NAME : NI LUH PUTU MEKA DEWI

CLASS : 7G
NIM : 1912021021

CULTURE SHOCK: SOUTH KOREA VS INDONESIA

Culture shock is someone’s feelings or experience about an unfamiliar culture or the

way of life in a different place or country. Culture shock is a feeling in which a person feels
pressured and surprised when faced with a new environment and culture. Someone who
experiences culture shock will usually feel anxious, confused, frustrated. This is because he has
lost the signs, symbols, and ways of social interaction that he knows from his original culture.
Individuals who experience culture shock need to accept the fact that they do not know what they
are facing. That way, individuals will have a curiosity to know, understand, and also learn new
things, including culture. Individuals must be able to accept the differences that exist and occur
in their new environment. Such as customs and norms, habits, behavior, religion, food, how to
socialize, and so on. In this essay, the writer will discuss the differences of culture shock in
Korean and Indonesia based on the other research that related to this topic.

Korean is one of the countries that is known by many countries because Korean artists
have many fans from various countries. Besides that, they are also known for the culture that
exists in that country which might make people from other countries a little surprised. According
to Mulyana and Eko (2017), firlstly, in Korea, the transport facilities were easily found. There,
most people use public transportation rather than private transportation because it is considered
more effective and more economical. Secondly, In Korean, if we meet seniors on campus or in a
working area, we must call them with their full name and job position. It means that in Korean,
seniority is very important. Thirdly, in Korea, social drinking is one of their daily lives. Social
drinking is a way to get used to the atmosphere. Therefore, it is natural to be invited to drink.
Declining the offer freezes the atmosphere. They are seen as less appreciated, especially by
supervisors. This culture is deeply rooted in Korean society. Society supports social drinking
habits. They are generally intolerant of norm-abiding people for health reasons and for religious
reasons. Besides that, the culture that sometimes makes people shocked is when the people bow
to greeting the people.

In Korea, it is easy to find public transportation. Most Korean people choose public
transportation over private transportation. It is according to some aspects. Firstly, the people feel
lazy to drive. The people go to their working area, to school, to the supermarket, they use public
transportation because they think it is easier to find and access. Secondly, not all of the people in
Korea have private transportation. In there, sometimes just the people who are working in the big
companies who have private transportation.

Secondly, Korean seniority is important to them. When we meet our seniors, we must
call them with their full name and with their job position. Considering that the interrelationship
of a nation's culture and language is inseparable, the difference in language between a younger
sister and an older sister explains well how strict Koreans are about their age. This traditional
belief and behavior exists not only in relationships, but also in businesses, sports teams, and
schools. Elder as the leader of the group has a boost effect that affects teamwork, but we could
see some shadows behind such habits.

Besides that, social drinking in Korean is the way to begin the relationship between the
other. The Korean drinking culture reveals a lot about its social structure, lifestyle and traditions.
The drink itself also reflects the country's geography, climate and culture. Drinking alcohol in
Korea helps form and strengthen bonds with family and friends.Drinking is very present in
traditional family rituals such as honoring ancestors. Apart from traditional holiday and family
ritual drinking, alcohol consumption has been modernized and is a big part of the socialization of
Korean culture. As society developed, the drinking culture began to change. In the past, people
drank alcohol on certain days, such as New Year's Eve, but now they can drink alcohol at any
time. The purpose of a drinking party is to foster fellowship and open up to conversation. Some
other aspects are also beginning to adapt to modern methods.

Bowing is a massive part of greetings in Korea. It's a manner to express admiration, say
hi, thank you, and bye. So in case you're now no longer certain how or while you have to bow,
watch this video to discover approximately bowing in Korea. When assembling a person in a
casual placing in Korea, only a mild tilt of the pinnacle is typically ok. This easy bow is likewise
used whilst pronouncing hello, bye and thank you. For extra crucial meetings (or people), the
decrease you bow, the extra admiration it indicates (it additionally indicates extra admiration in
case you preserve the bow for an extended period).

Koreans eat differently when compared to Indonesians. They eat predominantly using
chopsticks and spoons. It has become a habit of Korean people when eating. So do not be
surprised if every house in Korea must provide chopsticks.

Koreans are more likely to ignore it when they see what's happening on the street. They
try not to interfere because they think it's none of their business. They are also reluctant to
interfere for fear of getting into trouble too.

Korean people always use tissues after using the toilet. when compared to Indonesia, it
will be a culture shock for Indonesians and vice versa. In Indonesia, after using the toilet people
will clean themselves using water instead of tissue. Therefore, foreigners will also be surprised
when visiting Indonesia, when using the toilet there will be no tissue.

If we visit South Korea, we will find lots of dogs roaming the area or roads. That's
because most Koreans like to keep dogs. When compared to in Indonesia, most of those who
roam around are cats. It doesn't mean that Indonesians don't keep dogs, but cats are more
dominant in Indonesia than dogs.

Korea is a country known for its minimal use of transportation. Most Koreans prefer to
use public transportation or choose to walk. If we come to Korea, we will find many Koreans
who walk to go somewhere rather than using a vehicle. When compared to Indonesia, more
people prefer to ride motorbikes or cars to go somewhere. Sometimes, even close destinations
still go by vehicle.

Furthemore, in Indonesia, some people also feel the culture shock when the people from
other countries come to Indonesia. According to Amelia (2008), the people in Indonesia
dominantly ate using their hands without spoon, the shock of many religion in Indonesia, the
crowds and traffic jams in Indonesia, Indonesian people are really care to each other, social
drinking is not the way to get the right relationship and they greeting with smile and handshake.

Firstly, in Indonesia, food is also the most famous throughout the world. Apart from
that, the way of eating for Indonesians is also quite unique, so many people from other countries
are a bit shocked by this. Most Indonesians eat with their hands directly without using spoons,
chopsticks and other media. It has become a habit of Indonesian people. This sometimes makes
foreigners shocked by the eating habits of Indonesians. But there are also those who think that
this is normal because in every country they have their own way.

Apart from that, Indonesia is also famous for its culture and religion which is embraced
by the people. Most foreigners are a little taken aback by a religion they may be new to. The
many religions in Indonesia make foreigners a little surprised and there are those who want to
know more about the culture and religion in Indonesia. So it depends on everyone's perception.

The crowds and traffic jams in Indonesia are also in the spotlight of foreigners when
they come to Indonesia. They were surprised by the large number of private vehicles passing by,
causing traffic jams. Besides that, it is very difficult for foreigners to get public transportation in
Indonesia, unlike in Korea where public transportation is the main mode of transportation for
traveling.

Unlike in other countries, Indonesia is very famous for its people's concern. This
sometimes surprises foreigners, for example when they see an incident on the road, Indonesians
will always help. When compared to Korea, they prefer not to interfere too much with other
people's affairs because according to them it is not their right.

Drinking alcohol is not the right way to make a good mood for Indonesians. in
Indonesia, drinking alcohol is often prohibited because of the consequences that might harm
many people. For example when drunk, these people will often riot. it's different with Korean
people, where to celebrate something or just want to chat, they would rather choose to drink
alcohol.

Different from the Korean culture, Indonesians when greeting will use hand gestures to
shake hands and smile. It is one of the friendliest and most common ways to greet people.
Indonesian people greet not only people they know but also greet people they don't know by
smiling. That's why Indonesians are also said to be friendly people.

In addition, education is also very important throughout the country. In Indonesia, the
most important lessons taught are about behavior, religion, and culture. When compared to
Korea, there students are more required to learn about robotics and mathematics. for school
hours it is also relatively far from Indonesia. In Indonesia, even though full day school has been
established, in Korea these students are at school for most of the day.

When compared to Korea, in Indonesia children are more asked to follow their parents
than their own thoughts. In Korea children aged 20 and over will be given the freedom to live
independently, while in Indonesia they are still under the will of their parents. Parents control
their children more about their future. They are often asked to obey their parents' orders. when
compared to Korea, they are free to choose what they want to be in the future. However, when
compared to Indonesia again, the children there are more active in learning and very ambitious.

From the example of culture shock above. There are various ways to reconcile or
overcome culture shock. The first is having an open mindset. An open mindset is a mindset that
can accept and digest something that is happening by considering a situation. To make peace
with culture shock, at least we have an open mind regarding the existing culture. The second can
adjust to the new environment. When we go to another country, it is important that we can adapt
well in the new environment. This will allow us to make peace with the culture shock that we
find in a country or region. The third is exploring new environments. When we want to go to an
area or a country, the first thing we need to do is to explore the place, starting from what is there,
the way of life there, what culture exists and maybe how to communicate well, it also needs to be
explored before traveling to a region or country.

Culture shock is a culture that everyone in the world must have. as we know that all
countries and regions have their own culture. no wonder if we go to a country, we will feel
culture shock and vice versa, if foreigners go to our country or region, they will experience
culture shock. It is important for us to know how to overcome culture shock. there are many
ways that we can use, such as studying the culture, respecting the culture that we find in other
countries. Not only that, we can also feel culture shock in our own country. This is because a
country must have a different culture in each region. so it is important for us to know, learn and
respect other people's culture.
 References

Amelia, D. (2008). Culture Shock dan Perilaku Koping Pada Mahasiswa Asing (Doctoral
dissertation, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta).

Mulyana, D., & Eko, B. S. (2017). Indonesian students’ cross-cultural adaptation in Busan,
Korea. Jurnal Aspikom, 3(2), 144-156.