Introduction to Korean Culture

Dive into the interesting and intense world of South Korea! Our course prepares you for total Korean cultural immersion, so you can get the most out of your experience in this impressive and intriguing country.

Welcome to the Course

Is this course for me?

This course will help you to embrace Korean culture, whatever your motivation may be. You’ll learn lessons that benefit you in personal, professional, academic, and civic contexts.

If you identify with any of the statements below, then this course is the perfect match.

I intend to move to South Korea to live, work, or volunteer
I plan to study in South Korea as an exchange student
I’m a fan of K-pop, K-drama, manhwa, Korean movies, or other forms of Hallyu (Korean pop culture)
Someone I know is from Korea and I’d like to improve our relations
I’m visiting South Korea for a long or short term trip
I’m curious how cultural awareness can help me to understand myself and my own culture, as well as other people and their cultures

Discover Korean Culture

Introduction to Korean Culture

Enter the fascinating realm of Korean culture and discover the country’s work ethics, societal expectations and its long-lasting traditions.

$249.00 USD

Open the door to a more profound travel experience

Connect with the locals: have the confidence to socialize outside of your circle and make life-long friendships.
Avoid embarrassing faux pas: you’ll make better first impressions when you interact with respect and maturity.
Handle culture shock like a pro: knowing what to expect and how to handle it reduces anxiety.
See the ‘real’ South Korea: use your insider knowledge to steer clear of tourist traps and seek the most authentic experiences.
Make the most of every moment: return home from South Korea without any regrets or missed opportunities.

What’s included?

This course contains everything you need to truly immerse yourself in the fascinating culture of Korea.

Five jam-packed modules
A friendly course guide to lead the way
Extensive interviews with locals and expats
Inspiring images and videos

Handy course summaries
Fun quizzes per module
Official completion certificate

Meet Destiny Kim, your Korean course guide

Destiny Kim was born in LA, California, and experienced a mix of American and Korean culture as she grew up. In rediscovering her heritage she decided to plant roots in South Korea, where she now enjoys exploring the people and the food they want to share.

“The communities I've been a part of have been incredibly ethnically diverse, and the cultural differences would always come out at the dinner table, first.”

- Destiny Kim, Korea Course Guide

Behind the scenes

CulturaGo’s Introduction to Korean Culture is the combined effort of many passionate, dedicated, and talented individuals.

You’ve already met your course guide, Destiny Kim. Destiny has contributed years of cultural experience and substantially created this course.

All course material has been carefully audited for quality, accuracy, and accountability, by a top Korea Studies subject specialist and post doctoral researcher at the prestigious University of Oxford, UK.

Additionally, Introduction to Korean Culture draws on the wisdom and first-hand accounts of over fourteen contributors. They include teachers, researchers, professors, students, and consultants from various areas of Korea, as well as expats from countries like the US, UK, and South Africa.

All of this hard work as resulted in a course that’s the first of its kind: a complete cultural guide, purpose-designed to give you the most meaningful experience of South Korea.

Course Modules

This course is made up of six easily digestible modules.

South Korea at a Glance

Start to build a picture of South Korea from the lessons in our first module, which cover topics like fashion and appearance, family roles, religion, the infamous Korean work ethic, modern Korean society, and communication.

Regions of South Korea

This module looks at South Korea’s four main regions and provides information on the country’s diverse nature and climate. You’ll also learn about the rural/urban divide in lifestyle within these lessons.

Korean Customs and Etiquette

In this next section, we begin to explore what daily life is really like in South Korea. Get answers to important questions like, “How deep should I bow when greeting someone?” and “What level of physical contact is acceptable?”

Culture Shock and Adjusting to Life in Korea

The module will prepare you for what to expect from Korean culture shock and share advice from other expats about how to overcome it. Plus, get the lowdown on what to pack (and what not to pack) and personal recommendations for an easy transition.

Becoming a Local

Ah, the satisfaction when Korea finally ‘clicks’! This module will help you to reach ‘local’ level, so you can get to know the real country. Learn the popular hang-out spots, common hobbies, where to make friends, and what the local dating scene is like.

Identities, Diversity, and Inclusion in South Korea

Here you can find useful information about what it means to be different in Korea because of your ethnicity, race, gender and sexuality. The module collects both historical information and present experiences of local and expat women, LGBTQ+ people, and BIPOC to help you better understand the workings of Korean society, and make you aware of your own position. Civil rights, gender and racial equality, and safety while traveling are some of the topics covered in this module.

Course Modules

This course is made up of five easily digestible modules.

South Korea at a Glance

Regions of South Korea

Korean Customs and Etiquette

Culture Shock and Adjusting to Life in Korea

Becoming a Local

Identities, Diversity, and Inclusion in South Korea

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Try the course in demo mode

Want to know a bit more before you sign up? Now you can sample our Introduction to Korean Culture course in a demo version for a sneak-peek at the exclusive course material in Module 1: South Korea at a Glance.

Korean Culture Course

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Why People Love CulturaGo

Learners share their experience of CulturaGo's culture courses.

"I thought this course was very beneficial, especially for someone who knows nothing or only a little bit about Korea. It was very informational, easy to navigate, and engaging. Even though I already knew a lot about Korean culture from previous research and experience, it was nice to brush up on things and I even learned some new things. I really enjoyed the course overall. "

Morgan, Grand Valley State University student in South Korea

“Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to take this course! I especially appreciate the team reaching out via email to see if I wanted to talk with anyone one-on-one about living in Korea. I think CulturaGo does a great job making researching/learning about other countries easy, enjoyable, and engaging. Being able to break it up into sections really helps someone like me feel motivated to learn about Korea in bits and pieces. I hope you will be able to continue to expand the country options in the future! I would definitely use this course again for wherever my next destination may be.”

Marlaina, Grand Valley State University student in South Korea

"I loved the course. It is informative and succinct. I really loved the videos. Hearing about other people's experiences is eye opening and makes sure I don't go through this process with rose colored glasses."

Lilac, Premier TEFL teacher in South Korea

"Thank you so much for all the hard work you put into this course. Thank you for aiding in my preparation for my trip. This was very helpful, and you all did an amazing job!"

Stevencia, UFL Warrington student in South Korea

"I enjoyed the course. I learned a lot of new things I never would have found out about otherwise had I not taken the course. The personal accounts were very interesting and highlighted different aspects of what I can expect in Korea. I'd say the course did a great job - it complemented the in-class learning very well, and was well worth the time spent. "