3.7. Gift-giving Rituals
Gift-giving is a way of showing respect and being courteous in Korea. Gifts are often presented and received with both hands as a form of respect. It is also important to wrap the gifts nicely. Unlike the random wrapping paper we use in Singapore, wrap gifts in bright coloured and elegant ”bojagi” (refer to Appendix G1) which is the Korean wrapping cloth. The colours appropriate are bright colours such as red and yellow as these represent royal colours. Yellow and pink are also acceptable as it denotes happiness. Do not wrap your gifts in white as it symbolises funeral or death in Korea. You should also never open the gift in front of the giver.
3.7.1. Appropriate Gifts
When you visit a home, and if you know there are children or elderly living in the home, it would be courteous to bring a small gift for them too.The common appropriate gifts when visiting homes in Korea are fruits, flowers, quality chocolate, wine or liquor such as scotch as scotch is a popular liquor in Korea. It is important to take
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Only fill a glass when it is empty. Also, never pour or refill your own drink as this makes them lose face. The person beside you will refill your glass for you. If he or she does not, indicate to them by pouring a little in their glass. The person of lower status, or the host of the event, will offer a glass to the person with the highest status and the host would usually insist that the person of highest status should start drinking first. It is encouraged to always offer and receive the glass with both hands as a form of respect. The most common South Korean toast you will hear is ‘Gun-bae’, the pronunciation is similar to the chinese word to say “Cheers!” in Singapore. When you raise your glass to toast to your colleagues, do so with your right hand. To show respect toward the person being toasted, support your right arm with your left