Well, I think there's bit of cultural perspective to take into consideration here.
And I have to disagree with you.

I think service on Korean airlines, for the most part, is way better than many of the US carriers.
As far the specific services you refer to,I think it depends on where you go.
If you go to a U.S. based chain like a Friday's,for example,you'll get waiters who have been trained on the U.S. way of service.
You'll get somewhat similar service.
But you cannot expect that Koreans conform to this specific standard of service you wrote of.
There are differences in service,regardless of how expensive a meal is, across all types of cultures.
And to state that Koreans should conform to this standard that you are familiar with is,frankly, a bit narrow-minded.

I think that there should be some basic standards in restaurants, but I think you underestimate that there are people out there who respect the cultural differences and are absolutely fine with how service is in Korea or in other foreign countries.

Just like you wouldn't expect a waiter in the U.S to bring you a free side dish etc. just because you ask for it (not because of an error they made),you shouldn't expect a waiter in a common restaurant in Korea to ask you how your meal is or tell you what the special of the day is ( pretty much Western style).
And just because a restaurant serves Western cuisine, it does not mean they should or have to serve in the manner that you wrote of.
I think that waiters in the U.S. would act and serve you differently if their wages were not based on a tip system.
Money is a big motivator on how well someone will treat you.
There are no tips, in the manner of the U.S. system, in Korea.
They may have a VAT, but it is determined by what you spend or how many people are at a table.
It is not determined by the individual customer.
I have been treated rudely, felt ignored,and felt discriminated against by all types of waiters in all price ranges in various cities and towns in the U.S.
I really don't care if they tell me what the special of the day is, say hello, or ask me how the food is, when other areas of interaction make me feel discriminated against and not treated well.

France is France, the U.S. is the U.S.,and Japan is Japan.

Would you ever suggest that Americans should start taking their shoes off inside their homes because it is the standard in Korea and considered rude if you do not do this in Korea?
This it the logic you are using here-flawed I think.

anonymous:

it depends. If Korea wants to serve Korean food the Korean way, then that service style is perfectly fine. However, if Korea wants Korean food and Korean restaurants to get mentioned and recommended by world gourmets and food opinion-makers -- for example, the zagat people, and such, then Korea needs to provide an eating experience that meets the kinds of expectations those people have for fine dining.

Korea can't have it both ways, and refuse to adapt to expectations of world opinion-makers, but still expect them to gush over Korean dining. From all the "world hub" talk, it seems like Korea DOES want to "make the list"... but coming to understand what "service" means to those opinion-makers, and provide it, will be a required step in that process... if that's what Korea (or the Korean tourism organization, or the ministry of culture, or whichever decision-makers care about "making the list") wants. It seems like it's not what YOU want, and that's fine, too. For you.

I think the "world opinion makers," as you put it, need to also adapt as emerging economies take on larger roles on the world stage.

I think if it stays static and remains forever the "old guard," then it will not survive.

I think what you are implying is that if Korea wants to be considered among the "gourmet," then they must assimilate into the Western establishment.

If they are truly deserving of the name "worldly opinion makers," then they must not ignore, or make irrelevant the rest of the world.

I agree that there are some in Korea who are overly aggressive in trying to make a name for themselves.Many in that category are sell outs in my opinion.

It's like a Korean who moves to the U.S., changes their name to "Mike or Gary" and tries to shed every little piece of their "Koreaness."

I am thankful that there are those who preserve and continue Korean traditions,even if they may be considered "rude" or not accepted easily by some.


As much as you suggest that Korea should change, I think the establishment also needs to change to adapt and be more flexible to differences.

I think it is overly simplistic and paternalistic to just flatly state that Korea should be the one to change.

If they are not open to and are not willing to adapt to new cultures and differences as well, the "opinion makers" will become archaic and irrevelant in the future.

in korea you have no tip, and extremely low wages...there are no incentives for a person to wait on you...they just take your order and deliver you food...if you want better service, you gotta pay

Must be cultural thing. Service at Korean restaurants in US is subpar with very few exceptions, tho they still expect their tip. But I also don't like fussy service and where the wait person goes on so long about the specials and their components where you forget the first few items they mentioned by the time they're finished. I still don't like crumb scraping. If they wanna impress world opinion makers, all they gotta do is bring David Chang over and open a place with food to appeal to europeans and americans. It'd prob. just take $.

I had good service tho not particularly friendly almost stern at BongRaeJung at Mayfield Hotel 7 course 59000Won meal where plates were cleared after every course, which I understand isn't how royal cuisine is typically served or was served.

I'll be in SeoUl Friday night. Email me your phone #.

I think service in Korea needs to brush up on a few points (such as not waiting beside the table while you look at the menu) but by and large I like the rough and tumble approach. Korean restaurants are usually bright, loud and cheap - but the food is usually fantastic.
For me thats the main thing.

A lot of restaurants in Korea only serve one main item, which they do extremely well. That's one major cultural difference between American and Korean restaurants.
Koreans decide what they want to eat and then pick the restaurant that serves that item.
You don't walk into a dakkalbi restaurant expecting to order bulgogi. You don't go to a kimchi chigae restaurant expecting to eat dweji-kalbi.
Having multiple items on a menu is more Western than Korean.

Have you found french waiters 'polite, respectful, courteous, invisible presence'? That surprises me.