Korean Job Discussion Forums

[DanseurVertical]

I'll be moving to Korea in 2 - 3 weeks. As a Buddhist practitioner I'm somewhat accustomed to bowing in particular contexts, social or otherwise.

However, I don't know how common this is anymore in mainstream Korean society. I want to show respect, but at the same time, I don't want to show misunderstanding of contemporary Korean customs.

So, when to bow? When not to bow?

[sadguy]

this is a funny question.

just bow, you'll bow everywhere in school. everytime you see a teacher in the hallway you'll bow. it's not even really a bow, it' s more like a head nod.

[oldtactics]

Full bow is mostly optional, no one really does that except during ceremonies.
Half bow + handshake when meeting new people or dealing with supervisors.
Head nod to everyone else, everywhere.

[fugitive chicken]

I bow pretty much all the time. Generally the older they are, the deeper your bow is. You're also not supposed to do it to anyone younger than you though. I made that mistake a few times when I was new.

[Cedar]

Depth of bow is based on which meeting (first ever, first for the day, when important conversation is about to happen or just finished) and who the person is relative to you (your ultimate boss, your immediate supervisor, your equal, someone lower in status than you)

bowing should be from the middle of the back when being respectful, just upper vertebrae (almost head nods, but only foreigners seem to make the mistake of not incorporating the vertebrae) are between equals, friends, or people who are close to equals that you've already more formally bowed to earlier in the day.

I would hazard a guess that just like 90% of the people on this board don't understand Korean culture in more than a superficial way in other regards, they also don't understand bowing well-- and they are surrounded in their workplace by people who are used to foreigners screwing it up, unless they work in a university or school (not hagwon) where there is more formality when you run into department chairs, deans, principals and so on. In most cases of foreigners on this board they probably already have some co-workers or boss who (without realizing why they think this) think the foreigner is just a bit rude, because of the bow and other small etiquette issues being handled wrong, Korean culturally speaking.

So, when you come, very first meeting, bow deep to that boss (get close to 90%) and do NOT come back up immediately. A real bow should be held for a count of three in a formal situation. After that, take a good cue from your KOREAN co-workers (some of the younger ones may have crap etiquette, however). Make the first bow of the day to everyone bow-worthy more pronounced, deeper depending on your relative status, and after you've been scolded by the boss, or after you've asked a favor of the boss, before you leave the room, make sure you do a darn good bow.

Do not bow to young students, but if you have college kids or business men, at the first class, after you introduce yourself, bow. It is not necessary after that if you are the teacher and they are the student, but if they are otherwise of higher status than you (like if they're a CFO who happens to want to brush up on English at your hagwon) I'd bow very well every time because even though you're the teacher, in every other way the CFO has higher status than you do.

Both hands at the side during the bow is a Japanese style that was forced on Koreans and is still widely practiced, more traditionally minded Koreans will bow with both hands below the bellybutton folded over each other (right on top for women, left on top for men).

All clear?

[Cedar]

[eamo]

^ rubbish.

We're from non-bowing cultures. Koreans know that. IMO, foreigners doing deep bows look ridiculous. Koreans expect to greet foreigners with a smile and a firm handshake. Doing a deep bow would be disconcerting for them.

A nicely toned 'annyonghasayo' combined with a head nod is ample respect to a boss or important elder.

The only time I've ever deep-bowed in my 10 years in Korea is to my Korean parents-in-law at Chuseok and Seollal.

Living as an expat does not mean you have to do exactly what the locals do.

[oldtactics]

[willteachforfood]

[Binch Lover]

[PatrickGHBusan]

Cedar that was a great post!

Well said and it is bar none the best advice/information on bowing you could get as a foreigner in Korea.

Eamo, nice rant but Cedar said the deep bow was only for ceremonies...so basically you agree but do so by being very angry.

As for levels of politeness, to each his own but a little cultural understanding and effort goes a heck of a long way....

[eamo]

[Vagabundo]

I bow to everyone, I kind of get a kick out of it now (most of the time)

Don't care if they're younger or older, since I reject that nonsense anyways.

if I know them, and see them I'll bow.

[methdxman]

[interestedinhanguk]

I bow. I've been bowed to by plenty of people here. Why shouldn't I do likewise?

BTW, I've observed Asians on more than one occasion bowing in the US, and that wasn't to other Asians. These weren't full-blown bows, but it they still did it nonetheless.