• It is best to stand up when exchanging translated Korean business cards.
• The exchange of Korean business cards is very important and a means by which Koreans learn about the name, position and status of the other person.
• Businesspersons should always have their bilingual Korean business cards at the ready and should treat the exchange of Korean translated business cards with respect. (It is a sign of respect to receive and present items with both hands, followed in business etiquette by passing and receiving a card with the right hand. One should never give a card, or anything else for that matter, with the left hand, as it shows disrespect.)
• Exchange Korean business cards one-by-one, individual-to-individual, and use both hands where practical.
• NEVER distribute (or toss) your Korean business card in a manner similar to dealing playing cards.
• NEVER place a stack of your Korean business cards on the table and offer others to take a card from the stack.
• On receiving a person’s business card, accept it with both hands and then study carefully what is written on it.
• Translated Korean business cards will typically have Korean on one side and English on the reverse, so carefully examine each side where applicable.
• Do read and acknowledge the full name and title of the other person.
• In Korea, the surname is given first followed by a one or two syllable given name.
• First names are rarely used except among very close friends. Even when meeting a large group of people, it is considered polite to take a moment to read each individual’s name on their Korean business card upon exchange.
• If you are in a formal situation, it is proper to place the Korean business card face up on the table in front of you and refer to it when necessary.
• DO NOT shove the card into your back trouser pocket.
• DO NOT write comments on another person’s Korean business card, in their presence. You may write on your own name card to add information (e.g., email, home phone number, etc.).
• If it is in a less formal setting, you may put the Korean business card away after looking at it, but put it somewhere suitable. Just dropping it into a pocket may be seen as rude.

• Punctuality is appreciated and business meetings should start and finish on time.
• The senior-most individuals are always introduced first, followed by younger and lower ranked participants.
• Questions of a personal nature may be asked, particularly concerning age, marital status, education, etc. These questions are not thought to be impolite, but rather to help the Koreans to recognize the appropriate social level and speech forms (degree of formality) that they should use when speaking.
• Since a consensus is important, there will usually be rather lengthy discussions before decisions are made. As a result, business negotiations will usually take much longer when compared to Western business cultures, so patience will be necessary.

• For Koreans, it is considered to be polite to wait for the eldest person at the table to begin eating before everyone else starts.
• Likewise, one does not excuse him or her self from the table before the eldest person finishes.
• It is a bad breach of etiquette to pour your own drink.

To get an idea of what Korean business cards look like when fully translated and localized into Korean, please visit our Korean business card translation samples page.

There are many dos and don’ts for exchanging business cards in Asia. In this video you will learn the proper ways to conduct a business card exchange in Asia. This Etiquette & Business card Exchange Video for Asia covers the proper way to present, receive, and observe Asian business cards.

You can use our Free Business Card Translation Quote Request Form for exact costs/options for ordering translated business cards in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Arabic, and more. Our visit our How To Order page for a complete summary of how the process works for ordering custom translated business cards for your business.