What is actually rude in South Korea, and which customs do visitors get wrong most often?

Two hands, and which direction the respect flows

Pour for others, never for yourself. If someone's glass is empty, fill it. If yours is empty, they will fill it. Pouring your own drink in company is a small social failure.

Hold the bottle with two hands when pouring for someone older, and receive your glass with two hands when someone pours for you. One hand supporting the other wrist is the acceptable shortcut.

Turn slightly away when drinking in front of a senior. Younger people do this at a formal table; it is not required with peers.

The general rule: give with two hands, receive with two hands, and let the older person lead.

At the table

Wait for the eldest to start eating. On a table with an obvious senior, do not pick up your chopsticks first.

Do not blow your nose at the table. This is one of the few table behaviours that visibly bothers people. Step away.

Chopsticks are not stabbed into rice — the same funeral association as in Japan, and just as strong.

Sharing is the default. Dishes go in the middle and everyone reaches in. Ordering only for yourself at a shared table is unusual, and Korean barbecue is cooked and portioned by the table, sometimes with staff cutting it for you.

Soju is poured and shot in one go at a shared table, but nobody is counting. Refusing the first glass outright is the only real mistake.

Money, and the no-tipping rule

Do not tip. Korea is one of the most card-friendly countries in the world and has no tipping culture at all — not restaurants, not taxis, not hotels.

Pay with a card. It is accepted almost everywhere including tiny shops and market stalls, and pulling out cash can be slower.

Splitting a bill is normal and often done by one person paying for the group then being repaid — the repayment is taken seriously, so accept it if offered.

Public behaviour and the things nobody tells you

Do not sit on the priority seats on the subway. They are used, respected and often left empty at peak times.

Don't take photos of strangers — Korea has strong privacy norms and revenge-porn laws, and photographing people on the street or on transport can get you challenged.

Public affection between couples is more restrained than in Europe, though hand-holding is unremarkable.

Elders get the good seat, including on public transport, and younger people give theirs up without being asked.

If you are visiting a temple

Korean temples are less rule-heavy than Japanese shrines but the clothing expectations are real, particularly at templestays.

Our temple and shrine dress code guide covers what to wear; the individual temple pages go into the local detail.

Frequently asked questions