7 Of The Most Bizarre Korean School Rules That’ll Make You Say “Why The Hell Is That A Thing?”

For the love of coffee!

Everyone knows that laws in other countries are likely different from the laws of their own, but some people might not consider that they’d also have different school rules. South Korea is no different and in fact, some of their rules are so strange they’ll leave you wondering what in the world is going on!

1. No coffee even for teachers

One of the newest rules to hit South Korean schools and the hardest for coffee lovers! In 2013, schools were banned from selling caffeinated drinks like coffee to students. Those clever students were able to get around those restrictions by buying coffee from vending machines available to teachers. But starting in 2018, all the vending machines in elementary, middle, and high schools will be gone!

2. Perming and dying your hair is up to the school

School uniform policies used to be incredibly strict in South Korea. In the past, the length of your skirt, when you could wear your summer uniform, and whether you could wear makeup and jewelry or not was all up to the school. While you may still hear whisperings of these rules around the internet, they aren’t really enforced nowadays. But one thing that does seemingly remain from those days is whether or not students are allowed to perm and dye their hair. Each school takes this at their own discretion so it varies from school to school, but there are some schools out there that don’t allow that!

3. Must have the school uniform

While school uniform rules are much less stressed than they used to be and some schools are even allowing students to wear casual clothes, the majority of schools still implement a dress code. Each school has their own unique uniforms so if a student ends up transferring to another school that means they will need to purchase a whole new set of clothes. Uniforms typically come in winter and summer varieties and students will also have specific gym uniforms.

4. You can’t wear your shoes in some schools

Just as Koreans take their shoes off when they’re entering their home, so too do students when they come to school. Although this doesn’t mean they are walking around in just their socks! Instead, students will either wear slippers just like they do at home or they bring a second pair of shoes that are only used inside.

5. No dating

That’s right, some schools actually have a no dating policy. Students are discouraged from openly dating and can receive punishment if they get caught. While this isn’t the case for all schools, it does happen. In fact, it isn’t uncommon for coed schools to have separate classes for girls and boys to prevent this from happening!

6. No entering other classrooms

What happens when you have a friend that is in a different class than you and you’re currently on break? You would think that you could pop over to their classroom, but at some schools in South Korea this is strictly forbidden! If you want to meet up with them you would have to catch their eye from the doorway and hope they get the hint to come out and see you!

7. Absolutely no electronics

You may have had to turn your cellphones in if you were caught texting during class but South Korea makes sure that students are never caught texting or doing anything else on the cells during class. Most schools make students hand over any electronics they have first thing in the morning and will return them at the end of the day.