In Korea, the third question people ask you — after your name and age — is your MBTI type. Not "what do you do for work." Not "where are you from." "MBTI가 뭐예요?" And if you say "I don't know," the conversation stops. They'll literally pull out their phone and make you take the test right there. Korea has always been a country that classifies people. For centuries, it was your 사주 (saju) — the four pillars of your birth date that supposedly determine your personality and destiny. Then it was your 혈액형 (blood type) — a 2000s obsession that assigned personality traits to A, B, O, and AB types. Now it's MBTI — the 16 personality types that have become so embedded in Korean culture that they appear on dating profiles, job applications, and even coffee cups. This isn't just a trend. It's a cultural pattern. And understanding why Koreans are drawn to personality classification tells you more about Korean society than...
You walk into a Korean restaurant. There's no host. Nobody seats you. There's a red button on the table, a self-serve water station in the corner, and a drawer built into the table that apparently contains your silverware. The menu has no English. The side dishes are free. The bill is at the counter, not the table. And if you leave a tip, the server will chase you down the street to return it. Welcome to eating out in Korea. It's better than anywhere else on earth — once you know the rules. Step 1: Getting In and Getting Seated Korean restaurants generally fall into four ordering systems. Knowing which one you're walking into solves 80% of the confusion: Type A: Counter order (선불제) — Order and pay at the counter or kiosk before sitting. Common in cafés, fast-casual chains, food courts, and kimbap shops. You get a number. They call it. You pick up your food. Type B: Table kiosk/tablet (테블릿 주문) — Sit down first. Order on a tablet screen at your table...