This is not surprising or wrong but all around the world, people have different cultures with different ethics. Although some of these things may seem very weird to outsiders. The locals are well integrated with their culture and accept it wholeheartedly. This is why we are writing this guide for you on Korean Etiquette.
That being said if you are someone who is looking forward to traveling to Korea. Or even if settling in Korea, there are some cultural delicacies you must be careful not to violate. In Asian cultures, it’s disrespectful if someone visits your home and doesn’t follow your etiquette. if you are willing to go to Korea, you should know the Korean manners. And be careful not to commit any of these mistakes.
Some Basics of Korean Etiquette For Starters
Most of the people in Korea follow the traditional Korean way of eating etiquette. Hence when you travel and eat around Korea you will have to follow the rules. Koreans consider their environment crucial and as such keep their home and food tables clean and well. In order to not get their homes dirty and keep clean. They have a rule of sitting down on the floor and consuming their food. if you plan to visit someone’s home or a traditional restaurant always take off your shoes. When you sit down on the floor wearing shoes inside someone’s home might be considered very rude.
If you are in Korea and don’t know the proper etiquette for interaction with elders. There are many things you should remember. But in case you are not very attentive and lose track of all the rules. There is one rule which is very important to remember. In Korea, it is a sign of sophistication to always hold something in both hands when offered by an elder. This can be a very different thing about you in Korea. And it can make the locals see you in a different respectful light.
There is an etiquette to call someone towards you in Korea. you hold the palm of your hand upward and call someone by moving a couple of fingers or all of them back and forth isn’t one that Koreans use. Instead, it’s rather rude gesture and people use it to call animals. Hence when you are in Korea, be careful not to offend someone with the gesture. The right way to do this would be to face the palm downward. And make them same gesture, that is the right way in Korea, and if you take care of working on that, you will be alright.
Although Korean food is such a delight to behold and it is even better to eat, aw the taste and the pleasure, you should know some things about precautions before it. In Korea, if you are in the company of an elder and happen to have food with them, remember. It is also quite bad in Korea if you start eating before an elder.
Hence if you happen to be in a situation like that, be sure to stay patient and keep a check of the manners in the place. Not following the etiquette is culturally disrespectful so remember this if you plan to visit Korea.
Although this etiquette arises from an old Korean custom where the deceased are named in red ink, the notion of this custom is still very much prevalent. In the past the deceased’s names were written in red and if you write someone’s name in red while they are alive it is considered a taboo and said to bring harm to the one whose name is written.
This might be a superstitious belief but it is still very serious in Korea. So make sure when you’re there to avoid this from happening. Use another color instead and all will be normal.
If you are in Korea and happen to catch any public transport to travel, one important thing to always remember is to not sit on the priority seats. If you do you’re basically hurting a whole country. Koreans are very nice to each other on public transport and pregnant women, children, elders, and disabled people are always offered seats on public transport despite the discomfort this results in. Make sure when you’re there you do your best to be nice.
Finally, if you are traveling to Korea, there are a lot of things you should learn to enjoy the experience more wholly. The list of Korean Etiquette and cultural delicacies is a long one, but these are some of the little things you can be careful of and make sure you do well to enjoy the experience.
