How do you know?

Humm. i thought that may not have been clear although my intention in writing the piece.
On a personal level, disappointed knowing i do not have a means to begin dating a woman i may become attracted to.  with that said, that might be a good thing for the moment. 
On a social level, i think it is great for women in a way and for men in a different way.
women first since that is where my mind will always gravitate.  I think it is great for a woman to not be judged or branded according to her ring, its status and what being married places on her.  In cultures where rings or other jelwery or symbols of marriage clearly mark women as one or the other.  Example being Miss  and Mrs.  Of course, not having that ring in a culture where being married is so heavily expected, those who are trying to meet someone may pay some consequences.
For men, i think it is less significant except for men that cheat on their wives.  Of course, the men that are trying to find a wife are working against the lack of symbols ability to let them know who is on the market and who is not.  In a culture where men do all the initiating, the lack of rings or other physical symbol adds some complications and obstacles.  It would not surprise me if natives are able to tell by some other non-assigned, subtler cues that let them know who is not married and who is.  me being a foreigner would not be able to discern these forms of symbolism yet, or at all.what do you think nicole?peace,michael

no divorce, there are few widows since people don't die young here.  I guess there are widows but not in there middle aged years, just older.  No unwed mothers that i have heard about.  Again, remember i am still new here, so i don't know all the dirty secrets if you will.
A different society, like taking the world pre- “the world is about me and what i want and i need” and adding technology and fashion and you are here.  They have not taken on western values, just american pop culture for young folks.   I n many ways, they find all the divorce, sex, drugs,crime, self-centeredness, status, etc of the western world an embarrassment to us as a species.  It is less a judgement, more of an aversion, kind if like a plague.  Kind of the way i view the young girls/women walking around clutching their cell phones for dear life.  It is a representation of what is wrong with the world today.
I guess i should blog this some day.peacemichael

Updated info.
It turns out abortion is both legal and popular in korea.  There are no single mothers here.

i actually asked my source of information about the religious conflict and she being a Catholic herself, casually said, “No” without any flinch.  I asked her if that was true for Buddhists as well.  She said, “Yes” with equally no reaction.  tis coming from a very reactive and expressive young woman.  i left the conversation somewhat puzzled and wanting to know more.  i do not get how koreans can be so dilligent and grounded in so many aspects of life, well, except for life itself it would appear in tis case.  Unless the social lack of acceptance of single motherhood is so strong that women find a way to reconcile regardless.  i hope that i am wrong about the last statement but fear i may be correct.
The cell phone piece will come when i am ready to be less judgmental, tonight is not that night…

Another update on how do you know?i was informed by an american esl teacher living in korea for many years that married women wear their hair down and single women wear it up or on pony tail or similarly.  I think this may have been more true in the past then the present though.  Women married and single wear it both ways regularly.

yes it would, although i do not think i qualify as someone who EVER takes the easy way, not my style.  I come form the bounce your head against the wall ten times till you get the point school of life.  Besides, i do not think that is what i came here for.
More shall revealed…

as a side note, i was wanted to see which blogs on my role were “popular” and fro some reason, The Korean Haircut is now my most popular blog, passing the great conversations we has on Being Offended.  I am baffled on why this would be, in fact, i do not know why the ones that are listed and have been viewed the most are there, they are not the ones i would pick except for a couple.  My favorite pieces, De-Expression, Please Leave your shoes at the Door, The Man in the Lighthouse, The Road not Taken,Thunderstorms, Beth, The assignment: past lives, especially De-Expression nobody read. Apparently i should not become an editor because what i like does not seem to be of interest to others. Any thoughts? What is your experience on this sort of thing?