When greeted by a foreigner, some Koreans may respond with just a smile. Westerners prefer to exchange verbal greetings. In noisy places, they may simply nod or wave. Therefore, Westerners may feel slighted by receiving only a smile in return. However, you may see some Koreans try to express themselves with gestures rather than verbal communication.


By Min Byoung-chul


Min Byoung-chul is an endowed chair professor at Chung-Ang University who is widely known as a multicultural educator and for his practical English teaching. This content is based on his book, “Land of Squid Game,” which can be purchased at major book stores. -- Ed.