Truth of Myth: 30 facts about South Korea

🚽 What’s with Korea and toilets? Are they really that special?

✅ True! Koreans take their bathrooms seriously—and sometimes, hilariously. In Suwon, you’ll find the famous Mr. Toilet House, a museum shaped like a giant toilet, built by a former mayor who wanted to improve public hygiene.

But the obsession doesn’t stop there. At the top of the Lotte World Tower in Seoul—one of the tallest buildings in the world—you’ll find restrooms with full-length glass windows. Yes, you can do your business while enjoying a dizzying panoramic view of the entire city. Privacy? Optional. View? Incredible.

🧻 Fun fact: Many public restrooms in Korea have heated seats, music, and even fake flushing sounds—for a bit of extra comfort (and modesty).

🤖 Did South Korea use robot teachers in kindergartens?

✅ True! Small English-speaking robots were introduced in classrooms to help kids learn their ABCs with a little extra fun (and blinking lights). You also find robots in hotels, the airport, restaurants and I even found a Barista robot.

🎮 Can you eat and play games all night in a Korean PC café?

✅ True! PC bangs are open 24/7. You can play games for hours and even order ramen or snacks—delivered right to your seat.

💨 Do people believe sleeping with a fan on can be dangerous?

✅ True! It’s called fan death, and while science says it’s not real, the myth was so common that fans in Korea still have “sleep timers.”

🍜 Is there really a holiday where singles eat black noodles?

✅ True! The dish—jjajangmyeon, noodles in black bean sauce—is nothing fancy. It’s a super popular comfort food you can find everywhere in Korea.

But every April 14, people who didn’t get a Valentine’s (Feb 14) or White Day (Mar 14) gift meet up to slurp jjajangmyeon together. It’s called Black Day, and it’s a playful way for singles to say, “Hey, no date? No problem. Let’s eat.”

🧡 Fun fact: The tradition is unofficial, but many cafés and noodle shops offer Black Day deals—and it’s also a favorite theme in K-dramas!

📱 Is Samsung responsible for over 20% of Korea’s economy?

✅ True! Samsung does everything from smartphones to ships. Some people even joke that it’s the “Republic of Samsung.”
Travelglaze observation: if you feel like you’re seeing “Lotte” signs everywhere in Korea, it’s because… you are.

Originally founded in Japan by a Korean businessman, Lotte is now a conglomerate that covers just about everything:
Hotels & resorts (Lotte Hotel, Lotte World Tower)
Theme parks (Lotte World Adventure)
Supermarkets, department stores, and duty-free
Food & snacks (they make Pepero!)
Construction, chemicals, even finance

🧡 Fun fact: If you ate a Pepero, stayed in a hotel, visited a mall, and rode a rollercoaster all in the same day—you might’ve done it all under the Lotte brand without even realizing it.

🦅 Is the DMZ now home to rare animals and plants?

✅ True! Since people haven’t lived in the Demilitarized Zone for 70+ years, wildlife has moved in—including deer, birds, and even leopards.

🍲 Is Korean seaweed soup just like miso?

❌ Nope—miyeok-guk is something else entirely. While both are soups with seaweed, miso soup is Japanese, made with a fermented soybean base. Korean miyeok-guk is made with beef or seafood broth and nutrient-rich seaweed (miyeok), and it’s usually seasoned with soy sauce, garlic, and sesame oil—no miso paste involved.

But what really makes miyeok-guk special is its meaning. It’s the soup that mothers eat after giving birth, and it’s traditionally eaten on birthdays to honor your mother’s love and sacrifice. It’s warming, healing, and full of iron and iodine—good for recovery and reflection.

🧡 Fun fact: In Korea, someone might bring you miyeok-guk on your birthday instead of cake—and honestly, it feels just as thoughtful.🍑 Is there a sculpture park all about sex?

✅ True! On Jeju Island, Loveland features 140+ cheeky sculptures. It’s playful, weird, and definitely for adults only.

✍️ Was the Korean alphabet invented by a king?

✅ True! In the 1400s, King Sejong created Hangul, one of the most logical and easy-to-learn writing systems in the world.

💉 Is South Korea known for plastic surgery?

✅ True! South Korea has the highest number of cosmetic surgeries per person—especially in Seoul’s Gangnam district.

😱 Do buildings skip the 4th floor because it sounds like “death”?

✅ True! In Korean, the number four sounds like the word for death. Elevators often go 1-2-3-F-5.

🩸 Do people believe your blood type affects your personality?

✅ True! Just like horoscopes, Koreans often say blood type explains traits—and it even shows up in dating profiles.

🐶 Was the first cloned dog born in Korea?

✅ True! His name was Snuppy, and he was born in 2005 after hundreds of failed attempts. He lived a healthy life (and had clone puppies too!).

🧜‍♀️ Are there real-life mermaids in Korea?

✅ True! The Haenyeo of Jeju Island are women who dive deep without oxygen tanks to collect seafood. Some are in their 80s!

🚀 Did Korea send kimchi into space?

✅ True! Scientists made a space-safe version of kimchi for Korea’s first astronaut in 2008. Even in space, kimchi stays close.

🏮 Is there a festival where thousands of glowing lanterns float through the sky?

✅ True! It’s called the Lotus Lantern Festival (Yeondeunghoe), and it’s held every spring in Seoul to celebrate the birth of Buddha. The city lights up with thousands of handmade lanterns, colorful parades, traditional music, and temple events.

🧡 Fun fact: You can even make your own paper lantern at one of the workshops—and join in the parade if you’re feeling festive. At night, the glowing lanterns floating through the city feel like pure magic.

🐾 Can you visit cafés with raccoons and poop-shaped pastries?

✅ True! Seoul is full of themed cafés—raccoon cafés, sheep cafés, even a poop café where drinks come in toilet mugs. Poop = good luck here.

🐢 Did Korea build iron-covered turtle ships in the 1500s?

❌ False! The famous “turtle ships” were real warships used by Admiral Yi, but they weren’t fully ironclad like people say. Still, they were impressive!

🐉 Is there a train in Korea that looks like a dragon and breathes smoke?

❌ False! While South Korea has some sleek and futuristic trains (hello, KTX!), there’s no dragon train puffing smoke through the countryside. Sounds like something out of a K-drama fantasy, though we wouldn’t mind riding it if it ever existed.

🧡 Fun twist: Korea does love themed transportation—like pink Hello Kitty subways and even storytelling trains in rural areas.

🧙‍♀️ Is there a village in Korea where everyone dresses like K-drama characters?

❌ False! While there are traditional Hanok villages and themed photo studios where you can dress up in hanbok or pretend you’re in a sageuk (historical drama), there’s no village where people walk around daily dressed like they’re on a film set.

🧡 Fun twist: That said, visit Namsangol Hanok Village or Jeonju, and you’ll definitely spot tourists (and sometimes locals) renting full costumes for the perfect Instagram moment. So… it almost feels real.

🛁 What’s a jjimjilbang—and can you really sleep there?

✅ True-ish! A jjimjilbang is a Korean-style public bathhouse, but it’s so much more than just baths. It’s a whole wellness playground with hot tubs, saunas, steam rooms, ice rooms, and heated floors—plus food courts, massage chairs, and even mini cinemas.

And yes, many jjimjilbangs are open 24 hours and have big shared sleeping areas. So if you miss your train or just want a super cheap overnight, you can nap on a warm ondol floor in a cotton pajama set for about $10.

🧡 Fun fact: Locals go to jjimjilbangs not just to bathe, but to relax, detox, hang out with friends, or spend a cozy Sunday doing absolutely nothing.

✈️ Do planes stop flying during college exams?

✅ True! During the national test, everything slows down—even air traffic. It’s all to help students concentrate on their exams.

🔭 Is Korea home to one of the oldest observatories in Asia?

✅ True! In Gyeongju, Cheomseongdae was built in the 600s and still stands today—an ancient science tower for stargazing.

🎤 Is there a private “bang” (room) for everything?

✅ True! Karaoke room? Noraebang. PC gaming? PC bang. Even board games and virtual golf have their own “bang.” Just rent a room and play!

🚩 Did North and South Korea have a flagpole contest?

✅ True! South Korea built a tall flagpole. North Korea built one even taller. It became a flag-raising rivalry at the border.

🎂💅 Are Koreans really older than they look—and do they have a secret?

✅ True! Until recently, Koreans used a traditional age system where you’re 1 year old at birth and add another year every January 1st—no matter when your actual birthday is. That means you could be 2 years older in “Korean age” than your international age!

But here’s the twist: Koreans may age on paper, but they don’t always show it. Thanks to world-famous Korean skincare, people often look younger than their age—whatever system they’re using.

K-beauty focuses on glowing, hydrated skin with ingredients like snail mucin, ginseng, green tea, and fermented rice. Think sheet masks, serums, and gentle layering routines that are all about prevention and glow, not just cover-up.

🧡 Fun fact: You’ll find entire stores dedicated to skincare, and even teenagers use anti-aging eye cream. Because in Korea, age is just a number—but great skin is serious business.

🌋 Is there a lava tunnel under Jeju Island?

✅ True! Manjanggul Lava Tube is one of the longest in the world. You can walk through part of it and see volcanic shapes underground.

🥬 Do Koreans eat nearly 90 lbs of kimchi a year per person?

✅ True! Kimchi is served at almost every meal. Many homes even have a special kimchi fridge just for storing it. That’s a lot of spice.