Korea

Relationships within the family are the most highly valued in Korea. They have very strong bonds within their family. Though each Korean has a very busy lifestyle, they try to come together and enjoy each other as often as possible. Traditionally, Koreans are proud of their good relationship among family members. They think that respect for the elder is the most noble contribution of the Korean society. Elderly people give advice to the younger generation, and the younger people take the elder's wise advice. They feel a strong responsibility about bringing their home as a part of the social educational center. Although the idea of being individual brings family conflicts, most Koreans don't forget that the family is the most important group for themselves as well as for the country. There are still many extended Korean families who live with three generations. Many first born sons feel their responsibility of taking care of their parents. Like all societies, Korean life has always centered on tightly knit families. Large families have been prized and over many centuries families married within the regions of Korea to form large clans. Family names reflect this. A dozen family names predominate, especially Kim, Park, Lee, Kang, and Choi. But Kims from the city of Pusan in the south are not the Kims from Seoul and all the Kims know exactly which group they belong to. Custom forbids people marrying within their own clan, no matter how distant the cousin might be. In order to know who is who, families and clan keep detailed genealogical records that  might go back many hundreds of years. Even in today's westernized Korea many people can still recite the glorious history of their clans and take pride in them.