiful.
Koreans are universally proud of themselves. They hail and cherish their accomplishment as well as rich and
enduring cultural tradition. I think the sense of their pride gives them their identity. As a foreigner, I tried to criticize
a little about their cultural festival called Chusouk but it did not end up well with me. I learnt it is not advisable as
a foreigner to make negative comments about Korean at least until the Koreans know and are comfortable with you.
I am a firm believer that a healthy dose of criticism will be good for everybody. Just do not be surprised if Koreans
do not call you ever again. . Koreans have a long tradition of valuing the knowledge of experience of their parents
and grandparents. Idol and Ancestral ceremonies are held in honor of the deceased parents many times in a year.
Knowing our traditions and cultures are good. It helps us to know where we came from and the things that had

happened to the present, but as a religious person and a Christian I will not endorse idol and ancestral worship. It
makes the Almighty God jealous.
South Koreans use smartphones applications for more than two hours a day (not including phone calls and text
messages), a recent survey found and personally witnesses and observed everywhere. I cannot imagine how Koreans
will do without their smartphones closer to them. Recently I used the subway and in the car which I was in,
everyone in that car including me (100%) was looking on his/her smartphone. I assume it may account for the high
literacy rate in South Korea, which is 97.9% where people who are fifteen years and over can read and write 1.
Korean people would like to take pictures with their smartphones in every moment with friends and families and
sharing them through social media for the whole world to see what they are doing at that moment. There are always
negative and positive side to this situation. I can also appreciate the fact that life has been very easy living in South
Korea, especially in terms of electronic shopping where Koreans will be in the comfort of their homes and goods
and services are delivered right on their doorstep. What's an average Korean will want to die and probably buried
with is his/her smart phone.
Even now I cannot differentiate between a Korean, Chinese and Japanese. It is very difficult for me now and then.
Many look the same with so much immigration, interracial marriages over the centuries. It would be easier if you
roughly know their main languages. The Japanese are more easily discerned by their characteristics bowing when
they greet each other according to my own observation. Koreans speak in a more aspirated and energetic tone. The
Chinese on the other hand, consist of numerous race and some of them look very fair like Europeans and others dark
brown. I think there is definitely no typical Chinese look nowadays..
Koreans attitude to foreigners are exceptional, curious and friendly when they see foreigner in their country because
they ask themselves questions like what can I learn from that person? Can he or she teach me English? The
influence of western movies I guess also certainly contributes to this curiosity towards foreigners. On the other
hand, it brings some form of discrimination towards foreigners. They are homogeneous people with strict society
rules which is and we have to understand that, it can be more challenging for them to accept and tolerate differences.

1 Wikipedia.org. List of countries by literacy rate