13 Table Manners for Korean Dining

Korean culture sees being polite as a very important quality. This emphasis on politeness is extended to meal times, meaning that there is a certain etiquette required for diners. While some of the older customs have been relaxed, there are still a few traditions and rules that should be followed when enjoying a Korean meal. Ensure that you are being respectful and a good dinner guest by following these basic table manners!

Wait to sit down

It is customary to wait for the oldest person in the room to be seated first. They will be sat in the seat of honour, which is the chair positioned farthest away from the door. It is considered polite for this person to be seated first before all of the other guests can sit down.

Thank the host

Before you begin eating, especially when you are a guest in someone’s home, you should declare that you are looking forward to eating the meal. In Korea, guests will say ‘Jalmukesumneda’, meaning ‘I will eat well’.

The oldest person eats first

Again, it is important to wait for the oldest person to pick up their chopsticks, spoon or cutlery before commencing the meal. This is a sign of respect towards the elder in the family and is considered a polite action.

Don’t blow your nose

Using a tissue at the dinner table is considered rude in Korea, as blowing your nose around the food and other diners can spread germs. If a diner is in need of a tissue, they will have to excuse themselves from the table and clear their nose in another room.

Take it slowly… but not too slowly!

Another sign of impoliteness is rushing a meal or eating too slowly. When eating a meal, you should aim to eat at the same speed as the other people at the table. Again, the elders especially need to be taken into account, and you should aim to match their pace. This helps diners to finish the meal around the same time, which is thought to make the meal more enjoyable.

Don’t pick up the bowl

If you are served a dish, such as rice or soup, in a bowl, it is important to leave the bowl on the table. While people in other southeast Asian countries, such as China or Japan, often lift the bowl and hold it in their hand to eat, this is not the case in Korea.

Consider others

Often Korean meals will feature a range of side dishes that are shared between the diners. When serving yourself from these dishes, you must ensure that you take enough for yourself, while making sure that there is plenty for everyone else too! It is also important to avoid touching food that you are not planning on eating.

Image Credit: Kai Hendry

Refilling drinks

Before refilling your own glass, it is important to ensure that the other people at the table have full glasses, especially those older than you. The glasses of the people sat next to you should be refilled when you go to pour more drink into your own cup if their cups are half empty (or half full!). When you do pour out drinks for someone senior to you, the other hand should be placed under the hand that is pouring or on the opposite elbow.

Accept alcohol

Unless you have a valid reason why not, it is usually considered impolite to refuse an alcoholic drink alongside a meal, especially if it is offered to you by an elder.

Use both hands

When someone offers to pour you a drink, or passes over a dish from the table, the cup or plate should be held with both hands to accept it.

Chopsticks on the table

Once you have finished eating with chopsticks, or another utensil, they should be placed back on the table rather than left to stick upright in the bowl. This is because leaving chopsticks pointing up in a bowl is a sign of bad luck and is considered disrespectful.

Don’t be wasteful

It is important to finish everything you have put on your plate, leaving it clean, as taking so much food that you can’t finish it all is considered wasteful.

Thank your hosts again

As well as thanking your host at the beginning of the meal, it is customary to repeat your thanks afterwards as well. This is particularly the case if you have been invited to someone else’s home as a guest, or if someone is paying for your meal in a restaurant. Koreans say ‘masegaemugusuyo’ after meals, which means ‘I ate well’.

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