South Korea is a country where there are various entertainments available. And when it comes to recreations, the first thing that came to my mind is always those huge amusement parks. But, do you know that besides that, South Korea also offers some others entertainment that other countries didnโt provide? Things like karaoke, for example.
Introduction
Today, I would like to introduce to you one of the main recreation activities that are widely seen in Korean society. It is the Karaoke system in South Korea. When I first came to Korea, this is also one of the parts where I got culture shock because it is totally different from my own country.
It can be seen anywhere in South Korea!
I guess Karaoke is a very familiar word that everyone knows what it means. But before I introduce to you how Karaoke in South Korea looks like, I will first tell you about my country. In Malaysia, we only have Karaoke in a huge shopping mall. It is impossible for you to see any Karaoke stall beside the street like how you see them in Korea. At here, Karaoke is anywhere and they are a very common thing among locals.
It is different from the one in Malaysia!
Besides, in Malaysia, there are people who will in charge of the stall itself. It is not like in South Korea. At here, most of the Karaoke didnโt have any workers inside. Everything is self-service and you just do anything by yourself. You enter the shop and pay yourself. There are two ways for you to pay. The first one is through a machine outside those rooms. You can select the room you want and choose how long you want to stay or how many songs you wish to sing. The most common price range I had seen is around 1000won for three songs. It is very cheap and it will be cheaper if you are a member of the store.
How can it be different?
In Malaysia, you need to pay based on how long the time you wish to stay. If you stay for an hour, you might need to pay around 10,000 won. I personally donโt like this system a lot because you need to force yourself to keep singing in order to make your payment worth it. Everyone tries to sing from the beginning until the last second of their rental period in order to enjoy to the maximum. But in South Korea, it does not work like that. After you choose how many songs you want, you can have your own time in the room you selected. Nobody will come and rush you and ask you to pay if you stay for a longer time. You can have time to think about what song you really wish to sing. Although there is still a limit of few minutes for you to choose the song you want, I still feel better because it is a self-service system.
No food services are available in South Korea!
Another difference point between South Korea and Malaysia karaoke is the foodservice. In Malaysia, you can order nuggets, fries, as well as cold beverages. Some of the people just go into karaoke to eat instead of singing. But, there is no such thing in South Korea. The only simple water machine is available in Karaoke. You can buy the drinks you want but no food available. This causes the rooms are really clean and tidy.
Apart from those different points, others are still similar to each other. You can choose any songs you want to be based on the language, nationality, or singer. And some karaoke might have faster updates than others.
Karaoke in South Korea is self-service!
Also, because everything at Karaoke in South Korea is self-service, it opens twenty-four seven and you can visit it anytime you want. It is not like those in Malaysia where it will be closed at ten and start a business the next morning. At here, you can sing and release your stress anytime you feel stressed. And because of its freedom, you can do whatever you want in the room as long as you follow the rules.
Although the karaoke system in South Korea has a lot of benefits, you should still be aware and careful with the store you choose. Try to avoid choosing those which look old and outdated. I had once gone to karaoke where there are workers in charge of the store. Not only bad attitudes but I was charged 20,000 won for one hour. I was really shocked to hear that when I paid the money. And because of that, I am extremely careful whenever I want to visit any karaoke stall.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, karaoke in South Korea is really a nice thing that everyone should try out. It is really cheap and at the same time really fun. Hope this article can help you in understanding more about karaoke systems in South Korea and enjoy!
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