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1 / 7
THE GIFT IS FINE. THE MEANING MIGHT NOT BE.. Some perfectly normal presents carry a second meaning in Korea. Not everyone observes these, and nobody will be offended by a foreigner — but knowing them is cheap, and the safer version is usually just as good.
2 / 7
Do not give shoes to someone you are dating. This is the one most Koreans can name even if they do not believe it. Plenty of couples exchange shoes anyway — but if you are early in a relationship, why buy the argument.
3 / 7
Never write a Korean name in red. This one is worth actually following. It is not obscure superstition — it is widely enough held that a red-inked name on a card reads as unpleasant rather than quirky. Use any other colour.
4 / 7
A good knife set is still a bad housewarming gift. The logic is the same one behind not giving scissors in several cultures. If you want to give something for the kitchen, give something consumable or soft — it lands the same and carries nothing.
5 / 7
Generous can read as a debt. Korean gift-giving runs on rough reciprocity. A gift far above what the relationship calls for obliges the other person to match it, which is a burden rather than a kindness. Modest and neat beats large and awkward.
6 / 7
The gesture matters as much as the box. Use two hands if the setting is formal or the other person is older than you — and do the same when receiving. It costs nothing and it is the single easiest piece of Korean etiquette to get visibly right.
7 / 7
A first "no" is not always a no. A soft refusal can be politeness rather than a decision. Offer once more, warmly, then let it go — do not push. Full list of what to bring, what to avoid, and what works as a gift from your own country → epickor.comCard 1 / 7
KOREAN GIFT ETIQUETTE
THE GIFT IS FINE. THE MEANING MIGHT NOT BE.
Some perfectly normal presents carry a second meaning in Korea. Not everyone observes these, and nobody will be offended by a foreigner — but knowing them is cheap, and the safer version is usually just as good.
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