There was a lot in the book that I had already experienced in dealing with Koreans and at the time were embarrassing or frustrating to me.

A good example of something that was rude but is perfectly normal is when a Korean is walking with you and meets a friend who you do not know. They will both ignore you until the conversation ends. It explains in detail why this is.

There are many more examples like this. Too many to put into a review. I strongly recommend this book if you are planning to go to South Korea.


A very helpful guide!   October 23, 2001
 12 out of 12 found this review helpful

I bought this book before I moved to Korea and it helped me a lot during the 12 month I spent there. The Korean culture is very different to any European and without this book life in Seoul would have been much more difficult.


Does exactly what it says on the cover   December 7, 2000
 18 out of 18 found this review helpful

I bought this book just before flying out to Korea on a business trip which had been arranged at short notice. I knew nothing about Korea, its people, or its customs.

This book is not a tourist guide; it won't tell you what to see or where to go. However, it gives a brilliantly concise introduction to Korean history and culture. Aimed at the Westerner who is going to live in Korea, it has sections which the brief visitor will not need.

However, it is superb even for people like myself who are only there for a week. If, like myself, you would never have known or guessed that in Korea it is incredibly impolite to blow your nose at the table, even when the food is really spicy and making everybody's (even the Koreans') nose run, then you need this book. Likewise, if you're in the habit of topping up a glass of wine, you need to read this book. In short, it made my visit to 'the land of morning calm' far more pleasant and enjoyable than it would have been anyway.