Nature of the Korean People

To begin to understand the Korean way of life and overcome the initial culture shock of conducting business, touring or living in Korea, it is important to grasp the people’s background and history. Many aspects and consequences of their history come together to build the characteristic qualities of the modern Korean. Their origins are shrouded in the mists of time but ethnically they belong to the Mongolian race and are descended from several Mongol tribal groups who migrated from what are now Siberia and Manchuria. Study of the language and the archaeology of the splendid Silla kingdom, particularly the crown jewels, points their origin to the Altaic civilization which once flourished in Northern Asia. Although their centre lay in the Ural-Altaic Mountains, the Altaic tribes were mobile and gave rise to a whole family of languages from Finland, Turkey and Hungary all the way across Siberia to Mongolia, Manchuria and Korea. The unique Korean tongue, which bears no relationship to Chinese, is perhaps the earliest element of the many factors which contribute towards the national unity and individuality of the Koreanpeople