Do You Tip in Korea? My American Friend Tried It

No, you don't tip in Korea. The price on the menu is the price you pay, and nobody is waiting for a little extra. But my American friend tipped anyway on her first day, and it went fine.

My friend tipped anyway

On her first day in Seoul, after a meal at a Korean restaurant, she left a tip for the server, the way she would at home.

The server didn't refuse it. She took it with a smile. And that's the thing: when a tip comes with a real thank-you behind it, plenty of people here are simply happy to get it.

So that's the picture. Tipping isn't part of Korean manners, but it isn't rude either. A tourist who tips to say thanks usually gets a smile back. Some places will politely say no, often because they'd rather not take anything beyond the bill. That's not an insult. Take it back and say thanks.

Why there's no tip in the first place

Since a 2013 change to Korea's Food Sanitation Act, restaurants must show the final price, with tax and any service charge included. What you see on the menu is what lands on your card. Staff are paid by the restaurant, and there's no line on the receipt asking for 18, 20 or 25 percent.

Every so often a café or restaurant puts out a tip jar and it becomes national news, mostly because people here aren't used to it. If you see one, you can ignore it.

At a fancy hotel, check the bill. If it already lists a service charge, that's the tip.

How paying actually works

This is the part that trips people up more than tipping does.

• Tablet at the table: in a lot of busy pubs and casual restaurants now, someone seats you, and you order on a small tablet at your table. Nobody comes over to take the order. Some tablets take your card right there; otherwise you pay at the counter on the way out.
• Kiosk at the door: in fast-food places, cafés and some noodle shops, you order and pay at a screen before you sit down. Many have an English option.
• The old-school way: at a gukbap place or a neighborhood restaurant, when you're done, get up and walk to the counter by the door. That's where you pay. If you sit and wait for a check, you'll be waiting a while, and the staff will be wondering why you're still there.

Cards work almost everywhere. If you want to make sure, ask before you order:

Ask: Kadeu dwaeyo? (kah-duh dweh-yoh), "Can I pay by card?" A yes doesn't guarantee every foreign card works, so keep a backup.

If you want to say thanks without money

Say jal meogeosseumnida (jal muh-guh-sseum-nee-da) on your way out. It means "I ate well," and it's what Koreans say to the people who cooked. Add gamsahamnida, thank you, and a small nod. It costs nothing.

If you're having drinks tonight and wondering what to order, Brandon's guide to makgeolli, soju and somaek (opens in a new tab) covers it.

Worth a read before you go:

• The Korea Times: why tipping culture remains controversial in Korea (opens in a new tab)