Canada, Korea and Their Differences

Have you ever lived in Canada or Korea? Here we compare cultural differences between Korea and Canada.

School Life

In Canada, school usually finishes around 4 p.m. and then students either participate in after-school activities or go home. But in Korea, especially in high school, students have to stay at school until 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. Koreans think that students must go on to a good university for a better job and better life. So most Korean students study very hard during their 3 years as a high-school student.

Small Talk

Generally Canadians like making small talk. You can talk to passerby even if you don’t know them. Canadians are kind so if you say hello to someone, they will reply for you. But small talk isn’t a common thing in Korea. You can small talk with friends, family, etc. but if you talk to someone on the street, it is considered very strange.

Tip Culture

Usually Canadians pay tips between 10% and 20% in restaurants. Koreans who visit Canada are confused about this because you don’t need to pay tips in Korea.

About Alcohol

In Canada, if you want to buy some alcohol, you have to visit the “Liquor Store”. You can’t buy alcohol in the convenience store, or any supermarket. And you can’t drink alcohol anywhere outside. But if you are in Korea, you can buy alcohol very easily at any convenience store or market. And you can drink alcohol outside if you want.

Lunch Time

Usually Koreans don’t bring their own lunch to work. They eat lunch at their company cafeteria or restaurant. However Canadians bring their own lunch, usually because of the price. Canadian meal prices are a little bit more expensive than other countries.

Homeless People

In Canada, especially Vancouver, you see a lot of homeless people downtown. But usually they are not dangerous and surprisingly you see some homeless people reading a book or newspaper. And some even have dogs as pets. On the other hand, there aren’t any homeless people on the streets in cities in Korea. Usually they live in subway stations.

Nightlife

Generally Canadians go home to sleep around 10 – 11 p.m. so most bars and pubs close by 2 a.m. But many Koreans enjoy the nightlife, and some drink the night away. Almost all restaurants that sell alcohol and pubs or bars stay open til 5 – 6 a.m. If you want to really enjoy nightlife, visit Korea!

Speed

Almost all Koreans like rapid processing. Koreans always want things fast! So their internet connection speed has ranked number one, and if you order some food to your house, it will arrive within 30 minutes.
Canadians on the other hand, have a relaxed attitude and don’t rush or work after business hours. So many Koreans who come to Canada find life moves at a slower pace.

Contact Us!

Here at LingoStar, we have professional translators available that are familiar with the cultural differences. We provide a range of language services from translation and typesetting, interpreting services, subtitling and more! For more information, contact us by calling 604-629-8420 or emailing info@lingo-star.com to discuss your next language-related project. You can also request a free quote via our website dev.lingo-star.com. We are here to help!