"Once you live in Seoul, you can't go back": The real reasons Americans are flocking to Korea

This represents a roughly 37% increase year-on-year, demonstrating strong consumer interest in Korean beauty products among American consumers.

In the past, Korea was known in the U.S. by limited images such as North Korea, war, and Samsung. However, Korean culture has now become an object of everyday consumption across various fields, including K-pop, dramas, food, and cosmetics. Especially among the younger generations in the U.S., the MZ generation, there is a clear trend of enjoying Korean culture.

The popularity of Korean cosmetics is so immense that Americans queue up to visit Olive Young stores in Los Angeles. Interest in Korean skincare routines, such as sunscreens, serums, and mask packs, has particularly amplified, and a trend favoring natural skin expression has formed. Bolstered by these changes, K-beauty exports to the U.S. recorded approximately $2 billion in 2025, marking a 37% increase year-on-year.

H Mart began as 'Han Ah Reum' supermarket in New York in the 1980s and grew into a large-scale store accommodating diverse ethnic customers with the suburban migration of Koreans. Now, H Mart has emerged not just as a Korean supermarket but as an alternative space where many Americans experience Korean culture with all five senses. As interest in Korean food grows due to the influence of Korean dramas and K-pop, H Mart is becoming an important gateway for Americans to encounter Korean culture.

Americans react with wonder to the banchan (side dish) culture offered in Korean restaurants in the U.S. American food culture is mainly composed of single dishes, requiring additional payment to taste various side dishes. In contrast, Korea's 'hansangcharim' (full table setting) culture allows diners to enjoy several types of banchan together without extra cost, providing a fresh experience for Americans.

In fact, the California Department of Education is reviewing the introduction of kimchi into school meals, and there is a growing preference for probiotics and fermented foods in the U.S. Gimbap and gim (laver) are also recognized as healthy foods, contributing to their growing popularity in the American market.

As of July 2026, the South Korean passport ranks jointly second globally, boasting a very high international status. Korean passport holders can access 188 countries either visa-free or with a visa-on-arrival. Passport power is a crucial indicator of a country's economic strength, international trustworthiness, and the ease of movement for its citizens, reflecting Korea's significantly elevated national status compared to the past.

The U.S. has fundamentally developed around a car-centric culture, which means its public transportation system is not well-equipped. The urban structure itself is an anomalous form, separated into business districts and residential areas, and the subway facilities in major cities are severely antiquated. The reality of public transport operating primarily as a means of travel, with issues like closed subway station restrooms, exacerbates the inconvenience of using public transportation.

Korean public transportation is highly efficient and competitively priced. Its accessibility is so high that one can travel from Seoul to Busan by public transport. Furthermore, compared to other countries like Japan, intercity bus fares and toll fees are inexpensive, offering the advantage of using good public transportation at an affordable price.

The 'ppalli-ppalli' (Hurry, hurry) culture, often associated with Koreans, has become an industrial infrastructure rather than merely a national characteristic. While basic delivery in the U.S. typically takes 3-5 days or more, next-day delivery has become the default in Korea. Due to its vast territory and high labor costs, it is difficult to implement such a rapid delivery system in the U.S.

The U.S. healthcare system faces many problems due to high costs and low accessibility. Emergency room visits can cost up to 10 million won (approx. $7,500), and calling 911 incurs massive charges for dispatch and services. Furthermore, the U.S. operates primarily on private insurance, often leading to situations where people forgo treatment or their illness worsens if they lack insurance.

The U.S. healthcare system operates primarily on private for-profit insurance, which creates structural problems. Approximately 8-9% of Americans, 25-30 million people, are uninsured. Individuals must call insurance companies directly to purchase insurance plans, and opposition to policies like Obamacare makes maintaining such policies difficult.

In the U.S., the system is structured such that insurance companies maximize profits by denying policyholders' claims as much as possible. A significant number of Americans believe this structure leads to many unfair victims. In fact, 24% of insured individuals forgo treatment due to cost concerns, and 26% of American adults have experienced foregoing medical services due to cost issues.

The biggest strength of the Korean healthcare system is its high speed of access and convenience. In contrast, in the U.S., patients first check whether a hospital is included in their insurance company's network before choosing a hospital. Although U.S. medical technology is cutting-edge, limitations of the insurance system act as a significant factor in hospital selection.

Many phenomena considered strange in American culture, such as tipping culture, car-centric culture, and food culture, mostly have historical and institutional reasons. Understanding these backgrounds allows for a deeper comprehension of American culture. An interdependent perspective is crucial: understanding Korea through the U.S. and, conversely, understanding the U.S. through Korea.