A reason to ‘fly the coop’?

Here’s this week’s tip on Korean language and customs:

Q:
A few weekends ago, my Korean homestay family took me out to try dakdoritang, or traditional spicy chicken stew. I loved the spicy dish over beer, but something strange took place. They told me I should not eat the wing part if I want to stay married to my Korean wife.

They tried to explain to me that eating chicken wings had to do with some Korean customs, but I didn’t quite understand. Or, I wasn’t sure whether they were simply joking or not.

A:
One of the age-old Korean customs has it that mothers, wives and girlfriends are not supposed to serve chicken wings to their sons-in-law, husbands or boyfriends because they believed that chicken wings could cause their men to “fly away.” Even if there is no concrete proof that chicken wings do drive men to become unfaithful in real life, Koreans just prefer to adhere to the superstition.

In the same vein, vigilant Korean women tend to avoid buying a new pair of shoes for their men as gifts. According to the custom, men who get to wear a new pair of shoes given by their women will “walk out” of the relationship. So expect no more new shoes from your wife.