Turn away when drinking with elders

When drinking alcohol with someone older or more senior, angle your head and glass away from them as you drink, and pour for them with both hands before filling your own glass.

Korea SocialstrictUpdated September 2, 2026

Never pour your own first drink at a table with elders, wait for someone to pour it for you, and pour theirs first when it’s your turn, using both hands on the bottle (or one hand supported at the wrist).

When you actually drink, turn your head and glass slightly away from the senior person’s line of sight rather than facing them directly. It’s a small gesture, but it’s the one people notice fastest when it’s missing.

You can refill someone else’s glass freely, but wait to be poured for yourself — topping up your own glass without being served first reads as presumptuous, not efficient.
Let the most senior person set the pace of the night — including when the group moves from one round (and one drink) to the next.

Why it matters

Rooted in Confucian respect-for-elders norms that carried into modern Korean social and work drinking culture (hoesik, the company drinking event). Drinking facing an elder directly, or pouring your own glass first, reads as disrespectful even if the elder doesn't say anything. Hierarchy shapes the whole event, not just the pour, the most senior person present effectively sets the pace, often moving the group through several venues over a night: dinner and beer first, then soju, sometimes more after that.

Turn away when drinking with elders

Why it matters

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