1. Just Say No to Number Four
One might ask what this number did to be feared so much. After all, it is feared more than the infamous "devil's dozen" number - 13. The number four is feared to such an extent that the floors in hotels and large buildings are either called "F" or skipped altogether.
While this superstition has direct Chinese roots, it is commonly found throughout South Korea. In the old Korean language, which is based on Chinese characters, the "death" (“사망”/“死亡”[Samang] in Hanja and “死亡” [Sǐwáng] in traditional Chinese) sounds similar to the word “four” (“사” [Sah]). That seemingly random connection has made this number the most avoided in South Korea.
2. Red Ink - Red Flag?
If you have ever traveled to South Korea, you may have encountered a situation where you needed to sign your name somewhere but did not have a pen. And for this reason, the person next to you will never give you the red ink pen, even if it is the only pen they have. What an odd situation, indeed.
However, an unspoken rule states to never write the names of the living with a red ink pen. Only the names of the deceased are written in red ink. It is believed that writing one's name with red ink might attract bad events that could eventually lead to that person's death.
3. Barefoot Love
If you are dating a Korean person (this does not apply to fur babies), there will surely be many occasions to celebrate, such as one hundred days anniversary, white day, or pepero day, which are unique to South Koreans. However, one thing to remember is that one should not gift their significant other a pair of shoes.
It is unclear where this superstition originates, but it is believed that if your partner receives a pair of shoes as a present, they might run away from you wearing them, almost as if you are repelling that with this gift.
5. Piggy Back Dreams
This is one of the most common beliefs in most East Asian countries, with no exception in South Korea. If one sees a pig in their dreams, it is considered a sign that they are about to become rich or receive some financial help in the near future.
In South Korea, China, and Japan, the pig is a symbol of wealth and prosperity. A sighting of this rooting animal in your dreams linked to money is not too of an absurd superstition.
Conclusion
It may surprise some to learn how many of those exist in a country with one of the most non-believer populations on the planet. For an uninformed and unprepared eye, these might sound absurd and raise a couple of eyebrows.
Written by Foteh R.
TikTok and Instagram: @i_lovegorgonzola
"Men become superstitious, not because they have too much imagination, but because they are not aware that they have any." Author - George Santayana
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