POV: You're in a super sleek Korean elevator, maybe at a fancy department store or a cool officetel. You press the button for your floor, and then you see it. 1, 2, 3, F, 5... F?! π± What in the K-drama is going on?! Is it a secret floor? Or did someone just mess up big time? No cap, bestie, this is totally on purpose, and it's one of those uniquely Korean things that always gets foreigners like 'huh?!' π
Okay, so here's the tea! In Korean, the number four is pronounced μ¬ (sa, four). But guess what? The word for death is also μ¬ (sa, death)! π» I know, right?! It's literally the SAME sound. Because of this totally spooky coincidence, a lot of Koreans consider the number four unlucky. It's not, like, a huge fear for everyone, but it's enough of a λ―Έμ (misin, superstition) that people would rather just avoid it, especially in places like hospitals or tall buildings. Who wants bad luck vibes in their building, fr fr?
So, to dodge those unlucky vibes, architects and building owners usually just *poof* make number four disappear from elevator panels! Instead, you'll see an 'F' which stands for 'Four' (duh! lol) or sometimes they skip it completely and just go 1, 2, 3, 5. It's not just elevators either; you might see apartment numbers skip 400-499 series, or even hospital room numbers. It's kinda lowkey everywhere once you start noticing it! Not gonna lie, I used to think 'F' was for 'Future Floor' when I was little, lol. π It's just a small cultural thing, but it hits different when you know the backstory, right? Makes Korea even more unique!
β¨ Fun Fact
This phobia is actually called tetraphobia! It's not just Korea; some other East Asian countries like China and Japan also have it because their words for four and death sound similar too! So next time you see an 'F' button, you'll be like, 'Aha! I know this K-Logic!' π