By MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team
As the Korean wave sweeps the globe, more and more tourists are choosing to visit Korea. In addition to exploring filming locations from K-dramas, learning about their culture is equally important. Just as Japan has many etiquette rules to observe, 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, be sure to pay extra attention—you can learn about other cultures and show respect for local customs.
Top 10 Korean Dining Etiquette Tips (Image/pixabay)
1. Seating by seniority
In Korea, you cannot just sit wherever you like. Elders must be seated first before juniors take their seats. Additionally, seating positions are hierarchical, primarily based on age. The youngest will sit closest to the door. If you’re unsure where to sit, it’s best to ask an elder.
2. Do not lift your rice bowl
Different from Taiwan and Japan, in Korea, bowls must remain on the table and cannot be lifted while eating. Koreans use spoons to scoop rice and never lift their rice bowls during meals—doing so is considered rude. Another reason not to lift your bowl is that it resembles a beggar “asking for food.”
3. Tableware etiquette
On a 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 to pick up side dishes. There are also rules for how utensils are arranged: the rice bowl goes on the left, soup on the right, and the spoon must be placed with its concave side facing upward.
Avoid lifting your rice bowl when eating in Korea (Image/pixabay)
4. Elders start eating first
If you are 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 meals and “thank you” or “I’m full” after meals.
6. Eat in sync with others
Don’t eat too fast or too slow; try to keep pace with others. When dining with elders, juniors should not eat faster than their elders and must match their pace. 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, use your right hand to pour while supporting your right wrist with your left hand. In the past, this was to prevent sleeves from touching the food or drink, but today it remains a polite gesture.
Korean dining etiquette requires respect for elders (Image/pixabay)
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 for yourself—you must let others pour for you, and you should pour for them as well.
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 while placing your left hand over your chest.
10. Drinking etiquette in front of elders
You’ve probably seen this in Korean movies or dramas—when drinking in front of elders, you should turn your upper body slightly 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, and vice versa.
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