Business etiquette
Living in Korea

Business in Korea, briefly

Eighteen things Western and SEA business travelers consistently get wrong — bows, business cards, who pours whose soju, when to actually open the gift, and how to refuse politely.

🙏Greetings & hierarchy

Bow first, handshake second

Korean business greetings open with a brief, shallow bow (about 15°). If the senior person extends their hand, follow with a handshake — usually with your left hand lightly supporting your right forearm.

Do
  • + Bow ~15° from the waist to anyone senior to you
  • + Use both hands or a supported right hand for the shake
  • + Repeat the bow slightly when leaving
Don't
  • − Skip the bow and go straight to a handshake
  • − Pat someone's back or shoulder on first meeting
  • − Hug — even with someone you've worked with for years

Why — The bow signals respect for hierarchy, which is fundamental to Korean business interaction.

Read the room top-down

The senior-most Korean enters and is greeted first. Note who speaks first in the meeting — that's your counterpart, regardless of business card title.

Do
  • + Wait to be introduced
  • + Direct your first answer to the senior person
Don't
  • − Speak to a junior counterpart first because they speak better English

📇Business cards

Present your business card with both hands

The card is treated as a stand-in for the person. Present yours with both hands, Korean side or English side up depending on who is most senior.

Do
  • + Hold corners with both thumbs / forefingers
  • + Slight bow as you offer
  • + Have an ample stack — meetings often involve 5–10 cards
Don't
  • − Toss across the table
  • − Stuff into your back pocket
  • − Write on someone's card in front of them

Receiving cards — read, place, don't pocket

Take the card with both hands. Read it. Place it face-up on the table in front of you for the duration of the meeting. Pocketing immediately is dismissive.

Do
  • + Take a beat to read it
  • + Set it on the table in the seating order
Don't
  • − Pocket it without reading
  • − Lean a coffee cup on it

🪑In the meeting

Where to sit

The seat farthest from the door is the senior seat. Wait to be directed — the host will gesture.

Do
  • + Stand until offered a seat
  • + Sit second-from-senior on your side
Don't
  • − Pick the head of the table

Small talk first, then business

Even short meetings start with 5–10 min of warm-up: travel comfort, weather, food in Seoul. Diving straight into the deck signals you don't value the relationship.

Do
  • + Compliment something specific about Korea you genuinely enjoyed
  • + Have a sentence ready about your trip
Don't
  • − Open with "Let's get to the agenda"

Silence is processing, not disagreement

Long pauses after a question are normal. Wait. Filling silence with more talking is read as nervousness.

Do
  • + Count to seven before re-stating
Don't
  • − Repeat your last point in different words to fill air

🍶Business dinners

Wait for the senior to start

Don't pick up chopsticks until the most senior person at the table does.

Do
  • + Watch the host; follow their lead
Don't
  • − Reach for banchan before the host signals

Pour drinks for others, never yourself

Pour soju / beer / wine for the senior person first using two hands. They will pour yours.

Do
  • + Pour with two hands when serving up
  • + Hold cup with two hands when receiving from a senior
Don't
  • − Top your own glass — wait for it to be noticed

Pace yourself; the dinner IS the meeting

Korean business dinners often run 3 hours and bridge into a second-round bar (이차). Heavy drinking is the bonding mechanism but reasonable refusal is acceptable.

Do
  • + Sip rather than skull
  • + Sit out a round politely: "운전해야 해서 (I need to drive)" or just "조금만 (just a little)"
Don't
  • − Leave before the senior person stands up

🥂Drinking protocol

Turn away from elders when you sip

When drinking with someone senior, slightly turn your head away (over your left shoulder) for the first sip.

Do
  • + Slight head turn for sip #1
Don't
  • − Drink directly facing a senior partner

How to refuse politely

Outright refusal can feel personal. Frame it as personal limitation, not judgment of their offer.

Do
  • + "감사합니다 — 오늘은 컨디션이 안 좋아서 한 잔만 (Thank you — I'm not feeling 100% today, just one)"
Don't
  • − Lecture about drinking culture

🎁Gifts

Bring a small gift from home

A modest gift representing your country (chocolates, a regional liquor, branded notebook) is appreciated when meeting a senior counterpart.

Do
  • + Wrap nicely; even simple wrapping signals care
  • + Hand over with two hands
Don't
  • − Bring sets of 4 anything (4 = death homophone)
  • − Give knives / scissors (cutting the relationship)

Gifts are opened later, not at the table

It's polite to set the gift aside and open it after the meeting — don't expect them to open yours in front of you either.

Do
  • + Receive with both hands and a "감사합니다"
Don't
  • − Insist they open it now

👔Dress code

Dress one level above casual

Korean business dress is conservative — dark suit, white shirt, modest tie. Tech and startups are slightly more relaxed but still business-casual at minimum.

Do
  • + Dark suit + plain shirt for first meetings
  • + Polished shoes (heels not required)
  • + Smart eyewear OK
Don't
  • − Shorts / sandals to any office building
  • − Heavy cologne (offices are tight)

Be ready to slip your shoes off

Korean restaurants used for after-work dinners often have floor seating with shoes-off entry. Wear easy-on / easy-off shoes.

Do
  • + Loafers or zip boots > laced oxfords
  • + Mind your socks — no holes
Don't
  • − Wear knee-high lace-up boots to a client dinner

💬Comms (Kakao, email)

KakaoTalk is the business channel

Real-world Korean work runs on KakaoTalk. Email is for formal records; chat is for everything else. Be reachable.

Do
  • + Share your KakaoTalk ID early
  • + Reply within hours during work days
Don't
  • − Schedule everything by email
  • − Use LINE / WhatsApp expecting parity

Cc the boss

Korean business emails almost always cc the senior person. Skipping that person can be read as undercutting.

Do
  • + Always cc the senior of your counterpart's team
  • + Use full title ("Director Park") in subject lines
Don't
  • − Reply-all-trimming the senior off the chain

Major convention venues

COEX

Seoul · Gangnam

Major trade shows, B2B expos, K-Beauty Expo

KINTEX

Goyang

Large international exhibitions; convention floor 1+2

BEXCO

Busan · Haeundae

Busan trade shows, BIFF, G-Star (gaming)

DCC (Daejeon Convention)

Daejeon

Science / engineering conferences

ICC Jeju

Jeju

Government and inter-government meetings

SETEC

Seoul · Yangjae

Smaller B2C consumer fairs