On their birthday, Koreans don't reach for cake first — they eat a bowl of seaweed soup, miyeokguk. And the reason is quietly beautiful: it's a tribute to your mother.

On The Story Real Korea, we trace the custom to childbirth — new mothers eat miyeokguk to recover — so eating it on your birthday thanks your mom for the day she gave birth to you. We also get into the superstition that keeps students far away from it on exam day, because slippery seaweed means you might "slip" and fail.

— Hosted by Jacob Lee Independent production. All facts drawn from publicly available sources.