What etiquette do Koreans have?

In terms of social etiquette, South Korea generally does not use handshakes as a courtesy when meeting. When shaking hands, use both hands, or use your right hand alone. When a junior or subordinate shakes hands with an elder or superior, after the latter extends his hand, the former must shake hands with his right hand first, and then gently place his left hand on top of the latter's right hand. In Korea, women and children generally do not shake hands with men, but nod or bow as common etiquette. Use honorifics and honorifics when addressing people, and rarely call each other directly by name. If the other party has a status and title in society, Koreans will definitely use it repeatedly.

clothing etiquette

In social situations, most Koreans can speak English and have no favorable impression of Japanese speakers. In Korea, dressing is not too avant-garde and is solemn and conservative. Men usually wear jackets and long trousers, while women usually wear short jackets and chest-length skirts.

Dining Etiquette

Koreans generally like spicy and sour food. The staple food is mainly rice and cold noodles. Dishes include kimchi, roast beef, roast dog meat, ginseng chicken, etc. Generally speaking, Korean dishes do not have too many varieties, and most of them are relatively bland. Generally speaking, Korean men have a good drinking capacity and are willing to drink soju, sake, and beer, while most women do not drink alcohol. On weekdays, most Koreans drink tea and coffee. However, Koreans usually do not drink gruel and do not like to drink clear soup. Koreans generally don’t like to eat things that are too oily, too greasy, or too sweet. It’s nothing more than duck, mutton and fatty pork, as well as bear paws and tiger meat. When eating, chopsticks are generally used. For environmental protection, Koreans will provide you with iron tableware. When eating with elders, you are not allowed to use chopsticks first, and you are not allowed to use chopsticks to point at others. After eating, place the chopsticks neatly on the tabletop. It is not appropriate to talk loudly while eating. It is also very embarrassing to make too much noise in your mouth when eating. When having a banquet at a Korean home, the guests and hosts usually sit around a square table with low legs. Sit cross-legged on the floor. In this case, do not touch your feet with your hands, straighten your legs, or spread your legs. This is not allowed.

Customs and taboos

Koreans cherish the color white. The national flower is the hibiscus, the pine is the national tree, the magpie is the national bird, and the tiger is the national animal. The taboo numbers are "4" and "13". Since the pronunciation is the same as "death", Koreans are best not to use similar words such as "private", "teacher" and "thing".

Koreans have strong national self-esteem, oppose worshiping foreigners and advocate the use of domestic products. When giving gifts, the best choices are flowers, wine and crafts. It's best if it's not Japanese.

In Korea, men are superior to women. When entering a room, women are not allowed to walk in front of men. Women must help men take off their coats. When sitting down, women must take the initiative to sit behind men. Don't talk loudly in front of men.

In Korea, elders can call each other by their first name, without their surname. In social activities, they can call each other "Mr.", "Mrs.", "Mrs.", "Ms.", "Miss", etc.; For those with status, you can call each other "Mr.", "Your Excellency", etc. You can also add job title, academic rank, military rank, etc., such as "Mr. President", "Your Excellency President". When a Korean husband introduces his wife, he will say " My wife" or "my wife". Friends who are close to each other often add "brother", "sister", "sister" and other titles after each other's names, such as "Brother Hongzhe", "Brother Sehun", "Brother Jaehyuk", "Brother Miyeon". "Sister", "Sister Meiyan", etc. Men can also be called "Jun", but they are often called together with their names, such as "Zheng Rongjun", "Yin Hongzhejun", "Zhao Chengyuanjun", "Xin Chengliejun", "Jin Xiangzhenjun", etc. Elderly men who do not know each other can be called "Ajiongji" (i.e. "uncle" or "uncle"), and elderly women who do not know each other can be called "Ama Ni" (i.e. "aunt" or "aunt"). ").

South Korea is known as a "land of etiquette". Koreans attach great importance to the etiquette they should have in their interactions. According to tradition, the relationship between Korean family members is not only a relationship to safeguard their own interests, but also involves a wide range of things. Broadly speaking, the blood relationship between them should be based on a tradition of cooperation and mutual support. Therefore, the feelings, love and sense of responsibility between family members are very strong and cannot be severed. The head of the family is seen as the seat of authority and the entire family is expected to obey his orders or act according to his wishes. Strict orders must be obeyed and not violated. It is considered unthinkable for Koreans for children or grandchildren to defy the wishes of their elders.

Every year on the first day of the lunar calendar, after a family holds a routine ancestor worship activity, all members kneel and salute to their grandparents, parents, elder brothers, relatives, etc. in order of age; young people even have to go to the village to salute the elders to express their gratitude. Due respect, even though they are not relatives. In the family, the distinction between elder and younger is maintained. Younger members or people with lower status are not allowed to drink or smoke in front of older people or people with higher status. Those who violate the rules are regarded as a sign of lack of education, especially It is smoking that may attract severe condemnation. When children go out, they must bid farewell to their parents; when parents return from a trip, their children must greet them with courtesy; when a guest comes to visit, the parents first salute the guest, and the children then bow to the guest according to their age...

Koreans have very strong ties between relatives and family members. They regard mutual cooperation as a solemn responsibility that cannot be shied away for any reason. This kind of relationship often exceeds personal interests or expectations for the interests of the other party. When one person When people encounter difficulties, the first thing they think of is getting help from relatives.

After getting married, brothers no longer live together as in the past, but those who can afford it live very close to each other and have close contacts, especially during special occasions such as weddings, elders' 60th or 70th birthdays, children's birthdays, traditional festivals, etc. Every day, they always try to get together with each other. Clan members have a common treasury and property, and they gather together once a year. They take this opportunity to discuss together, such as repairing ancestors' tombs, clan property management, etc. This is something everyone cares about. When Koreans meet for the first time, people with the same surname always ask whether the other person is from the same clan as themselves. If they are from the same clan, they also check the family tree to find out how close the other person is to themselves. If the other person is of a higher generation, they often Will visit often and use honorifics to show respect.

In traditional Korean society, older people are respected for their knowledge and experience, and young people must consciously act accordingly. At public gatherings, social occasions and banquet hotels, everyone knows these rules from an early age: who should pay respect to whom first, who should sit in which position, who should sit down first, and who should toast to whom first. , will not make a mess, otherwise it will be regarded as vulgar and lack of family education.

polite etiquette

Koreans are good at singing and dancing, are industrious and brave, have strong personalities, have strong national self-esteem and are rich in collective consciousness. Moreover, Koreans are generally hospitable and pay attention to courtesy and etiquette. It has the reputation of "a land of etiquette"!

In interpersonal interactions, Koreans' conventional politeness and etiquette not only retain their own traditional national characteristics, but are also influenced by Chinese Confucian culture and Western culture. When Koreans meet for the first time, they often exchange business cards. Some businessmen develop the habit of announcing their surnames, and use them in conjunction with honorifics such as "Mr." Koreans attach great importance to etiquette in hospitality. When men meet, they should bow to each other, shake hands warmly, and say "hello." People of the opposite sex generally do not shake hands. They express greetings by bowing, nodding, smiling, and saying hello. When parting, shake hands and say "goodbye." If the guest leaves with you, say "Have a good time" to the guest; if the guest does not leave, say "Have a good time here" to the guest.

If you are shaking hands with an elder, you should place your left hand lightly on top of his right hand and bow to shake hands to show respect. When entering a house or attending a certain place, guests and elders should be asked to go first. When sitting with elders, keep your posture upright, hold your chest high, and never be lazy. If you want to smoke. The consent of the elders present must be obtained. When dining, invite guests and elders to the table first, and do not use chopsticks before the elders. When passing things to guests or elders, bow first. Then stretch your hands again.

When going on a date with Korean friends, you should contact them in advance. Although Koreans do not demand punctuality from their guests, they strictly abide by time. Therefore, guests should also be punctual to show respect for the host. If you are invited to a Korean home, it is customary to bring a bouquet of flowers or a small gift and hand it to the host with both hands when you meet. The recipient should not open the gift in front of the giver. When entering indoors, it is common etiquette to take off your shoes and leave them at the door. Don't wipe your nose in front of everyone, and say hello to the host when smoking, otherwise it will be regarded as impolite and ignorant of etiquette. If you visit a Korean home, don’t forget to wear socks or stockings. Koreans regard bare feet as rude!

Koreans are hospitable to guests and usually treat guests with coffee, non-alcoholic drinks or barley tea, sometimes with an appropriate amount of sugar and evaporated milk. Guests cannot refuse these refreshments.

Koreans generally do not reveal their feelings easily, do not laugh loudly in public places, and are quite steady and polite. Women should cover their mouths with a handkerchief when they laugh to avoid being rude. When many people get together, their positions are often arranged according to their status and age.

In Korea, women respect men very much. When the two parties meet, the woman first bows to the man and expresses her greetings. When men and women sit together, the man sits on the upper seat and the woman sits on the lower seat!

Koreans attach great importance to friendship. If something bad happens to a friend, they will feel uncomfortable. The gift money should be put in a white gift bag, not a red one.

Taboo

Koreans don't like even numbers, especially "4", which they consider to be an unlucky number. Therefore, the number "4" is strictly prohibited in many building numbers; hospitals and military buildings must not be numbered with the word "4". When Koreans drink tea or wine, the host always uses the numerical units of 1, 3, 5, and 7 to toast, propose, and serve dishes, and try to avoid stopping the cup with even numbers.

Koreans don't like to hear people call their country North Korea, because in the minds of Koreans, this term contains the meaning of insult thrown by Japan. Therefore, in front of Koreans, never mention the word "North Korea", and do not Using the capital city to refer to Seoul also makes Koreans uncomfortable. Koreans are not used to talking about money in front of others.

The whole process of Korean traditional wedding etiquette

Step 1: At the entrance, the groom and his parents in traditional attire stand on the right side, and the bride’s parents stand on the left side to greet the guests with a smile. After signing in, I entered the wedding hall and sat down. Directly in front of me stood a house built in imitation of ancient architecture with a room inside. That is the room specially prepared for the bride. The emcee asked the mothers of the two families to come to the stage and light the candles. Then, the bride's mother entered the preparation room and sat with the bride, while the groom's mother returned to her original seat.

Step 2: At this time, the groom enters the ceremony riding a tall horse (sometimes holding a pair of mandarin ducks in his arms). According to the rules, he walked to the front of the hut and saluted his mother-in-law. Her mother-in-law returned the gift to express her acceptance of the marriage. At this time, the bride wearing a beautiful traditional dress slowly walked out with her hands raised to her eyebrows. On her hands was a white silk piece that reached to her feet and was printed with "the combination of two surnames". The bride's beautiful face has two rouge marks on one left and one on the right, and one between her eyebrows.

Step 3: The bride and groom greet each other. The bride first performs two big gifts and then sits down cross-legged, folds her hands, and bends forward to the ground. Two salutes are performed and the groom returns one salute.

Step 4: Congratulations on the performance and congratulations on behalf of the guests. The most exciting thing is the "hen throwing" program. Two men stand next to the bride and groom, holding a hen in one hand and waiting for it. Two men opposite are ready to catch the chicken. The emcee shouted "one, two, three" and the chicken was thrown out. The two men on the opposite side accurately caught the flying chicken. At this time, everyone shouted together, "The bride and groom will have many children, and they will be a happy couple for a hundred years!" Amidst the laughter of the guests, the wedding ceremony ended.