Korean couples might match their outfits, but they're much more reserved about public displays of affection. Holding hands is normal but kissing on the lips? Not so much. If you're from a more openly affectionate country, save your lovey-dovey displays for somewhere more private.
PDA in Korea
Although you won't see many kisses while you're venturing around Korea, feel free to hold your date's hand or put your arm around them — these are both considered appropriate displays of affection and can make you feel closer to your date throughout the evening.
Holding hands is a form of physical intimacy involving two or more people. It may or may not be romantic.
In Korea, this type of physical affection between those of the same gender is common in a non-romantic context. Friends can be seen very comfortably sitting in each other's laps, stroking each other's hands and arms, holding hands, putting their arms around each other's shoulders and hugging.
Physical Contact: Koreans are generally not very physically affectionate with one another. However, girls and young women may walk hand-in-hand and male friends may touch one another more frequently than what is the norm amongst western men. Personal Space: Personal space is not guarded very closely in Korea.
Affection in Public
Public displays of affection (PDA) are common among Korean couples. While more intimate physical contact is typically kept private, holding hands, a peck on the cheek or a kiss in public is considered normal in Korean dating culture.
Examples of high contact cultures include those from the Middle East, Latin America and Southern Europe. Conversely, low contact cultures may stand further away when talking, maintain less eye contact and usually steer clear of touch.
Kissing in public is looked down upon and seen as highly immodest among older individuals in South Korea. This has become less taboo with the current generation of young adults, but is still widely discouraged by elders. Dressing well is important in South Korea; it is considered a sign of respect.
In Korea, it's not normal to hold hands or kiss on a first date. A guy may want to hold hands, but kissing on the first date is a big NO. In Korea, it's frowned upon to kiss in public.
A person in a position of service may put their hands together in front of their chest when greeting you or accepting something as an expression of gratitude. Many Koreans living overseas are accustomed to hugging or kissing as a part of casual greetings among friends.
It's more committed than a kiss. It's more intimate than sitting on someone's knee. It's not just affectionate, it's the sign of a bond.
“Holding hands invokes a positive feeling about one another, so you both feel sexy and wanted. It's almost like foreplay." Cue all the feels: Just like massage, kissing, and hugging, “research shows that touch, like holding hands, releases oxytocin, a neurotransmitter that gives you that feel-good buzz,” says Coleman.
When you grab their hand, reach across their hand to where your palms are centered, making an X with your hands. Gently close your hand, wrapping your fingers and thumb around the edges of your date's hand. For the more intimate moment, consider gently rubbing your thumb across the back of their hand.
According to Dr. Seockhoon Chung, MD, PhD, and Dr. Hoyoung An, MD, who write in Sleep Medicine Research, Korea's tradition of co-sleeping stems from not only its parenting philosophies, which prioritize family care over individual privacy but also its home design and architecture.
Respect should always be shown to those that are older than you. This involves deferring to their opinion, waiting for their input and lowering your gaze if they are an elder. Objects, gifts and food should be offered and received with two hands.
In traditional Korean culture, like many traditional cultures, marriage between a man and a woman were decided by the bride and groom's elders. As in Confucian values family and the customs of a family is placed above all. Marriage is considered the most important passage in one's life.
Holding hands, giving a peck, or even a kiss is a usual sight. In many ways, the level of PDA acceptable in South Korea may surprise you. Korean couples are eager to express their affection toward each other in public than people in Europe or even American cultures.
In South Korea, Park said the men used to be expected to make the first move. However, people are now starting to accept girls approaching the guys first.
Although the culture around hugging is changing, hugging in Korea is generally reserved for couples or for close friends or family that are saying goodbye for a long while.
Hookup culture doesn't seem to be as prevalent as it is at home (or in other western countries), but it's also not too hard to find. What is this? In my experience, Korean men are very honest about their intentions and will tell you what they are looking for.
It is customary for couples to count down to the 100th day since they got together and celebrate their anniversaries every 100 days of their relationship. On the day, they exchange flowers and gifts, eat at a nice restaurant, or go on a short trip together.
In Korea, it is considered rude to look directly into someone's eyes during a conversation, especially if you are being scolded or rebuked by your seniors or elders. In some cultures, making eye contact is a non-verbal part of communication; however, this is not the same in Korean culture.
Northern Europe and the Far East as classed as non-contact cultures. There is very little physical contact beyond a handshake with people we don't know well.
Hugging is not very common in parts of Asia such as China and Vietnam, where the parent-child bond may also lack physical intimacy. Similarly to Arabs, many Asian cultures often view physical contact between unmarried couples or people of opposite sexes as traditionally unacceptable.
Scientists assessed the association between the frequency of hugging, kissing, and other forms of affectionate touch and love in 37 countries. People in Austria showed the most affectionate touch towards their partners.