Korea

88
Country starter pack
Visiting Korea
Korean apps*
KakaoTalk: Korea’s most popular
messaging app. Send messages, photos,
videos, voice notes and your location
for free.
Facebook: In addition to Kakao Talk,
Facebook is also popular in Korea.
Naver Maps: While it has coverage better
than Google Maps, it is not available in
English. Useful for asking for directions
from Koreans.
i-Tour Seoul: Official travel guide app of
the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
Browse tourist attractions, hotels,
restaurants, shopping destinations and
transport information.
Jihachul Metro/Subway Korea: Makes
using Korea’s quick, clean and efficient
subway systems even easier. This app is
available for free in English.
Visit Korea: App produced by the
Korea Tourism Organisation with
information on events, transport,
prices, events and advice on food plus
much more.
English Korean Dictionary by Dict
Box: Free English-Korean language
app.
Korean Food Guide: This free app
makes ordering food in Korea easy, with
pictures and descriptions of Korean
food in English and Korean.
*All are available on iOS and Android
Business dining and entertaining
Business entertaining can be a critical relationshipbuilding
element of your visits to Korea. The importance
of attending these events cannot be over-emphasised. A
great deal of relationship building takes place in bars and
restaurants. Always accept dinner invitations as this is the
Korean’s opportunity to assess your trustworthiness and
whether they wish to conduct business with you.
Dinner is the largest meal of the day and normally occurs
between 7pm and 9pm. While it is common in other
countries to extend dinner invitations to spouses, this is
not the case in Korea; business entertaining tends to be
reserved for the people directly involved. It is customary
for the host to order the food, which all arrives at the
same time. Korean food can be extremely spicy but
milder dishes are also available. Wait until the host invites
you to start. Do not leave chopsticks sticking into the
rice bowl - place them by the side of your place setting
on the chopstick rests when not in use. Use only the
right hand when passing food around the table. The host
is expected to pay for the meal; nevertheless, a good
natured argument over who will pay is to be expected. It
is also polite for the foreigner to offer a reciprocal dinner
invitation.
Some other aspects of dinner etiquette to note:
• Koreans generally prefer to concentrate on their food
while eating, and to talk after the meal is finished over
coffee or tea
• Unless your hosts raises it first, avoid discussing
business during a meal
• Ensure you don’t serve yourself or eat before the host
initiates it
• Always put food taken from a serving dish onto your
plate or bowl before eating it
• Although chopsticks are the most predominantly
used utensils (as well as spoons for soups and
noodles), you may ask for forks or knives when dining
in larger cities
• Never pick up any food with your fingers. Fruit is
eaten in slices with forks.
Korea has one of the highest per capita alcohol
consumption rates in the world so don’t be surprised by
the amount of alcohol that can be offered or consumed at
business dinners. You do not have to take part in drinking
if you do not want to but note that the Koreans will prefer
you to join in. The traditional Korean rule is that you never
fill your own glass. If the bottle is on the table, always fill
up the other person’s glass when it is completely empty
(never if it is only partially), especially if they are older or
of a higher status than you. Be aware that as soon as you
empty your glass - it symbolises to your host that you
want a refill.