Browsing through the foreign community pages on the online Joongang Daily, I got what could be a kind of hint of an answer to a longstanding question I’ve had since someone tried to walk through me as I left a pharmacy in downtown Daegu.

Just bought some mosquito repellent and opened the door to step out in to the street. Couple of guys were approaching the door to enter and even though I was actually within the door frame (it’s not as if they could imagine that they had got there first and had the right to squeeze in before I made it out) they actually attempted to walk through me as if I wasn’t there. I had to push them back to get out and couldn’t believe the audacity! I imagined them trying to do the same thing in Belfast and believe me the response would have been, let’s say, emphatic…

I knew perhaps that it might be different here in Korea to the UK where you have to let people out/off before others get on but this was just silly. Anyway, I did not yield!

Koreans in general are used to living in crowded spaces and regard a minor offense to others such as bumping into a stranger or stepping on their toes, as unimportant. This doesn’t mean that they are not sorry or that they don’t care about others, however. It just has to do with the norms of this society.Koreans traditionally attach great weight to the profound meaning of words. If you say Thank you or I’m sorry too often or too casually, you’re seen as a flighty or dishonest person. Many Koreans are taught to express gratitude or apology only on serious occasions. Simply put, Korean culture doesn’t have adequately casual expressions to address such small incidents that occur far too often.

You can find the article here: http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2050462