Every day in Korea, I notice small things that tell big stories. Today, I want to share two simple but meaningful experiences from my daily life here.
First one is about the Korean subway. Whenever I travel by subway—whether it’s morning or night—I always see one common thing: everyone is looking at their phones. From kids as young as 10 years old to elderly people, almost everyone is busy with their screens. Some are watching dramas, some playing games, and others just scrolling. It's like the phone has become a daily partner here. Honestly, I rarely see anyone just sitting without a phone. But even in this phone-focused lifestyle, I noticed something beautiful: Korean people still deeply respect their elders. On the subway, when an older person enters, someone always stands up to offer their seat. That part really touched me—technology didn’t remove their manners.
The second story happened just last week. I was walking near Centum City Beach with my friend. He asked me to take a picture of him standing by the road near the beach view. While I was focusing the camera, I noticed something amazing. Two Korean couples were walking toward us, but the moment they saw I was taking a picture, they quietly stopped walking and waited so they wouldn't appear in the frame. After I took the photo, they politely said "죄송합니다 (Sorry)" for disturbing—even though they didn’t disturb at all! I was surprised and immediately said "감사합니다 (Thank you)". Their small act of kindness really showed the high-level manners of many Korean people.
Of course, every society has both good and bad sides. But from what I’m experiencing, most Korean people are truly respectful, well-mannered, and helpful—especially in daily moments like these.
Living here as an international student, these simple daily interactions are teaching me a lot—not just about Korean culture, but also how to become more thoughtful and respectful in life.
— Borhan, from Busan
Every day in Korea, I notice small things that tell big stories. Today, I want to share two simple but meaningful experiences from my daily life here.
First one is about the Korean subway. Whenever I travel by subway—whether it’s morning or night—I always see one common thing: everyone is looking at their phones. From kids as young as 10 years old to elderly people, almost everyone is busy with their screens. Some are watching dramas, some playing games, and others just scrolling. It's like the phone has become a daily partner here. Honestly, I rarely see anyone just sitting without a phone. But even in this phone-focused lifestyle, I noticed something beautiful: Korean people still deeply respect their elders. On the subway, when an older person enters, someone always stands up to offer their seat. That part really touched me—technology didn’t remove their manners.
The second story happened just last week. I was walking near Centum City Beach with my friend. He asked me to take a picture of him standing by the road near the beach view. While I was focusing the camera, I noticed something amazing. Two Korean couples were walking toward us, but the moment they saw I was taking a picture, they quietly stopped walking and waited so they wouldn't appear in the frame. After I took the photo, they politely said "죄송합니다 (Sorry)" for disturbing—even though they didn’t disturb at all! I was surprised and immediately said "감사합니다 (Thank you)". Their small act of kindness really showed the high-level manners of many Korean people.
Of course, every society has both good and bad sides. But from what I’m experiencing, most Korean people are truly respectful, well-mannered, and helpful—especially in daily moments like these.
Living here as an international student, these simple daily interactions are teaching me a lot—not just about Korean culture, but also how to become more thoughtful and respectful in life.
— Borhan, from Busan