Welcome to Korea! I know that many people that are coming for the G20 plan to venture out of their hotels to see the real Korea. I wanted to give you 20 tips so you won't be too shocked about the Korean food culture. Don't worry, it's safe and it's great to learn about the food through the culture. Take a Korean friend (or you can take me). 20. Wear clean socks free of holes at all time, you might end up in a restaurant where you'll have to take off your shoes. 19. You're going to have to use thin metal chopsticks and long stemmed spoons for eating. You might want to take a different set of utensils if these are too difficult. 18. People might greet you by asking if you had eaten rice (bap mok-eossoyo?), it's not because you have rice in your beard or on your clothes. 17. You shouldn't pour your own alcohol. Drinking is a very social event and you don't want to exclude yourself. 16. The little button on the table is to call your waiter- it...

It's an unspoken fact but many restaurants will reuse their side dishes. Not all the restaurants, but I'm talking about some of the smaller local places. Starting today, if they are caught, they will be fined. Here's the story. Reuse of Side Dishes Subject to Sanctions From Today By Kwon Mee-yoo Staff Reporter Lee Sun-young, a 26-year-old office worker, rarely eats side dishes at small restaurants or bars. That's because she knows how some restaurant owners ``recycle'' them. ``I once worked part time at a local bar and was shocked that the owner mixed leftover food and served them to other customers. It was so disgusting,'' Lee said. ``After watching that, I couldn't eat side dishes at restaurants, especially small ones. It was more surprising that the restaurant owner didn't feel a sense of guilt.'' From Friday, restaurants reserving leftovers to customers will be suspended from business or slapped with fines of up to 30 million won. Rec...

Let’s talk about business cards: the Myeongham. It is a very important thing in Korea. From what I heard, it comes from ancient times when people would sign everything with a special stamp that would give their name in Chinese. This was stamp was a person’s signature and it was a very official seal. So if someone hands you a business card, you should not look at it for a second and then throw it in your pocket. I know in America, people pass out business cards like grains of rice at a wedding, but in Korea, most people selectively pass them out. So if a Korean person gives you a card, humbly accept it. Bow as you hold it with both hands, say thank you (komapsumnida) and study the card. I mean really look at it. You can even make a comment about their position like, “Oh, wow, you are the assistant to the secretary of the interim CEO.” It doesn’t matter what their position is, just make that person sound important. You should then get your own card, but don’t be too hasty. Be graceful an...