Korean culture and language are very sensitive to respect and etiquette. Simply by addressing someone in the wrong way or by using a less formal word when speaking to them, it can hurt that person’s pride, or “Kibun”. Hangul has many different forms of many words, representing different levels of formalities. Directly saying no in Korea is also seen as very rude, therefore, telling so called “white lies” is better than rejecting someone outwardly. The professional title of a person should always be used unless told otherwise by that person. Greetings usually consist of bowing, which gives the other person some personal space and shows respect. Invitations to someone’s home are a great honor and certain rules should be followed. The guest should arrive on time, bring a gift, and take off his or her shoes upon entering the house. The host will seat and serve the guest, and an invitation for drinks should never be declined. Feet should also never touch any furniture because this is seen as rude and disrespectful (South Korea Guide).
“South Korea Guide .” Commisceo Global, www.commisceo-global.com/resources/country-guides/south-korea-guide.
Comments
This culture is also really interesting to me because I feel like East Asian countries ' culture are really sensitive to respect and etiquette. I am from China so I know that in China, if we go out to have a formal dinner with a great number of people, we cannot eat anything and we have to wait until the oldest people come. But according to what I learned in the class, Korean culture seems more sensitive to respect for elders even he/she is only one year older. What is your idea about such culture?
The concept of kibun is really interesting to me since I also come from East Asian culture, where there is a giant emphasis on respect in social customs. "White lies" are common and keeping a calm atmosphere seems to be a greater priority for some people, especially older generations. As someone who has observed kibun (but Chinese) in her life, I think the mutual politeness and keeping calm may often cause more harm than good. Often there are problems that arise, because of the constant avoidance or ignorance of certain conversations. Seeing commonalities in different cultures is always interesting to me since it always reveals something much deeper about the culture/language. Great post!