Teaching English in Korea

Korean Cultural Differences

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Nuance	Korea	West
Getting Attention	Palm Down, use all five fingers to call someone over.	Palm up, use index finger to call someone over.
Affection	Public displays of affections are frowned upon.	Public displays of affection are tolerated.
Anger	Showing anger is tude	Showing anger is rude, but happens
Bargaining	In markets where the prices are unmarked, bargaining is acceptable.	Unacceptable in most places.
Bathroom	Oftentimes there's no toilet paper in public restrooms. Squatting style toilets are used.	Usually has toilet paper and the floor is always dry. Sitting style toilets are the norm.
Public Bath-house	Public bathhouses may have many facilities including different types of saunas, exercise equipment and game rooms.	Closest approximation is a sauna.
Acquaintances and strangers	In the past if a Korean hasn't been introduced to another person, he or she might have felt uncomfortable to approach.	People are generally comfortable approaching each other, even without introduction.
Bowing	Common when greeting, especially to elders.	Handshakes are the norm
Criticism	Should be avoided when possible and done tactfully, gently and privately.	A more normal means of assessment.
Dress	Dress is a sign of position, and it is important to not dress too informally.	Conservative clothing is the norm in business, but business casual and general casual are also common.
Drinking	An important part of social and business relationships. Pouring drinks for each other is perceived as friendly. Use two hands when holding a glass.	Small amounts of alcohol are okay in business situations, but is usually reserved for social functions.
Eating	Chopsticks and spoons are used. Rice, soup and kimchi are staples of every meal. Slurping and burping are acceptable, and too much talking is impolite.	Depends on the type of food. Meals include lots of talking. Slurping is rude.
Education	Highly valued in Korea. Most students study for hours every day.	Education is not emphasized as the only means to success.
Elderly	At all times, kindness and respect should be showed to the elderly.	May show respect and kindness.
Gifts	Very important part of home visits. Fruit, flowers, cake or liquor are acceptable.	Important for special occasions.
Invitations	Usually given informally, sometimes with little notice.	Usually formal with plenty of notice.
Mentality	Group mentality is emphasized.	Individualism is emphasized.
Passing objects	Use both hands to show respect.	Either hand is okay.
Personal Questions	Used as a way of getting to know strangers.	Usually taboo.
Rice	Staple of Korean diet.	Not staple, but also popular.
Same sex touching	Common to see women holding hands or men hugging. Natural way of expressing affection.	Awkward
Shoes	Should be removed before entering a house and some restaurants.	Shoes are rarely removed.
Singing	Noraebang (karaoke rooms) is a popular activity to do at social functions.	Karaoke only occurs in bars in front of larger groups.
Smirking	Koreans often show a smirk when they are embarrassed or feel sorry for doing something regrettable.	Smirking is offensive.
Staring	Staring at foreigners has no special meaning and is done out of curiosity and interest.	Considered rude.
Tipping	Usually not necessary.	Appropriate.
Titles	Using of titles when addressing somebody is very important.	Mr and Mrs are most commonly used.
Touching children	A natural expression of interest and affection.	Usually doesn't happen.
Paying for meals	One person usually pays, often the oldest at the table.	Going Dutch if popular.
Personal space	Small personal spaces	Large personal spaces.

The information on this page was referenced from the Korean National Insitute for International Education's publication "Counselling Booklet" for new public school teachers. www.epik.go.kr

A comprehensive list on some of the main differences between Korean and Western culture.

Take this interesting culture test to see how some of these nuances manifest in everyday life.

For a list of Korean behavior that might seem odd to a foreigner, see this article.