By Kennedi-Grace Magaoay, Teen Summer Language Camp South Korea Summer 2024
Some mistakes you don’t want to make in South Korea have to do with public mannerisms as a foreigner. When I traveled with my friends and fellow classmates around South Korea you could tell we were all foreigners and this wasn’t necessarily bad, but we all agreed we didn’t want to draw unnecessary or negative attention toward ourselves. We picked up on local mannerisms to avoid unwanted misunderstandings. Here are a few things we learned and a couple bits of advice to help you navigate South Korea without earning too many unwanted stares.
Transit Manners
The subways and buses are used by almost everyone at some point in time and Koreans take pride in keeping them clean. Of course, this doesn’t only apply to Koreans, but in Korea you will get stares that will burn a hole in your heart if you are doing things that are inconvenient to their daily lives or inconsiderate of public norms.
Reserved Seating. There are a few seats on both buses and subways that are reserved for the elderly and pregnant. The seats to avoid as an able-bodied citizen are;
- The pink seats are reserved for pregnant women
- The small seating zone near the doors of a subway car is reserved for the elderly
- Some areas are reserved for wheelchairs that are marked with a lack of seats and markings on the ground that show a handicap sign.
It doesn’t matter if the buses or subways are full or empty, the reserved seating will continue to be reserved for whom they are reserved. I have seen people who have sat in these seats, who aren’t supposed to sit there, get told to get up. Although it was rare to see pregnant women on public transportation, Korean society as a whole upheld the rules and no one would break these rules.
Talking, Laughing, and Drinking on public transportation.
No one tells you, but some unspoken rules on public transportation pertain to your behavior on public transportation. No open food or drinks while riding on public transportation. You can carry a water bottle that you may drink from but please refrain from drinking it while on the buses and public transportation. Spilling said food and drink will inconvenience everyone for the rest of the day. The bus and subway schedule is pushed back for as long as it takes to clean up the mess. Then several hundred people will be late for work or a special gathering. In turn, this would cause all those people to work overtime for the day or the rest of the week causing a complete backup in society.
Do not talk on the phone or out loud to friends across the way. It is considered extremely rude. Most people take that time to rest before or after a long day of work. It is considered disturbing to talk or laugh loudly while on public transportation. After all, the transit is normally very silent because everyone is listening for when their stop is coming up.
Mistakes you don’t want to make in Korea all fall under whether or not you are polite in public. You, as a guest, don’t want to attract the wrong attention and be seen as an inconvenience to their current lifestyle. And being able to use public transportation freely is a privilege you don’t want to lose, especially when you are getting to see all that South Korea has to offer!
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