Married into a Korean family for 3 years. She thought she'd seen it all — then she saw the sink

A Japanese woman living in Korea shares a culture shock moment from her mother-in-law's Chuseok prep.

Translated by Klore · Published Oct 1, 2026

Source & context

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● Some K-contextCulture shock FoodHow much Korea-context this story assumes. English translations and context by Klore.

XEnglish translation

Anonymous · 2026년 9월 23일

3 years married into a Korean family, and I still wasn't ready for this level of shock.한국에 시집와서 3년 차인데, 아직 이런 레벨의 충격이 있을 줄은 몰랐네

My mother-in-law's prepping for Chuseok here 🍖여기 시어머니 추석 준비 중 🍖

She says 'I think of the sink as a plate too,' and scrubs it shiny every day so she doesn't see it as dirty at all — but it was pretty jarring for me lol참고로 시어머니는 "싱크대도 접시라고 생각해요"라고 말씀하시며, 매일 반짝반짝 닦아 올리시고 있어서 전혀 더럽다고 생각하지 않는데, 나한테는 꽤나 저항감이 있었어요 ㅋㅋ

473 replies on the original39k votes on the original

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English translation

Ribs soaking to drain the blood, filling the entire kitchen sink.

(사진: 싱크대에 가득 담긴 갈비 핏물을 빼는 모습)

💡 Wait, why would she soak meat in the sink?

Draining blood from ribs before cooking is a normal Korean prep step, and using the sink basin (scrubbed spotless daily) as a big soaking tray is a common household habit, especially before Chuseok when families cook huge batches of meat.vs. Japan: it's more common there to soak or rinse meat in a separate bowl or tub, never directly in the sink basin.Klore note

💡 Is Chuseok a big deal?

Chuseok is Korea's harvest holiday (like Thanksgiving), when families gather and cook large amounts of food — including galbi (ribs) — together for days.vs. the US: think Thanksgiving prep, but scaled up for extended in-laws and lasting a full holiday weekend.Klore note

What Koreans said

10 top comments on the original thread, translated

172 upvotes on the original thread
Anon· on the original thread
Yeah even by my standards this is kinda rough... no matter how clean the sink is.
어 이건 내 기준으로도 좀 빡센데? 아무리 싱크대를 깨끗하게 청소했다고 해도..
69 upvotes on the original thread
Anon· on the original thread
Is it frozen meat so she's draining the blood out? lol
냉동 고기라 핏물빼나? ㅋㅋ
35 upvotes on the original thread
Anon· on the original thread
If you're prepping that much meat you'd have a pot big enough for it, don't people usually drain it there?
저정도 고기 장만했으면 저정도 들어갈 솥이 있을텐데 보통 거기서 빼지 않냐

Read all 10 translated repliesShow fewer replies

33 upvotes on the original thread
Anon· on the original thread
How big is this family lol
식구가 얼마나 많은거여
22 upvotes on the original thread
Anon· on the original thread
Stop whining and just help clean it properly. If there's no other tool and you're not doing it all alone, it doesn't matter since it gets washed anyway. If it were garlic or cabbage nobody would say a word.
잔말 말고 깨끗이 처리히는 거 돕는 게 맞는거임 다른 도구 없고 자기가 혼자서 다 할 것도 아닌 이상 결국 물에 담가 꺼내 씻는지라 상관 없고 저게 마늘이나 배추였으면 별말 안 했을거면서
16 upvotes on the original thread
Anon· on the original thread
It's just that people feel differently about it, why's everyone freaking out
걍 느끼기가 갈린다는건데 왜 급발진임
15 upvotes on the original thread
Anon· on the original thread
90% of beef ribs are frozen so it's probably thawing at the same time
소갈비는 90퍼는 냉동이니까 해동겸
12 upvotes on the original thread
Anon· on the original thread
You do have to wipe the cut surface on bone-in meat, bone dust gets in there
뼈붙은 절단육은 단면 함 닦긴해야되 뼛가루 들어간다고
8 upvotes on the original thread
Anon· on the original thread
"Remove the scum, foam, and oil that rises during cooking" — Mom: you wanna stand at the stove instead?
"조리시 올라오는 이물질과 거품, 기름을 잘 제거" 엄마: 불 앞에 니가 서있을래?
8 upvotes on the original thread
Anon· on the original thread
People will take it differently, but if it's cleaned properly it's basically like washing a pot before using it, so I get it.
사람마다 다르게 받아들이겠다만 깨끗하게 청소했다면, 냄비 씻어서 쓰는거랑 비슷하지 않은가 싶어서 그럴수도 있겠다 싶네.

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