FIELD GUIDE 필드 가이드 SUMMER 2026

General Etiquette

Try to speak Korean; any little bit of effort goes a long way! (Of course we don’t expect you to learn to speak Korean, but basic phrases will help you get by.)
Always pass and receive objects with your right hand (supported by the left hand at the wrist or forearm) or with two hands — especially when someone is older than you.
To beckon someone, extend your arm, palm down, and move your fingers in a scratching motion. Never point with your index finger.
Saying “hey” to older people is rude — say “excuse me.”
You have to pay for plastic bags and ask for them; bring your own to the market.
There are seats marked for elderly and pregnant people in the subway cars and the bus — don’t sit there.
Be prepared to take your shoes off in many places.
Be prepared to sit on the floor.
The bow is the traditional Korean greeting, often accompanied by a handshake among men. To show respect, shake with the right hand and support your right forearm with your left hand. Korean women usually nod slightly in a greeting; Western women may offer their hand to shake a Korean man’s hand, but a Korean woman may not offer her hand to a foreign man as much.
People get loud when they drink. Americans get VERY loud. Be aware of your volume level. You’re loud!
Kissing in public can be looked down upon and seen as highly immodest.
People don’t really jaywalk — just wait at the crosswalk signals.

Restaurants are not rushing you out and there is no tipping. You can kind of stay and hang. Most often you will get up and pay at a register as you walk out.
You will often need to beckon a waiter or waitress in a restaurant to place your order when you are ready. Sometimes there are buttons on tables that signal them, or you may need to shout “yogi-yo!” It almost feels rude to shout, but in Korea it is seen as rude for a waiter or waitress to interrupt you.
Unlike the Chinese or Japanese, South Koreans never raise a rice bowl to their mouth. During a meal, bowls and dishes remain on the table.
Avoid touching food with your fingers, except when wrapping food in lettuce or cabbage.
Refrain from leaving your chopsticks or spoon sticking up from your bowl of rice, and use a spoon to eat rice.

Below are just a few bits to get you started exploring, as well as some basic information about phones and transportation.

General Entertainment

Architectural Sites

Historical Sites

Shopping

Stationery Stores: Artbox, Hot Tracks, more…
K-Beauty Stores: Sulwhasoo, Olive Young, Innisfree, more…
Luxury Shopping Malls: The Hyundai Seoul Mall, Lotte Department Store, Shinsegae, more…

Art & Design Book Stores

Designer Instagram

Traditional Markets

Korean Foods