Korean Etiquette: What Visitors Get Wrong

Greetings and general manners

A slight bow accompanies most greetings, but foreign visitors aren't expected to master the finer points of bow depth and timing — a nod plus a handshake is generally well received. Age and hierarchy matter more in Korean social interaction than most visitors expect, though this plays out mostly in how Koreans interact with each other rather than something tourists need to navigate precisely.

Dining etiquette

• Wait for the eldest or most senior person to start eating or drinking before you do, in group settings.
• Pour drinks for others, not yourself, in a shared setting — and let others pour for you. Hold your glass with both hands (or support your pouring arm with your other hand) when someone senior pours for you.
• Don't stick chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice — it resembles a funeral ritual and is considered bad luck.
• Shared side dishes (banchan) are normal and expected — use the serving utensils provided rather than your own chopsticks when they're available.

Everyday habits

• Take off your shoes when entering a home, and many traditional restaurants with floor seating.
• Tipping isn't customary in Korea and can occasionally cause confusion rather than delight — it's genuinely not expected in restaurants, taxis, or hotels.
• Public transport etiquette is taken seriously — priority seating is respected, and loud phone calls on trains are frowned upon.

At temples and palaces

Dress modestly at active temples, keep noise down, and follow posted photography rules — some areas restrict photos out of respect for active worship spaces. Bukchon Hanok Village is a residential neighborhood, not a museum, so keep voices down and stay off private property, however photogenic a doorway looks.