Business Etiquette (비즈니스 에티켓): Cards, Bowing & Meetings

Korean business culture is formal at the surface and relational underneath. The formalities — how you exchange cards, how you greet, where you sit, what you say — are the entry point to a relationship that, once established, operates on different, warmer terms. Foreigners who dismiss the formalities as unnecessary ceremony miss the point: in Korean professional culture, the ceremony is the relationship-building mechanism.

명함 교환 (Business Card Exchange)

명함 (myeongham, business card) exchange is the opening ritual of Korean professional relationships, and it has specific conventions that differ from casual Western card exchanges.

올바른 방법 (The correct way):

• Present your card with two hands — or with the right hand supported at the wrist by the left hand

• Receive the other person's card with two hands

• Look at the card after receiving it — read the name and title, take a moment

• Place it on the table in front of you during the meeting, or put it carefully in a card holder; never stuff it in a pocket immediately

• Never write on someone's card in their presence

명함 준비 (Preparing cards):

• Korean-English bilingual business cards are standard — Korean on one side, English on the other

• If meeting with Japanese or Chinese counterparts, include that language as well

• Cards should be in good condition — wrinkled or marked cards make a poor impression

Tip — 명함이 없을 때 (When you don't have cards): Not having business cards at a first professional meeting in Korea is noticed — it suggests you either didn't expect the meeting to be serious, or didn't prepare. For foreigners new to Korea, ordering cards — even basic ones — before significant professional meetings is worth the minimal investment.

인사 — 악수와 절 (Greetings — Handshakes and Bowing)

Korean professional greetings combine bowing and handshaking in a way that has specific conventions.

절 (jeol, bow):

• Depth of bow signals level of respect — 15° bow is standard greeting between peers; 30–45° for significant superiors or formal occasions

• Eye contact during the bow is appropriate

• The junior person bows first — if you're the foreigner meeting a Korean host, bowing first is generally correct

악수 (aksu, handshake):

• Handshakes are standard in professional settings, particularly with those who have international experience

• Support your right forearm with your left hand during the handshake — a sign of respect

• A firm but not crushing grip; moderate duration

동시에 (Combining both): A slight bow while shaking hands is the most common professional greeting — it satisfies both conventions simultaneously and is how most internationally experienced Koreans greet foreign visitors.

회의 문화 (Meeting Culture)

자리 배치 (Seating)

Seating in Korean meetings follows hierarchical conventions:

• The most senior person typically sits at the head of the table or in the center of one side

• Seating flows from most to least senior away from the head

• Wait to be directed to a seat rather than choosing one yourself in formal settings

회의 진행 (How Meetings Proceed)

Korean formal meetings — particularly with senior participants — often follow a specific pattern:

1. 도입 (Introduction): Small talk, relationship acknowledgment — do not rush to business immediately

2. 보고 (Presentation): The junior person or designated presenter presents prepared materials

3. 질문 (Questions): Questions from seniors — typically rhetorical or seeking clarification rather than genuine debate

4. 결론 (Conclusion): Senior person signals the direction or decision

침묵 (Silence): Silence in a Korean meeting is not necessarily discomfort — it can indicate thought, consideration, or the process of formulating a properly respectful response. Do not rush to fill silence.

반대 의견 표현 (Expressing disagreement): Direct contradiction of a superior's position in a group meeting is uncomfortable in Korean culture. Disagreement is typically expressed indirectly — through questions, through qualified statements, or through separate private conversation with the person after the meeting.

식사와 음주 예절 (Dining and Drinking Etiquette)

식사 (Dining)

• 연장자가 먼저 (Elders first): The most senior person typically begins eating first — wait for this signal before starting

• 음식 주문 (Ordering): In group settings, a senior person often orders for the table — this is not imposition, it is hospitality

• 계산 (Paying): The senior person typically pays — fighting over the bill is not expected. Foreigners may offer to pay or contribute; the offer is noted and appreciated even if declined

음주 예절 (Drinking Etiquette)

• Pour for others, not yourself: In Korean drinking culture, you pour drinks for others — particularly for those more senior. Never pour your own drink.

• 받을 때 (When receiving a pour): Hold your glass with two hands, or with one hand and the other supporting the wrist

• 건배 (Geonbae, toasting): When clinking glasses, raise your glass slightly lower than the glass of your senior — a gesture of respect

• 맥주와 소주 폭탄주 (Beer and soju bomb): 소맥 (somak) — a mix of somaek and 맥주 — is common in 회식 settings. You are not required to drink it, but knowing what it is prevents confusion when it appears

• 사양 (Declining): Politely declining a drink — with a reason such as health or medication — is generally accepted. Simply covering your glass is understood.

직함과 호칭 사용 (Using Titles and Honorifics)

In professional settings, address Korean counterparts by their 직함 (professional title) rather than their name:

• 김 부장님 (Kim Bujang-nim — General Manager Kim)

• 이 과장님 (Lee Gwajang-nim — Manager Lee)

• 박 대표님 (Park Daepyo-nim — CEO Park)

If you don't know someone's title, 선생님 (seonsaengnim — literally "teacher," used broadly as a respectful address) is a safe fallback.

외국인에 대한 기대 (What Koreans expect from foreigners): Korean business partners are generally aware that foreigners may not know all the conventions. Making a sincere effort — bowing, using both hands, waiting for the senior to begin — is noted and appreciated. Perfect performance is not required; visible respect is.

선물 문화 (Gift Culture)

선물 (seonmul, gifts) in Korean business relationships follow specific conventions:

• 적절한 선물 (Appropriate gifts): Quality food items (과일 세트, gwa-il set — premium fruit), Korean or international alcohol, brand-name household goods. Gift sets from department stores are standard.

• 포장 (Wrapping): Gifts should be nicely wrapped — giving unwrapped items is unusual

• 받을 때 (Receiving): Gifts are often not opened immediately in front of the giver — this is not rudeness, it is Korean convention

• 피해야 할 것 (Avoid): Shoes (implies telling someone to walk away), knives (implies severing a relationship), red ink items (red ink is used for writing names of the deceased)

명절 선물 (Holiday gifts): 추석 (Chuseok) and 설날 (Seollal) are the primary gift-giving occasions in Korean business culture. Premium food sets, health supplements, and gift cards are standard business gifts during these periods.

Key Facts

다음 아티클: Freelancing (프리랜서) and Self-Employment →