Respect
One of the most important Korean values is respect, but more specifically, respect for your elders. This doesn't necessarily just mean your parents or grandparents, but it means respect for everyone around you. Respect for others is one of the crucial things I was taught since I was a child. I remember my father teaching me how the eldest always eats first, then it descends from oldest to youngest eating at meals.
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From personal experience, Korean restaurants are a place where you can see values being practiced through the waiters and waitresses. With the language they use, they are always respectful of the customers. When serving dishes, they will use two hands. When entering and leaving, some people will bow as a formal greeting and a thank you. Having good manners is essential to showing respect towards others in Korean culture
Education
Education is an essential value, typically in Korea, as people believe that a good education will lead to a better future and "Higher education is seen as a way to improve one’s socioeconomic status in Korea." However, there are huge amounts of pressure that Korean students face as the annual entrance exams are extremely competitive but necessary in order to get into prestigious universities. Most of Korean students' lives are all work, no play in order to get better educations, and most of their time is spent studying in and out of school. Schooling in Korea is extremely stressful for students as, "Those students that do very well bring honor to their families while those that do not do well disgrace their families."
Pride
Korean people take a lot of pride in their country, as a way to show their achievements. As a result, we have a strong identity of ourselves and our people. Whether it be our healthcare system, food service, or technological advances with the internet, these are all representations of our achievements. However, this pride may come off as cockiness towards others, so people may talk bad about Koreans, but when outsiders (typically other foreigners) talk down on Koreans, it is unacceptable.
