Cultural Adaption of Koreans Residing in Hungary : Changes in Daily Life and Customs

Kovács, Ramona F. (author)

The present paper explores the social changes embedded in the lives of Korean expatriates in Hungary. Since this is a relatively new phenomenon, mostly produced by the intensive economic cooperation between the two countries in the past decade, the topic has been insufficiently researched so far. According to my preliminary findings, the population of Koreans has been increasing thanks to the significant investments made in Hungary by Korean firms and the comfortable lifestyles they can enjoy, and thus expatriate employees of Korean companies and their family members often decide to stay in the country for several years. They naturally need to shape their lifestyles according to the local environment, and the cultural differences that exist between Korea and Hungary can present some challenges, especially if the Koreans try to maintain the habits and customs of their homeland. Furthermore, in addition to those in employment and their family members, there are also many Korean students attending university in Hungary, and they also experience differences compared to their lives back home. My study investigates the adaptation process of the Koreans living in Hungary, including the experiences not only of company employees, but also restaurant owners, missionaries, students and interpreters, arguing that the social and cultural differences they face compel them to partially change the habits and customs that acquired in Korea. The research is based on in-depth personal interviews I conducted with Koreans currently living and working or studying in Hungary, as well as on statistics issued by related Korean ministries and Hungarian institutions. The paper contributes to a growing body of expatriate and diaspora studies, highlighting the social norms and transformations that shape communities adapting to a new environment.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Korean expatriates, economic cooperation, K-culture, cultural adaptation
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 17.03.2025
• Number of pages: Str. 231-258
• Numbering: Vol. 13, no. suppl.
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-178256
• ISSN: 2232-5131
• eISSN: 2350-4226
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4312/as.2025.13.sup.231-258
• Publication date in RUL: 22.01.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Asian studies
• Publisher: Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete, Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete, Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 2232-5131
• COBISS.SI-ID: 265206272

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Kulturna prilagoditev Korejk in Korejcev, ki živijo na Madžarskem – spremembe v vsakdanjem življenju in običajih

Abstract

Pričujoči članek raziskuje družbene spremembe v življenju korejskih izseljenk in izseljencev na Madžarskem. Ker gre za razmeroma nov pojav, ki je nastal predvsem zaradi intenzivnega gospodarskega sodelovanja med državama v zadnjem desetletju, je bila tema doslej premalo raziskana. Po mojih preliminarnih ugotovitvah se število Korejk in Korejcev povečuje zaradi znatnih naložb korejskih podjetij na Madžarskem in udobnega načina življenja, ki ga lahko uživajo, zato se izseljenski delavci in delavke korejskih podjetij ter njihove družine pogosto odločajo, da bodo v državi ostale več let. Seveda morajo svoj življenjski slog prilagoditi lokalnemu okolju, kulturne razlike med Korejo in Madžarsko pa lahko predstavljajo nekaj izzivov, zlasti če Korejci oziroma Korejke skušajo ohraniti navade in običaje iz svoje domovine. Poleg zaposlenih in njihovih družin je na Madžarskem tudi veliko korejskih študentk in študentov, ki obiskujejo univerzo, in tudi oni se soočajo z razlikami v primerjavi z življenjem v domovini. Moja študija raziskuje proces prilagajanja Korejcev in Korejk, ki živijo na Madžarskem, vključno z izkušnjami tako zaposlenih v podjetjih kot tudi lastnic restavracij, misijonarjev, študentk in tolmačev, pri čemer trdim, da jih družbene ter kulturne razlike, s katerimi se soočajo, silijo k delni spremembi navad in običajev, ki so jih pridobili v Koreji. Raziskava temelji na poglobljenih osebnih intervjujih, ki sem jih opravila s Korejkami in Korejci, ki trenutno živijo in delajo ali študirajo na Madžarskem, ter na statističnih podatkih, ki so jih izdala povezana korejska ministrstva in madžarske institucije. Članek prispeva k naraščajočemu številu študij o izseljenstvu in diaspori, saj poudarja družbene norme in transformacije, ki oblikujejo skupnosti v prilagajanju novemu okolju.

• Keywords: korejski izseljenci in izseljenke, gospodarsko sodelovanje, K-kultura, kulturno prilagajanje