Korea Facts

Taekwondo is only about 70 years old, making it one of the youngest major martial arts in the world.

Korea's capital Seoul means "Capital".

In Korea, if you do not receive any gift on Valentine's day then all the singles go to Korean restaurants and eat black noodles to celebrate (or mourn) their single status.

A Korean man called Lee Jin-gyu fell in love with his large, huggable pillow and married it.

A Brazilian man named Xiahn Nishi, formerly known as Max, was so fascinated by Korean culture after studying abroad in South Korea that he underwent 10 plastic surgery procedures costing around $31,000 to make his appearance more Asian.

In 2010, a Korean man named Lee Jin-gyu held a wedding ceremony to marry his life-sized body pillow (called a "dakimakura") featuring an anime character. A friend in a priest costume officiated the ceremony.

In Korea, a child’s first birthday is the most important. In one part of the celebration, several items are placed on a table. The one that the baby picks up first is said to predict their future.

Korean Okhwan Yoon left behind a profitable business to cycle the world in aid of world peace. For over 9 years, he has biked across 192 countries on six continents, and has survived 6 car accidents, malaria, extreme temperatures, robbery, and kidnapping.

Urechis unicinctus is a species of marine spoon worm that is widely referred to as the ‘penis fish’.