Guide 05 · Culture
Culture
Etiquette, food, holidays and everyday Korea — the things nobody puts in the admission guide.
Age, respect and the two-hands rule
Korean has built-in politeness levels, and social life follows them: you speak more formally to people who are older or senior, and you use both hands when giving or receiving something — a gift, a business card, a glass. A slight bow with a greeting is normal. None of this is expected to be perfect from a newcomer; the effort is what people notice.
Food is shared
Meals are usually eaten together, with side dishes (반찬) in the middle of the table. Kimchi appears at nearly every meal. Pouring drinks for others rather than yourself, and letting the eldest start, are small habits that go a long way. Cafés are everywhere and double as study rooms.
Holidays
The two biggest family holidays are Seollal (Lunar New Year) and Chuseok (harvest festival, in autumn). Cities empty as people travel to their hometowns, and many shops close for a few days — plan travel and groceries around them. The solar New Year, Children's Day (5 May) and Hangul Day (9 October) are among the other public holidays.
Speed and service
“빨리빨리” (quickly, quickly) is a running joke Koreans make about themselves: deliveries arrive the same day, forms are handled fast, and public services are highly digital. Restaurants have a call button on the table; tipping is not customary.
Learning the culture through the language
KIIP's Korean society curriculum and the TOPIK reading texts are, in effect, culture courses. Practising them on MoonLearn is a way to absorb how Korea explains itself. Try a KIIP paper →