Education in Korea is very important to all the Koreans. The main objective of a typical Korean parent would be "Get my child into college". The education system is pretty much similar as compared to Singapore, where you spend roughly 12 years in Elementary School and Middle School before proceeding on to college. In Korea's context, college would be much simpler as compared to the revision and workload needed during High School. Education would also be conducted much more in English nowadays. I believe this has happened due to the rise in globalization too, where English is widely needed to improve one's ability to succeed.
As for leisure activities, there a wide range of sports and events that South Koreans engage in. Traditional sports that South Koreans engage in would be Kite flying, Bull fighting and Korean wrestling. Other activities like taekwondo, swimming, boxing, basketball and many more and also widely popular, the amount of medals that South Korea has achieved these past years in various events like the Olympics is proof of the sports excellence that exists in South Korea. Events like the 2002 FIFA World Cup and also the 1988 Olympic Games shows the sports prowess that South Korea has globally. Personally, I remember an incident when South Korea was up against Singapore during the semi-finals of a table tennis match. In the end, South Korea emerged victorious and I was deeply impressed by the dedication they put into the sport though I was still disappointed that Singapore was defeated by our Asian counterpart.
There are also a wide range of events that the South Koreans participate in to celebrate their heritage and also their culture. It is definitely a joy for the citizens and also a tourist, like me, to be able to immerse into such an exotic and lovely environment and atmosphere that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. One example would be the Seoul International Cartoon & Animated Festival where cartoon enthusiasts around the world would gather to exhibit and appreciate all the animated cartoons. There is also the Pusan International Film Festival where it acts as a landmark of the Asian countries for film appreciation. There are many more other festivals in South Korea that are culturally exciting and fantastic, each serving their own purpose and objectives in fulfulling the artistic expression of South Korea.
An exhibit at the Jeonju Sori Festival
In conclusion, South Korea possesses many features and reasons for a tourist to visit the country. It is a fabulous country that doesn't lack in any other areas of attraction and is definitely an ideal choice of country to visit. Unfortunately, the tension that South Korea has generated with North Korea would prove to be the only factor that prevents a tourists from choosing South Korea as an ideal destination. However, one should not miss out the opportunity to visit the country.
