First time meetings in Korea are not always as simpleas “hello.” There are a lot of times people might be offended. Find out thedo’s and don’ts of Korean etiquette when meeting someone for the first time!

Informal Settings

Do’s

If you’re meeting friends of friends, your internetpenpal, or maybe even a few chaps at the pub, greeting etiquette in Korea isquite relaxed. Most informal settings only require a small, short bow and asmile. Hand waves to say hi or bye are also quite common (but are more casual).To make an even better impression, say hello in Korean. And… that’s about it.Sorry, there’s no secret handshake or codeword for picture perfect Koreanmanners in informal situations. Just be cool and smile, and other people willtoo.

Note:

These casual meetings are mostly true for youngerKoreans. The older the person, the stricter the rules become. See “FormalSettings” below for more Korean etiquette tips.

Language Tip:

Hello in Korean is 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo).

Don’ts

Hugs: Don’t hug someone you’ve just met for the first time.This also applies when saying goodbye. Even if you’ve just had the mostspirit-kindling noraebang singing session, hugging might make things awkward.Although the culture around hugging is changing, hugging in Korea is generallyreserved for couples or for close friends or family that are saying goodbye fora long while. Instead, if you want some skin, you can opt for the universallyacceptable high-five ;).

Formal Settings

Do’s

Bow Hard: Formal settings can include meeting future parents inlaw, your child’s teacher, or even a blind date. The more serious themeeting (i.e. important business meeting, meeting future in-laws for the firsttime), the more respect should be shown. And in Korea, respect is all in thebow. Don’t give one of those casual nodding style bows you give to theconvenience store lady. Make sure your bow is serving its purpose and thatyou’re putting in the effort (note: effort levels are often noticeable inbows).

Tip: Handshakes also commonly accompany bows. However,it’s more common for Korean men to offer a handshake than women.

Here’s Seoulistic’s video on When and How to Bow inKorea:

Titles and Names: When calling other people, Koreanetiquette often dictates the use of titles instead of names. So rather thancalling your father-in-law “Mr. Park,” the title 아버지 (abeoji – “father”) is more appropriate. Most of the time thetitles are quite obvious (i.e. teachers, bosses, etc.). If you’re ever not surewhat to call the other person, just ask! It’s not an uncommon question inKorea. If it’s an awkward question for you, pull someone else to the side andsay, “Dude! What do I call him?!”

Drink (or Fake It): All that rigidness that’s built into theculture needs a bit of tweaking. And there’s no better social lubricant thanbooze. To those who enjoy the partaking of alcoholic beverages, this iswonderful news. To non-drinkers, it might result in a head-pounding makgeollihangover the next day. If you’re not a fan of drinking, here’s a few tips:

• Explainfirst that you’re not a fan of alcohol. In the past, you would be force-fed.But these days people are much more understanding.
• Don’t finish your drink so you don’t get refills. In Korea, glasses arerefilled when the glass is empty.
• Drink the first glass, only. The first glass is the most important and it’san expression that you are part of the group. You can also leave the firstglass unfinished.

If you don’twant to drink at all (religious, personal reasons), just say so. Althoughdrinking is part of the Korean culture, people will understand.

Don’ts

Hands on Shoulder: Don’t put your hands on someone’s shoulder, especiallyan older Korean. Doing so establishes yourself as a superior. And in Korea’svery hierarchal society, older individuals are to be respected more than usual.This is usually a non-issue with younger Koreans.

Just Sit Anywhere: Freedom of seat is not really a thing in Korea. Informal settings, seating arrangements are quite important. Your hosts mightwant you to sit at the most center position, giving everyone at the tableaccess to ooh and aah at your responses. You might also be seated next to theboss or your future parents-in-law so that he or she can get to know youbetter. Whatever the case, don’t just grab the first seat you see. Just like ona Friday night at Outback Steakhouse, wait to be seated.

Business Settings

Do’s

Respect the BusinessCards: If it’s a business meeting, you’ll mostlikely exchange business cards. But in Korea, you shouldn’t put it awayimmediately. In Korea, business cards are seen as an extension of the person,and it’s proper business etiquette to examine the card for a bit to see theperson’s position as well as any other information that might be relevant.Putting away a person’s name card immediately signifies disinterest. Showinterest by looking and flipping. Here’s a few more tips:

• Don’t write on the card. It’s a signof disrespect.
• Don’t pocket the card right away. Doesn’t show enough care.
• Place it on the table in front of you. It shows care and respect for thecard, and thus, the person.

Be Ready for a LongNight: If you’re traveling to Korea specificallyfor a business meeting, your Korean counterparts will most likely have theentire night, including dinner and drinks, planned out for you. And sometimesthat can lead to a long night. Typically business meetings start with dinner(with drinks), move on to more drinks, and finally more drinks. But that’s morefor businesses that have older traditions. For newer companies, it could bedinner, coffee and ice cream. Either way, it can be a long night. If you’rebusy, just warn them beforehand.

Follow the Boss: Whoever the highest level person you meet is, be sureto follow their lead. That means standing when he stands, sitting when he sits,and leaving when he leaves. Now this is showing the utmost respect. So ifyou’re in a position where you need the boss’ help, you might want to followall of these rules as best you can. If they’re the ones in need of your help,do as you please (respectfully of course ;)).

Don’t

Forget Rank: Korea’s a very hierarchal society and position and rankare quite important. And most Koreans prefer to interact with people of similarposition. So a CEO meeting a first-year employee is not very common. If you’resetting up meetings, try to match positions as best as possible.

Be Antisocial: Just like it is all over the world, it’s important tohave trust and commitment in any business relationship. In Korea, however,that’s expressed through spending time together outside of the office. Thatusually means dinners and drinks. If you’d rather be playing League of Legendsin your hotel room than having dinner and drinks with CEO Park, it’s a sign ofdisinterest. Spend that time, get that big contract, and buy the Seoulisticteam a big fat dinner, mmk??