MAABA, Camille Joy S.

G3C

An Interview With a Korean-Filipino on Culture and Traditions

In this interview, I asked about Yuri Lee the difference between Korean and Filipino
culture. She is born in Anseong, South Korea on September 3, 1990. She recently moved to the
Philippines to attend college. Through her stay in the Philippines, she has made an
understanding on the differences and similarities between Korea and Philippines.

Camille: Hi! I’m Camille a Nursing Student, I’m here for an interview about Korean Culture.
Could you introduce yourself?

Yuri: My name is Yuri Lee, I'm from South Korea, I'm 20 years old, and I'm a sophomore in
College.

Camille: How long have you lived in the Philippines?

Yuri: I think it’s been 3 years.

Camille: Where did you live in Korea?

Yuri: I lived in Anseong.

Camille: What were the people like where you lived?

Yuri: They're really busy. Fathers go to their work while mothers if they have a job go to their
work or stay at home, and students go to school, so they don't have enough time to
communicate with each other, like time to spend together, because mostly students come home
like 10:00pm-11:00pm.

Camille: What did you do with your friends?

Yuri: We used to go to each other's house, watch movies, and do homework usually. On the
weekends we would go downtown. Since we have Anseong Downtown Entrance. It's kind of like
a shopping mall. It's a street. There are small restaurants, small cloths shops and all that stuff.
We sometimes go to Chung-Ang Market.

Camille: What is your religion?

Yuri: I’m a Protestant. But Korea have many religions like Buddhism, Roman Catholic,
Confucianism, and Shamanism. Most Koreans are Christians and Buddhists but the younger
generations really don't have religion.

Camille: What values do you have when it comes to your parents or elderly?

Yuri: We place a great emphasis on family values and on respecting parents and elders. The
family elders are always addressed with respect, greeted with the traditional bow and served
first at meals. Behaving with decorum in public, so as not to shame your family is important.

Camille: And with other people? Your neighbor or in the community?

Yuri: Apart from the importance on family, most Koreans also believe in maintaining good ties
with neighbors and participating in community events and activities. Respecting them is also
important in our values which I think is similar with Filipinos.

Camille: Yes. It’s really important to show respect to others. This is one value that both Koreans
and Filipinos manifest. Do Korean mix with other races or prefer your own race and culture?

Yuri: Many still prefer their own race and culture in continental Korea but if you find a
Korean outside of the peninsula their parents would be a lot more loose and allow interracial
relationships.

Camille: You’ve mentioned earlier that you went here in the Philippines to attend college. Why
not in Korea?

Yuri: Tuition fees in Korea are very expensive. While here in the Philippines, it is less hard and
heavy for our budget.

Camille: What is the status of education in Korea? The school system?

Yuri: Education is one of the most important things to all Koreans. Everyone wants to be as
educated as they can possibly be. For the school system, it consists of 6 years primary school,
3 in middle school and high school, and 4 years at a college. In Korea, students work like crazy
in high school trying to get into a college. Colleges are much more difficult to get into. Our
education is based around getting into a good college. That is what the parents want, and once
you do that, parents will be happy.

Camille: I’ve seen in Korean dramas your traditional dress. What do you call Korea’s traditional
dress?

Yuri: It is called Hanbok. The Hanbok worn by women is called Chimajeogori and consists of a
wrap-around skirt called Chima and a jacket called Jeogori. The Hanbok worn by men consists
of the Jeogori jacket and pants known as Baji. A hat known as Gwanmo and a long coat called
Durumagi are also worn. Nowadays, Hanboks are wear only on special celebrations and
festivals.

Camille: How about Korea’s delicacies or foods?

Yuri: Most Korean menus include meals made from rice, barley, beans, fish and other seafood.
Koreans also seem to favor a good sprinkling of garlic, ginger, leek, and spring onion. Two well-
known Korean foods are Kimchi (fermented vegetables) and Bulgogi (marinated meat).

Camille: That sounds delicious.  That will be all for my interview. Thank you so much for the
time.

Yuri: You’re welcome. Hope I can be of great help. 