You can't lift your bowl while eating: 10 essential Korean dining etiquette tips

By MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Department, compiled and reported

As the Korean wave sweeps the globe, more and more tourists are choosing to visit Korea. Besides exploring filming locations from K-dramas, learning about their culture is also very important. Not only does Japan have many etiquettes to be mindful of, but Korea also has certain rules and taboos when it comes to dining etiquette. Below are ten aspects of Korean dining culture. On your next trip to Korea, visitors might want to pay extra attention, not only to better understand another culture but also to respect local customs.

1. Seat according to seniority
In Korea, you can’t just sit anywhere you like. You must first let the elders take their seats before the younger ones sit down. In addition, seating positions are hierarchical, mainly based on age—the youngest sits closest to the door. If you’re unsure where to sit, it’s best to ask the elders first.
 
2. Don’t lift your rice bowl
Different from Taiwan and Japan, Korea has a unique cultural norm: you must keep your bowl on the table and not lift it to eat. Koreans use spoons to scoop rice and never lift their rice bowls during meals—doing so is considered rude. Another reason not to lift the bowl is that Koreans associate it with the image of a beggar “asking for food.”
 
3. Tableware etiquette
On the Korean dining table, chopsticks and a spoon are always placed together, and the spoon plays a more important role in Korean dining than chopsticks. The flat, long chopsticks are designed for picking up side dishes. There are also specific ways to arrange utensils—the rice bowl goes on the left, soup on the right, and the spoon should be placed with its concave side facing up.

4. Elders start eating first
If you’re dining with elders, you must wait for them to start eating before you begin.
 
5. Say “let’s eat” and “thank you” before and after meals
Like in Japan, Koreans say “I will eat now” before a meal and “thank you” or “I’m full” after eating.
 
6. Eat at the same pace as others
Don’t eat too fast or too slow—keep pace with others. When dining with elders, younger people should not eat faster than the elders and should match their eating speed. Also, wait for the elders to put down their spoons and chopsticks before you do.
 
7. Use your right hand to pour drinks for elders
When pouring drinks for elders in Korea, you must use your right hand and support it with your left hand. In ancient times, this was to prevent the sleeves of a hanbok from touching the drink or food, but today it’s also a gesture of politeness.

8. Pour drinks for each other
When drinking with Koreans, if you see someone’s glass is empty, you must pour for them—it’s basic manners. Also, when drinking with Koreans, you shouldn’t pour your own drink—you must let someone else pour for you, and of course, you should also pour for others.
 
9. Etiquette for receiving drinks from elders or peers
When receiving a drink poured by an elder, use both hands to show respect. If the person pouring is around your age, use your right hand to receive the drink and place your left hand over your chest.
 
10. Drinking etiquette in front of elders
You’ve probably seen in Korean movies or dramas that when drinking in front of elders, you gently turn your upper body to the side. If the elder is sitting across from you, turn to the side to drink; if they’re on your left, turn to your right to drink.