Korean Job Discussion Forums

[cdninkorea]

Whenever I encounter those people on the streets handing out flyers, advertisements and coupons, I usually make eye contact, give a weak smile, a head nod (the lazy man's bow) and shake my hand 'no'. I thought this was the polite thing to do.

Once I was with a Korean, and when she saw me do this, told me it was considered rude in Korean culture. She said the polite thing to do is just ignore them. To me that seems much more rude.

So: for those of you who are well versed in Korean etiquette, what should I do in this situation? And why would what I do now be considered rude?

[RACETRAITOR]

I think you're being more polite than rude. But they're trying to sell you something you don't want. Be rude.

[eamo]

Totally ignore them. Koreans will think you are messing around by smiling and making eye contact then not taking a flyer.

[gang ah jee]

Don't you guys get irritated when they get ready to give you their stuff, then notice you're a foreigner and jerk it back? I always felt conflicted in those situations because on the one hand I didn't want their crap, but on the other hand I'm all, 'yeah I can read your stupid ad, chumps'.

[Smee]

Getting out of the subways in the mornings they'd never hand me one of the free newspapers. It would be with indignation that I walked behind the lady, grabbed one of each, and said "감사합니다" in my best 이준기 voice. But those were during my bad mood days.

[RACETRAITOR]

[cdninkorea]

[bobbyhanlon]

they never give me the leaflets either, but on the one occasion that it happened, guess what was printed on the leaflet..
'TOEIC.. 영어수업.. learn english now!' !!
as racetraitor says though, its a blessing in disguise being ignored by the marketing gimps.

[Corporal]

I like it when the church people give out free kleenex. And then, on the back of the paper it's wrapped in, there are graphic cartoons depicting the fires of hell.

[gang ah jee]

[jinglejangle]