Korean Job Discussion Forums

[joelove]

[Steelrails]

As I said, it depends on time and place.

I should also add that those of you who get so in a tizzy, remember that waiter of Family Mart counter worker who has to deal with the fact that you have the vocabulary of an infant in the language of their country. Or your co-teacher who has to lead you by the hand. Compared to gum-smacking I think we're getting the better end of the bargain.

And if it makes Korean people happy, fine, let them do it. It's their house, not yours. I mean if it is polite to slurp doesn't that make us rude for not doing it? If we are in their country, why should they adapt to us? Now before you go with the "but if Korea wants to join our global society..." Please, they aren't overseas, their in their own country. And if being accepted into global society is dependent on soup slurping, your global society sucks. And the Koreans are supposed to be the ones who are uptight conformists!

Now if you want o declare that "some manners are superior" and assign yourself a position of superiority and declare Koreans inferior, fine. But please dispense with the nonsense of you believing in equality and tolerance and embrace a mercenary view of cross-culturalism. Don't declare your culture superior and then whine about being an "exploited NET".

That being said, most Koreans know that in upscale western restaurants, dining behavior is different. And if I experienced that at a western restaurant I would certainly be irked and throw a glare. It all depends on the atmosphere.

It would be interesting to cross reference the table manners crowd with the appropriate dress crowd. It'd be pretty funny to see the same people who say "Don't judge me!" over their slovenly, smelly clothes then turn around and get uptight about gum smacking or soup slurping.

[cj1976]

There has to be a line when it comes to table manners. The noises don't bother me, but talking with your mouth full is nasty no matter where you are or where you're from.

[CentralCali]

[eamo]

It still bothers me (a little, not too much) after 10 years in Korea.

Especially when eating with a group of Korean and foreign staff who are all chewing as quietly as possible except for one ajeossi who is smacking away very gratuitously and completely oblivious to the elephant in the room........

I love to see the faces of the young North Americans who have been brought up with really good table manners when they go out for their first staff dinner in Korea!



Smacking when eating is becoming one of those things in Korea that is considered bad manners nowadays, but which no one thought twice about 15 years ago...like,

spitting
smoking near non-smokers
swearing in public
talking loudly on cellphone
letting doors close on people behind you
driving through crosswalks when people are crossing

These are things that some people might tell you are not considered rude in Korea so we have to just put up with them......well, maybe many years ago, but not now. Now these things are considered rude by most Koreans too. So don't be scared to show your displeasure when people do the above. They'll be fully aware that they shouldn't be doing it.

[jvalmer]

I can't believe the number of people that are actually bothered by this. I'd be more concerned about getting run over by some speeding car, or getting some disease transmitted by some exotic insect, or getting sliced by some falling piece of debris at some construction site than some guy eating with his mouth open.

Are we westerners really this stuck up that we are bothered by such trivial matters?

[eamo]

[joelove]

[runthegauntlet]

[runthegauntlet]

[Steelrails]

[eamo]

I for one am not talking about slurping hot soup.......do it myself if the soup/tea/liquid is hot enough...

Nice try Steelrails, but I think most people who are bothered are bothered by the loud smacking caused by opening and closing the whole mouth while chewing solid food......and other associated eating noises.

If I did hear that from people in western eateries, any time of day or night, then I'd say those people were eating rudely as it goes against the etiquette and table manners that polite people follow.

So you can say that anyone at any time might do it......but that doesn't stop it being impolite.........then you might say do we have to be polite all the time? I know I'm not, but I should be. Especially outside my own house.

[Triban]

I personally think NOT closing your mouth while chewing food is irritating, but I also find it fairly idiotic.

Think of it this way. Do you spittle or partially chewed food to fly/fall from your mouth onto the table/floor/other people's food?

Do you want some foreign object to come into your open mouth while you eat, possibly swallowing said object?

What if an acid spitting dinosaur was at your table, and his acid only effected to esophagus. People who don't close their mouths while eating are screwed.

Also, it sounds/looks pretty gross. I am reminded of the children's joke "Do you like seafood? *open mouth* Haha, SEE. FOOD."

Closing your mouth while eating is not only easy, it is safe and pleasurable for all.

[Steelrails]

[eamo]