Unwritten Korea

밥상 · Area of life

Food & Table

Eating together, drinking etiquette and why food sits at the center of Korean relationships.

Table manners
Metal spoons and chopsticks laid on napkins beside ramyeon and dumplings at a Korean snack restaurant

식사 예절

Who picks up the spoon first: Korean table manners, from rice bowls to the shared stew

Why the eldest eats first, why Koreans leave the rice bowl on the table, what the spoon and chopsticks are each for, why you never stand a spoon in rice, and how COVID changed the shared stew. A friendly guide to eating at a Korean table.

A Korean restaurant table with grilled fish, stew and small side dishes

반찬 더 주세요

Free side dishes, self-serve water and who sets the spoons: Korean restaurant culture explained

Why banchan refills are free, why you pour your own water, why the youngest lays out spoons and chopsticks, what the table bell is for, why some places won't seat you alone, how to call staff, and how paying (and not tipping) works at a Korean restaurant.

Drinking
A shot of soju being passed across a Korean restaurant table

술자리

Turn your head, use two hands: Korean drinking etiquette, ranked by how much it matters

Why you don't pour your own soju, why the youngest turns away to drink, what 'one shot' really means, where the rules come from, how fast Korea's drinking habits are changing, and how to say no to a drink without offending anyone.

Sharing food
A home-cooked Korean meal with soup, rice and side dishes on a wooden table

밥 먹었어?

Why Koreans say 'Have you eaten?' instead of hello

"밥 먹었어?" isn't really about lunch. How a greeting shaped by hungry decades became Korea's way of saying 'I care about you', how to answer it, and the other food phrases that hide feelings.

Big ideas in this area
나이Age & hierarchy눈치Nunchi정Jeong돌려 말하기Saying it without saying it효Hyo빨리빨리Ppalli-ppalli