The 7 Dos and Don’ts of Korean Dining

Every culture has its own dining etiquette that we may not be familiar with. Whatever it is, it's always good to learn the basics so that you don't embarrass yourself — or others — when having meals overseas.

Here are seven Korean dining etiquettes for you the next time you have a meal with your Korean friends (or a date with your Oppa or Noona 😉).

Set the table

If you're looking to impress, be the first to set the table for others at a restaurant. Place a napkin to the right of everyone and place a chopstick and spoon on top. The chopsticks are usually on the right of the spoon. You can also pour a glass of water or barley tea (depending on what's provided) for everyone.

Don't hold both your chopstick and spoon together

For Singaporeans, it's natural to hold your chopstick in your dominant hand and your spoon in the other. It makes eating convenient as you can easily pick up food with your chopsticks whilst drinking soup or eating rice with your spoon.

But in Korea, it's considered rude to be using both your chopstick and spoon simultaneously. Use only one at a go by putting down your current utensil before picking up the next. Don't hold both your spoon and chopstick in one hand either.

The oldest or most senior pays for the meal

Image credit: Mukbang Korea

While it may be natural for us to go Dutch at get-togethers here in Singapore, it's an unspoken rule for the one who holds the most seniority (usually also the oldest) to pay for the meal in Korea. So the next time you're the oldest in the group, don't be surprised when everyone expects you to pay for their meal!

If not, be sure to thank the oldest for the meal with the friendly 잘 먹었습니다 (jal-meog-eot-seum-ni-da)!

Don't pour your own drink

Image credit: Asian Inspirations

Most of us tend to help ourselves during drinking sessions, but did you know it's considered impolite to pour your own drink in Korea? Instead, you can refill someone else's glass and they'll usually pour a drink for you. As such, don't be alarmed if someone refills your cup when you're done.

When pouring, make sure to use both hands to hold the bottle. If the bottle is too small, place one hand under the other, or your free hand under the elbow of the working hand to convey respect.

When clinking glasses, make sure that your glass is below that of your superior's

It may be a miniscule detail that not many pay attention to anymore, but those who are a stickler for tradition may be slightly miffed if they notice your cup being higher than that of your superior's. What this means is to be careful when toasting, and take note of the height of your glass. While there is no need for there to be an obvious height difference between two glasses, try to ensure that your glass is either level or slightly lower than that of the other's.

When drinking, turn away instead of facing the table head on.

Don't bend over your food too much, and lean back after taking a bite

Image credit: Inspiring Vacations

Sometimes when we're really hungry, we tend to bend over our food on the table to shovel food into our mouth, but this is considered impolite in Korea. There is a Korean saying that many adults use to chide such eaters, "천천히 먹어라, 밥그릇 안에 들어가겠다" (cheon-cheon-hi meok-eo-ra, bab-geu-reut an-eh deul-eo-ga-get-da) which means "eat slowly, you look like you're about to go into your bowl".

That being said, the vertically blessed might naturally have to lean over to eat. Don't stay in that position after eating, but lean back as you finish chewing.

Keep pace with others at your table

Image credit: The Spruce Eats

There are those who naturally eat faster than others. While it's advised that you adjust your eating speed to others' at your table, old habits die hard. In case you find yourself finishing faster than the rest, place your chopsticks in your empty bowl instead of on the table. Only place it on the table once everyone is done eating.

When talking about Korean dining etiquette, most will mention the basics like saying thank you for the food before and after your meal, and to not stick our chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice. We hope that these seven tips have given you a more information about the Korean dining etiquette and that they will prove useful the next time you have a meal in Korea!