Korean dining etiquette places much greater emphasis on other behaviors, such as waiting for elders to begin eating first, using two hands (or supporting your right wrist with your left hand) when passing or receiving dishes, and not lifting your rice bowl off the table as you eat. The hands-on-table versus hands-in-lap distinction that matters in some European countries simply does not carry the same cultural weight in Korea. Most Koreans eat with a spoon and chopsticks resting on the table between bites, so hands tend to be near the table naturally, but this is practical habit rather than a prescribed etiquette rule.
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Try the Local Etiquette & Taboos Checker →The biggest ones are waiting for the eldest or most senior person at the table to sit and start eating first, not sticking chopsticks upright in your rice bowl (associated with funeral rites), and pouring drinks for others rather than refilling your own glass. Using two hands — or one hand supported at the wrist — when giving or receiving anything shows respect and will be noticed positively.
In Korea, the convention is actually the opposite of Japan — rice and soup bowls are generally left on the table rather than lifted to your mouth. This is one of the clearer etiquette distinctions in Korean dining, and it surprises many visitors familiar with Japanese or Chinese table customs.
Eating with one hand is perfectly normal and not considered rude in everyday Korean dining. The two-handed gesture matters specifically in the context of passing, receiving, or pouring — for instance, holding your glass with two hands while someone pours for you. During the act of eating itself, there is no expectation to keep both hands actively on the table.