Korean etiquette

❃ Korean etiquette

어른이 먼저 드실 때까지 기다려야 해요. [ Eoreuni neonjeo deusil ttaekkaji gidaryeoya haeyo. ]: You must wait until the elders start eating first.
어른에게는 두 손으로 물건을 드리세요. [ Eoreunegeneun du soneuro mulgeoneul deuriseyo. ]: Give things to elders with both hands.
식탁에 밥그릇을 놓고 드세요. [ Siktage bapgeureuseul noko deuseyo. ]: Leave your rice bowl on the table when eating.
술을 따를 때는 두 손으로 따르세요. [ Sureul ttareul ttaeneun du soneuro ttareuseyo. ]: Pour alcohol using both hands.
어른 앞에서는 고개를 돌리고 술을 마셔요. [ Eoreun apeseoneun gogaereul dolligo sureul masyeoyo. ]: Turn your head away when drinking alcohol in front of elders.
신발을 벗고 방에 들어가야 해요. [ Sinbareul beotgo bange deureogaya haeyo. ]: You must take off your shoes before entering the room.
밥에 젓가락을 꽂으면 안 돼요. [ Babe jeotgarageul kkojeumyeon an dwaeyo. ]: You shouldn't stick your chopsticks into the rice.
식탁에서 코를 크게 풀지 않는 게 좋아요. [ Siktageseo koreul keuge pulji anneun ge joayo. ]: It is better not to blow your nose loudly at the table.
대중교통에서는 조용히 해야 해요. [ Daejunggyotongeseoneun joyonghi haeya haeyo. ]: You must be quiet on public transportation.
이름은 빨간색으로 쓰면 안 됩니다. [ Ireumeun ppalgansaegeuro sseumyeon an doemnida. ]: You must not write names in red ink.

Cultural notes

To truly integrate into South Korean society and avoid embarrassing faux pas, visitors must strictly observe the country's deeply rooted Confucian etiquette and local taboos. The most visible rules dictate dining and drinking behavior. At a restaurant, you must never pick up your utensils or start eating until the oldest or most senior person at the table has taken their first bite (어른이 먼저 드실 때까지 기다려야 해요). When pouring or receiving a drink, especially alcohol, you must always use both hands to show reverence. Furthermore, when taking a sip of Soju in front of a senior or boss, you must respectfully turn your head away to the side so you are not drinking while facing them directly (고개를 돌리고 술을 마셔요). Chopstick etiquette is equally sacred. Never pierce your chopsticks vertically into your bowl of rice (밥에 젓가락을 꽂으면 안 돼요). This visual perfectly mimics the incense sticks burned at funerals to honor the dead, and doing so at the dinner table is considered a terrible omen. Beyond the table, public behavior is heavily scrutinized. Blowing your nose loudly in public, particularly at a restaurant or on the subway, is viewed as highly unhygienic and disgusting; you should sniffle quietly or excuse yourself to the restroom to blow your nose. Finally, a notorious superstition involves writing names. You must never write a living person's name using red ink (이름은 빨간색으로 쓰면 안 됩니다). Historically, red ink was used exclusively in family registers to record the names of the deceased. Writing a living person's name in red wishes death or bad luck upon them. Breaking these taboos out of ignorance is usually forgiven for foreigners, but mastering them earns you immense, immediate respect.

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