The golden rules in South Korea are small and easy: use two hands, mind your elders, and let politeness live in the little gestures. Give and receive with both hands, slip your shoes off indoors, keep it quiet on the subway, and never write a living person's name in red. Get these right and locals warm to you fast.
Korea is a welcoming place, and no one expects a visitor to be perfect. But a few habits will mark you as thoughtful rather than clueless.
Do: the habits locals notice
Give and receive with two hands. Money, a card, a gift, a business card — pass and take it with both hands, or with your right hand while your left lightly touches your forearm. It is the single most Korean gesture of respect.
Take your shoes off indoors. Always in homes, and in traditional restaurants with floor seating you will step up onto a raised platform — shoes come off there too. Look for a shelf of shoes by the door and follow suit.
Let the eldest start. At a shared meal, wait for the oldest person to lift their spoon before you dig in. Age shapes a lot of Korean manners, and this one is noticed instantly.
Learn two phrases and a small bow. A slight nod with your greeting does most of the work.
안녕하세요
annyeonghaseyo
Hello (polite)
감사합니다
gamsahamnida
Thank you (formal)
실례합니다
sillyehamnida
Excuse me (formal)
Sort your trash. Korea recycles seriously — food waste, paper, plastic, and general trash go in separate bins. When in doubt, watch what locals do or ask.
On the subway, keep your voice low and your phone on silent. And never sit in the clearly marked priority seats near the doors — Koreans leave them empty even on a packed train, out of respect for elderly, pregnant, and disabled riders. Standing beats sitting there.
Don't: the lines you don't cross
Don't write a living person's name in red ink. Red was historically used to record the deceased, so a living name in red carries an unlucky, funereal weight. Use any other color.
Don't stand your chopsticks or spoon upright in a bowl of rice. Utensils planted in rice echo the offerings made at ancestral rites for the dead. Rest them across the bowl or on the table instead.
Don't blow your nose at the table. Sniffing through a spicy meal is fine; honking into a tissue at dinner is not. Step away to the restroom.
Don't pour your own drink at a group meal — you fill others' glasses and let them fill yours. There is a whole graceful system to it, covered in our guide to Korean drinking etiquette.
Don't go in for a hug with someone you just met. Physical warmth in Korea is saved for close friends and family, and a hug can feel startlingly forward to a new acquaintance. A nod or a light handshake is plenty. (Among close friends it flips — you'll see friends of the same gender link arms or walk hand in hand, which is simply friendship, nothing more.)
The Korean pace: ppalli ppalli
One phrase explains the rhythm of daily life here: ppalli ppalli (빨리 빨리), "hurry hurry." It is Korea's affectionate name for its own speed — same-day delivery, food that arrives startlingly fast, elevator close-door buttons that genuinely work.
You do not need to rush, but do not dawdle in a doorway or freeze at the subway gate. Step aside, decide, and move. Matching the flow is its own kind of politeness, and it pairs naturally with nunchi, the Korean knack for reading the room.
Keep learning Korean
Manners open the door; a few words walk you through it. Pick up the basics with our free essential Korean phrases, then practice them with audio and spaced repetition in the Pretalk app. A little effort with the language goes a long way toward the smiles you are hoping for.
