Writers: Pratyusha Dash (Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India) & Ankita Panda (Kolkata, West Bengal, India)
Editor: Ankita Panda (Kolkata, West Bengal, India)
Have you ever found yourself deep into a K-drama, only to realise a few scenes or actions feel strangely close to home? It turns out that the two Asian countries we love so much actually have much more in common than we thought. In this article, I will highlight the similarities between our Indian culture and that of South Korea.
Independence Day
Picture Credits: India TV News
Picture Credits: The Korea Herald
This fact may be known to some and surprising to others — both countries celebrate their Independence Day on the 15th of August. India gained independence from British rule on 15 August 1947. On the other hand, Korea was liberated from Japanese occupation on 15 August 1945 and later established the Republic of Korea (ROK) on 15 August 1948.
Family First
In both countries, traditional values remain the same. Children living with their parents might be seen as taboo in Western cultures, but both India and South Korea see it positively and encourage it. The family structures of both countries are well developed with proper hierarchies.
For example, in Western countries, all sisters of the father are referred to as aunt, regardless of their age. But that is not the case for these two Asian countries. All the familial relations have proper names, which makes the distinctions clear.
South Korean society places a high emphasis on valuing its elders, as does Indian society. They use various honorific suffixes to address adults and are quite respectful of the same.
Language
Picture Credits: Pinterest
One of the most mind-blowing similarities between the two countries is the parallelism between Tamil and Korean. The two languages are more similar than they appear. According to some studies, there are more than 500 common words in both languages.
Picture Credits: Pinterest
For example, mother is referred to as Amma (அம்மா) in Tamil and Eomma (엄마) in Korean, while the term Appa for father is used widely in both languages. There are also similar-sounding words like Pul (புல்) in Tamil, Pol (풀) in Korean, which means grass.
Picture Credits: Hallyuism
Many believe that this language commonality we share is due to our historical linkage. According to the legend, Indian Princess Suriratna from Ayodhya traveled to Korea and became the wife of the King Kim Suro of Gimhae, and together they established the influential Karak clan.
Food
Food is also a common base for both countries that love to show their diversity through their cuisines. Rice is a staple food for both Korea and many states of India. It is the main basic food that is consumed with other side dishes. Along with that, there are many food items available in both countries that draw quite a resemblance to each other.
Kimchi and Achaar (pickle)
Picture Credits: Pinterest
Kimchi is the soul of Korean cuisine, and the country is known for this delicious dish. There is no doubt that anyone who has tried Korean cuisine must have found a side dish named Kimchi included with their food. It is mostly pickled fermented vegetables, such as cabbage or cucumber, which are enjoyed by many in the country. Achaar, on the other hand, is cooked through a very similar process and is enjoyed by many people in India.
Picture Credits: Pinterest
Pajeon and Chilla
Picture Credits: Pinterest
The resemblance in the appearance of both dishes is uncanny. Pajeon, or the savoury pancake of Korea, is made with a variety of ingredients, including seafood, meat, or veggies, with its main ingredient being green onions.
Picture Credits: Pinterest
Similarly, Chilla (or Cheela) is the Indian version of the savory pancake. It is made from various types of flour or lentil batter and is mostly consumed as a high-protein, delicious breakfast food.
Yaki Mandu and Gujiya
Picture Credits: Pinterest
Yaki Mandu is a popular Korean fried dumpling dish that is filled with meat and veggies. They are usually savoury in taste and are loved by many in South Korea. A similar-looking Gujiya is a sweet dish that is filled with Khoya and dry fruits, which are then deep-fried. Both food items have very similar appearances and will remind you of each other.
Picture Credits: Pinterest
Festivals: Celebrating Life and Family
Picture Credits: NDTV
In India, we celebrate major festivals such as Diwali, Pongal, Makar Sankranti, Lohri, Durga Puja, and others. We not only pay respect to our ancestors, land, and gods but also gather together as a family to celebrate these festivities.
Picture Credits: Pinterest
Picture Credits: Hindustan Times
South Koreans celebrate Chuseok, Seollal, and other festivals, bringing friends and family closer and giving them time to be together and celebrate. Similar to our festivals, Chuseok and Seollal are celebrated to pay respect to nature and to their ancestors.
Picture Credits: Dynasty Korea
Bihu, one of the main festivals in the North-eastern parts of India, has a similarity with Chuseok in the way they are celebrated, in terms of offerings and traditional dances.
Picture Credits: Wikipedia
The World of Entertainment
Both countries have their own industries solely dedicated to the entertainment world. Indian and South Korean movies and shows are well-known around the world because of their rich storytelling, emphasizing familial bonds and values, societal pressures, and complicated romantic relationships, as well as slapstick comedy.
Another major similarity in terms of entertainment is the celebration of music and dance. South Korea’s melodic OSTs and India’s iconic desi songs, coupled with dancing is often used to enhance the watcher’s emotions and as a narrative technique. The Bollywood film industry has gained worldwide recognition, and so has the world of Hallyu. There are many fans of K-pop and K-dramas now emerging in India and vice versa.
India and South Korea are closer to each other than what meets the eye. Various studies suggest that we might even share some common ancestors, but even without them, we are not so different after all. Both countries share a strong bond, so when a Korean visits India or an Indian visits South Korea, they can easily find a home away from home.
Which similarities stood out to you? Do you see more connections? Tell us in the comments!!
Really enjoyed reading this article ❤️ It beautifully highlights how Indian and Korean cultures are connected in so many ways. Very informative and well-written!
India and Korea may be far apart, but they share the same soul—deep emotions, family values, respect, and meaningful traditions. That’s what makes the connection so beautiful🥰
This article is really good and informative. India and South Korea really have a lot of things in common
India and korea are apart but still hold many similarities whether it’s culture or festivals dya ,food and many other. And even a language hold similarities. This article has perfectly shown the similarity of India and Korean.
No doubt India and south korea have many similarities as these two asian countries not just focus on their development but also invest on their cultures to promote the beautiful heritage worldwide. When someone asked me why I love South korea my answer is always related to that historical bond between these two countries I always says ‘do you know there’s a princess of ayodhya married to king of korea and the Princess belongs from the dynasty of lord ram as the history says so indirectly korea is related to ramji and everything in this world which related to him is most dearer to me’ I know this sounds much delulu but as much I studied and listened about it south korea too believe on this fact and that’s the reason first lady of South korea believe herself belonging from dynasty of lord ram. Reading this article is really so wonderful experience for me and knowing about different common facts and relations between India and South Korea.
Such a beautifully written piece!
It’s incredible how many cultural parallels India and South Korea share.
No wonder K-culture feels so familiar to us.
This article perfectly shows how history and culture quietly connect us.
The family values, traditions, and even food overlaps were so fascinating.
Makes the bond between India and Korea feel even more special.
I did know about the independence day and the similarity between Korean and Tamil
It’s really surprising that these two countries have so many similarities
Great Article!
Though India and Korea are geographically distant, this article beautifully highlights their deep cultural connections. From shared family values and festivals to food traditions and linguistic links, it clearly shows how both nations remain culturally close despite the distance between them.
This article did such a great job highlighting the unexpected cultural connections between India and Korea! It’s fascinating to see how shared values, historical exchanges, and even similarities in traditions reveal how both cultures resonate in surprising ways. Articles like this deepen appreciation beyond surface-level differences and remind us that cultural bridges exist in everyday life. A really insightful read for anyone curious about cross-cultural bonds! 🌏✨
A thoughtful and engaging comparison that beautifully highlights the cultural, linguistic, and emotional parallels between India and South Korea. From family values to food and festivals, it shows how shared traditions and sentiments make both cultures feel warmly familiar.
Well it is so true that both the countries share many things in common and this article just highlighted all that aspects in align and in a beautiful way. Offcourse it is a very common reason that people feel connection towards the south korean language. Many students just want to learn the language ny knowing these kind of similarities and after learning it felt more near or connected to the k – culture even i am one of the people as well. Beautiful written and narrated article
This was such an eye-opening and beautifully written article! As someone who started out just enjoying K-dramas for the plot, I’ve often had those ‘wait, that feels familiar’ moments, but I never realized how deep the roots actually go.
The linguistic connection between Tamil and Korean is absolutely mind-blowing—seeing ‘Amma’ and ‘Appa’ used in both cultures really highlights a shared ancestral or historical pulse that many people overlook. It’s also heartening to see the emphasis on family hierarchy and respect for elders; in a world that is becoming increasingly individualistic, both India and South Korea manage to preserve that ‘family first’ soul.
I particularly loved the food comparisons! While we usually think of Kimchi and Achaar as distinct, the fermentation process and their roles as the ‘heart’ of a meal are identical. Comparing Yaki Mandu to Gujiya was a brilliant observation—it really shows that even if the flavors differ between savory and sweet, the culinary ‘blueprints’ of our ancestors were remarkably similar.
Thank you, Pratyusha and Ankita, for highlighting the legend of Princess Suriratna as well. It adds such a poetic, historical weight to why we feel this ‘home away from home’ connection. It’s no wonder Hallyu has found such a massive second home in India—we aren’t just fans; we’re cultural cousins! Looking forward to more insights like this.”
The linguistic connection between Tamil and Korean is absolutely mind-blowing! ‘Amma’ and ‘Appa’ being the same is just too cool. And honestly, Kimchi and Achaar really do hit that same spicy, pickled spot in our hearts (and stomachs!). It’s amazing how much shared history and culture we have. 🇮🇳❤️🇰🇷
Wow, this article beautifully highlights the unexpected cultural connections between India and South Korea! I was especially amazed by the language similarities and the food comparisons. Who knew Tamil and Korean shared so many words? It’s heartwarming to see how family values, festivals, and even entertainment bring these two countries closer. Makes me appreciate both cultures even more!
I really enjoyed this article. It’s surprising how much India and Korea have in common, from traditions to ways of celebrating life. Reading it made me think about how much we can learn from each other’s cultures and how shared values connect us all. Small things like this make the world feel a little closer and more connected.
Reading this really made me smile because so many of these similarities feel familiar without us even realizing it. From family values to food and festivals, the connections between Indian and Korean culture feel naturally close. It explains why so many of us feel instantly at home with Korean stories and traditions.
This article beautifully highlights how cultural similarities between India and South Korea go beyond surface-level trends and exist deeply in family values, food habits, and festivals. I found the comparison between honorifics, ancestral respect, and rice-based cuisines especially insightful, as they show how both societies prioritize tradition and togetherness. It really explains why K-dramas often feel relatable to Indian audiences despite being from a different country.
Wow India & Korean really have so many similarities in terms of culture, dance, entertainment, food etc. Consuming cross cultural things makes one feel close to each other emotionally.
Woah TBH i noticed some similarities between the two cultures but reading this article it made me realise that we two countries are siblings 😭💜
Reading that article honestly made me so happy – I love that Korean and Hindi share so many similarities. I was even telling my friends and family about them, and they were amused too! For me, this language similarity is my most favorite part. It really makes Korean feel more approachable through Hindi than English, because of those shared grammar patterns and politeness systems.
Both languages use SOV word order, rely on postpositions/case markers, and emphasize honorifics in communication. Those structural parallels make them feel unexpectedly close, even though they belong to completely different language families.