I haven't lived in another country (only made some short trips), so I can't say much, but I think it might be best to go visit the country first and decide later. If you can visit there a few times before deciding to move for good, you get to see the country and maybe find out how you could settle in. If your impression of South Korea is solely based on the popular media, you'll probably be in for many surprises.

I don't know what your parents base their reasons on, but I don't believe the people there would be unfriendly, and I really don't understand the point about a science laboratory. The school culture might be quite different, but South Korea is not a country known for poor education (http://www.bbc.com/news/education-25187993). Another thing to do is read other people's experiences from moving into South Korea. They usually can tell way more about the everyday life and possible difficulties, mistakes and other factors that are challenging.