Korean Love Is
...Different?

'Love' anywhere is bonds us together.
Even with Korean love?
Is 'love' a powerful force when dating Korean women?

In the West we let infatuation play a big role in who we choose to be with romantically.

If the relationship works out then we would describe the feeling as 'love at first sight'.

We would even look at happy relationships and say "they love each other."

Love for us is a binding and emotional force.

How about for Korean couples?  After watching relationships and asking questions for 4 years in Korea - I can say that Korea's take on 'love' is radically different.

Korean Love's Priority Will Enlighten You

When it comes to relationships Koreans are much more practical.  In the West we're supposed to date for our own reasons (companionship, boredom, marriage, etc…)

For Koreans you're supposed to date to marry - period.

So to answer Tina Turner's question "what's love got to do with it?"  Not much.  Relationships are more utilitarian than in the West.

For the typical Korean woman if she had to choose between dating a guy she loves and someone who pleases her peers - she'll date the latter.  She would hardly ever leave her friends and family to be with the man she loves.

Granted she might see the other guy on the side but their relationship will only go as far as meeting once in a while. 

Then again Korean culture and dating habits are changing but we won't see more open-ness with respect to relationships for a decade.

Korean Love's Concept Will Shock You

'Love' for many Koreans is a way to declare a relationship.  It's part of a role you're supposed to play.

If you have a boyfriend or a husband you're supposed to love him. 
Not the other way around. 
The feelings themselves (like infatuation) have no place in proper Korean society.

In fact Koreans don't believe in marriages that come from 'love at first sight' or ('느낌'). 
Koreans believe in introducing people and if the two 'love' each other then that's a bonus. 
More important is to maintain the harmony and pleasing everyone.
So is 'Korean love' like 'Indian Love' with arranged marriages and such?

To an extent - yes.  The SHOCKER is that Korea looks and acts like a more Westernized Asian country.  Seoul looks like Hong Kong or Singapore but is culturally more conservative.

In fact if you watch Korean movies or music videos you'd be just as confused! How can a nation that's expressing such emotions (such as romance in their dramas and freedom in their music videos) be so conservative?

For more on how the Korea's culture is different click on the link.

Don't Koreans Feel Love?

Koreans do feel love.  They do fall in love. Koreans and Korean women are people too.

The big difference is how much value their society places on 'love'.  In Korean culture - love is not about how you feel perse.  It's about having harmony with everyone around you and that everything must 'seem' to be fine.

Accepting this difference in 'love' will make you much happier if you're with a Korean woman.  You'll be able to understand more of what motivates her and her culture.  You can then work with it to make sure that you're both GENUINELY happy in your relationship.

The more you know about her dating culture and make her want to be with you for more practical reasons - the more likely she'll stay with you.

In fact you can pick up some Korean culture that will impress your Korean girlfriend on this link.
Have fun! ;-)

Related Links

Return to the top of Korean love here!

More on Korean culture here!