For the beginning of understanding Korean cultural diversity, there is also the importance of understanding culture shock. For anyone and everyone will experience, such a significant life transition, when studying or working abroad for an extended period of time or in even marring an international partner, different from - their own native country of origin.

This period of time of culture shock can last from a few months, to several months, up to a couple of years, depending upon the overseas assignment, the country’s environment, and the intrinsic personal purpose to be served. Perhaps, the purpose is education…
When anyone moves to a different country, anyone and everyone will inevitably experience culture shock. culture shock refers to the feelings of anxiety, surprise, elation, uncertainty, excitement, adventure, confusion, frustration, sleep-disorders, loneliness, home-sickness - proving yourself or reminiscing about the past - while attempting to study, work, adapt, and emotionally adjust, to such - a living abroad.  All of these possible feelings - are the experience of a fish growing up and into a far larger pond - This is a major and real awakening life transition.
Therefore, going to a different country to work or study, for a long period of time, can be very exciting and adventurous, a big growth experience; or conversely, can be fraught with disappointment, hopelessness and even depression… Perhaps, even both will be the combined experiences, within your own stages of culture shock.
Welcome to the human race! Most people will dislike and like some aspects of a different culture - This is completely normal - Everyone is a learner - ascending or descending… Life is also like that. At any rate, everyone will have culture shock in some way or fashion, excited and or disappointed… And some people will be more affected more seriously than others.

Personal and individual character of adaptability, persistence, being intrinsically purpose-driven and having the resiliency of personality and temperament, a healthy sense of humor will all also be necessary - to be successful - for a good and healthy life adjustment, into any new country and culture.

To be successful, it is important to receive community support; as well as, to be actively engaged and involved, in your new immediate community and country - so get actively involved and learn from others - so as to develop a new purposeful life; and during that course of time spent, develop meaningful relationships.

There are 3 recognizable stages of culture shock:

THE FIRST STAGE OF CULTURE SHOCK:

The first stage is called, “the Honey-moon stage.” This is a time of fascination and curiosity about the new country. This is a time to be enjoyed!
Essentially in this beginning stage, you are a tourist for the most part, learning about the new country, its places, customs, culture, history, and the people. Everything is new and exciting. Everything seen and experienced tends to be romantic and idealized.
It’s a quick time for learning of adjustment, but a superficial, on the surface form of learning, without any deep understanding of the community environment.
This stage generally last from a week, to a few weeks, to even 2 to 3 months, depending upon the individuals community experiences and personal awareness.

THE SECOND STAGE OF
CULTURE SHOCK:

The second stage is known as, “a time period of frustration”, and the so called the “No-man’s Land or the great death of a personal self”… - The fish has to now swim in the reality of a far bigger and different pond.
After the “honey moon” fascination wanes, the learner begins to need to address, the day to day realities of living, in their new environmental setting, of school or work. This becomes the most difficult, if not, the most challenging of the 3 stages… Language barriers and cultural differences can often compound these issues.

This is the stage, when most students or workers and their families will experience significant stressors. …And most, will quit the endeavor of ever living in a new and different country, within the first year. …Why? …No one can be passive or be fully prepared for this 2nd stage of living. This stage requires faith of purpose.

Here, for example, at KMU, Korean university students must go through a yearlong academic intensive, to even be considered, as a foreign exchange student abroad. KMU has over 270 such reported university abroad university affiliations.

The becoming of a foreign exchange student is most rewarding - if the learner is prepared for such life realities. Otherwise, Most Korean university learners are asked to leave because of academic probation. Even more Korean university students will never graduate from such western university systems. This is not a critical point of view, but a statistical fact of description and in the part due to - culture shock.

In this stage of No Mans Land, this is the expected time of frustration! During this period of time, students and foreign workers must be intrinsically focused on their purpose of learning and working; and in the self-remembering - That they are an ambassador from their own home country - And deeply understand why; they are studying or working abroad globally or internationally and within such a diverse human world.

…Why are you individually, heart-felt doing, this move, to another country? …Is an important personal question …For any purpose of living abroad - this Why question is to be an important intrinsic, heart-felt question, to know, to realize, and to understand deeply or to have a deep faith giving purpose; so as, to have a clear vision toward the future - so as to be successful - in and during and through this 2nd stage of a major life transition.

Going back to my Korean University learners example; As such, KMU foreign exchange students, must be able to adapt and to become actively engaged and involved with a diverse population of people and cultural experiences; and to the embracing of welcoming of such experiences; and to have a heart-felt decision toward the future; which requires a deep faith and hope and purpose toward the future... Otherwise, this 2nd stage of culture-shock can be accompanied by extended periods of time, with loneliness, emptiness, isolation, through personal passivity and a lack of personal resiliency and purpose.

Most Koreans going abroad either act out toward clownish foolishness through meaningless and aimless socializing; Or conversely, become welcoming “Wow’ers or Beholders and Be-yonders” in their life learning experience, journey, and life story.

This 2nd stage will set in around after the 1st through the 4th month and can go up and through, the first two years - as the most challenging - as described by most Korean professors, who have studied abroad and received university degrees globally recognized.

At any rate, the global cultural learner must be actively involved in building a productive and constructive life to appreciate such cultural differences available around the world.
Such individuals, going abroad studying or working for an extended period of time plus 1 year or more years, must have an adventurous courageous spirit and little to no indolence or laziness.
The individual knows - why - they are there in a foreign land, and with a purpose, to succeed in life and be in the becoming toward the future!

THE THIRD STAGE OF CULTURE SHOCK:

The active individual, within 2 years, comes into the 3rd stage… The third stage is known as adaptation, and is called the stage of reconciliation. The learner has thus made it through the dark night of the soul and can easily enough live and work and give and contribute, in two separate and different countries.

Such a learner has made a new land, community, state, country/study/work their home. …Such a global cultural learner has thereby become, while still in the becoming, integrated into their new land and has created another second home in another - and different - country - their home.

During this final stage of reconciliation - the learner has become and begun - To thrive and enjoy growing in their new place and called it, home, - not just by merely surviving, but through thriving - Thus, they have made it through the 3 stages of culture shock…
Such a cultural learner has their feet easily enough planted in two different countries and has overcome the major issues of culture-shock - at least - for the most part - as a life-long learner…