Taking Pride in Their Ancestry
As mentioned previously in my Confucianism post, the Koreans were taught since young to respect their elders. They were also taught to respect the dead. They build shrines on sacred grounds in honour of the deceased and constantly maintain it as a form of respect. We usually picture graveyards as ghostly, dark and scary. However, the shrines in Korea are nicely decorated with beautiful trees and shrubs arranged in a pattern.
Marriage
When you asked a married couple in Korea how they met each other, try not to be surprise if your answer is it was arranged. Arranged marriages are still pretty common in Korea and this is mainly found in upper class society of Korea. This is because wealthy families would prefer their children to marry someone of the same status as social standing is very important in Korea. Not trying to say that Koreans are materialistic but they believe that wealth will bring a longer marriage and a blissful life. I only agree to this belief to a certain extend. I believe that money is not everything but is needed to give you something.
Such marriages are arranged by a middleman, usually a lady, who has a great social network. She will be look upon by a family who wants to marry off their kid and has to search on her network for the most suitable candidate. After the family is satisfied with the candidate suggested, the couple will date for a short period of time before they officially get married.
Korean Table Manners
1)Talking while eating
In Korean, talking while eating your meal is not rude but it uncommon. Traditional families eat their meals in silence because they believe that in this way, they are then able to appreciate the food and ambience. Therefore, if you find that the atmosphere while eating your meal is awkward, it is just you who is feeling it.
2) Paying the meal
In most culture, it is usually the oldest that would foot the bill; this applies to the Korean culture as well. However, if a group of students of the same age share an expensive meal, all of them might agree to share the bill. This is because none of them would like their friend to bear the burden for paying such an expensive meal.
3) Blowing your nose
Never ever blow your nose on the dinner table. If you really need to remove the fluid from your nose, please excuse yourself to the washroom. However, if you do not want to leave the table, use a small tissue, turn your head in shame and wipe your nose discretely. Throw the dirtied tissue away without notice.
4) Slurping
In Korea, slurping your noodles or drinking your soup loudly is not rude. Loud slurping of noodles and blowing sounds made to cool down hot noodles are normal eating sounds. They are not considered rude but it is not commonly practiced. However, sounds made from consumption of alcohol are quite common on the Korean table.
5)Table protocol
Koreans have to wait to be told where to be seated. The eldest are always served first. Everyone should not start eating until the oldest or the most senior person starts to eat.
6) Chopsticks
Never point your chopsticks at anything. If you want to point out anything, place your chopsticks down on the chopstick rest or the table first. This goes the same when you want to drink or stop eating to speak. However, remember not to cross your chopsticks when you place them down on the rest. Do not grab your food by piercing through it using your chopsticks. The right way to use your chopsticks is to clamp your food in between the sticks. When you are done with your meal, do not place the chopsticks parallel on the rice bowl. You should place them on the table or the chopstick rest.
7) Additional Information
Do not pick up any food with your bare hands even for fruits. Fruits should be speared with a toothpick. Unwanted bone fragments and shells should not be place in your rice bowls. It should be place on the table or on an extra place if there is. Try a bit of every dish on the table and it is fine to ask what the dish is. Always refuse the first offer of second helpings and finish everything on your place.
Non-Verbal Communication
1) Passing Objects
The Koreans uses only the right hand or both hands to pass objects to the elder or a senior. They believe that using the left hand is rude. Therefore, Korean parents who have kids who are left-handed will train them to use their right hand.
2) Body Contact
The Korea is still very much a conservative country as they still practices Confucianism thus both genders do not display a lot of body contacts in public. Therefore, when they greet, they avoid hugging, kissing or any prolonged form of body contact. For males, they usually greet with a slight bow and shaking of hands. For females, they do not shake hands especially if the person is a male; they just nod their heads slightly. Seniors will always initiate the handshake but the junior does the bow first. Unlike the Western culture where eye contact is important, the Koreans avoid making eye contacts. Making direct eye contact for a long time is considered rude and intimidating in Korean.
3) First Impression
The Koreans think that first impression is important and they judge people base on their bodies, appearances, words and writings. The first thing that they will look at is the eyes. They believe that people with glistening eyes are smart and confident. Eyes that angles downwards mean the person is patient and nice and thus eyes that angels upwards mean evil.
4) Starting Business
Koreans usually start businesses with their friends or with people that they have established trust and have the some common. When name cards are traded, they place them in front of them on the table as a form of respect.
5) Laughing in public
In Korean, it is rude to laugh or talk very loudly in public. Females usually cover their mouth when they laugh. The Koreans believe that only boorish people will talk out loud in public places.
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