Originally Posted by csh1229

I will tell you why Koreans are perceived as rude by foreigners. I believe it has everything to do with education in Korea. Koreans are constantly taguht to be No.1 in everything they do from elementary level. Koreans are taught or at least led to believe that being No.2 is meaningless and even disgraceful. This wrong notion nailed into Koreans' heads and minds for so long, it becomes natural for Koreans to feel anxious when they are behind whether in line or on the road. This No.1 is the best belief also evolved into "Ppali Ppali=quickly, quickly" behavior in Korea. I personally don't mind people trying to be the best in whatever they do, but it does become my problem when they harm me to achieve their goals.
Most likely, people put too much focus on being the best neglecting the the importance of getting the result without hurting other people along the way.