Korean work culture for foreigners: hierarchy, hoesik, hours and leave

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Working in a Korean office is less formal than its reputation and more hierarchical than most Western workplaces. Things have changed a lot in the last decade, especially in larger companies and in tech, but the underlying habits still shape how meetings run, how decisions are made and how you are expected to communicate. This is an overview of what to expect.

Hierarchy and job titles

Most Korean companies use a clear ladder of ranks, and people are addressed by their title rather than their name. A common sequence is 사원 (staff), 대리 (assistant manager), 과장 (manager), 차장 (deputy general manager) and 부장 (general manager), with -님 added for anyone above you: 과장님, 부장님. Using a senior colleague's first name, as you might at home, will sound strange. Some companies, especially start-ups and tech firms, have flattened this, using a single title or English names for everyone. Follow what your colleagues do. The guide on how Koreans address each other covers -씨, -님 and 선배 in more detail.

How decisions and communication work

Decisions travel up. Documents often go through a formal approval chain (결재), and your manager may need sign-off from several people above them. A slow answer usually means the chain, not a no.
Indirect disagreement. People rarely say no outright to someone senior. "That might be difficult" (좀 어려울 것 같아요) often means no.
Report early and often. Managers generally want regular updates, including bad news. Going quiet on a problem is worse than raising it.
Speaking up in meetings varies by company; in more traditional places the most senior person speaks first and last.

Hoesik (company dinners)

회식 is a team meal or drinks paid for by the company, a long-standing part of office life. It used to be close to compulsory and often ran into second and third rounds; today it is less frequent, shorter and more often lunch or a single dinner, especially since the shorter working week. A few customs:

Let the most senior person sit and start first.
Pour for others, and hold your glass with two hands when someone senior pours for you.
Turning slightly away to drink in front of a senior is traditional, but nobody expects a foreigner to do it.
You can decline alcohol. Saying you do not drink, or have a health or religious reason, is widely accepted now; refill your glass with a soft drink.

Hours and the 52-hour week

The Labor Standards Act sets a standard working week of 40 hours, with up to 12 hours of overtime, for a maximum of 52 hours a week. This was phased in from 2018, starting with large companies. Some industries have exemptions, and smaller workplaces have had special rules, so your contract and your employer's work rules are what to read. In practice, long hours have not disappeared, and staying until the boss leaves is still a habit in some offices, though much less than it was. Ask colleagues how overtime is recorded and paid.

Annual leave

Under the Labor Standards Act, an employee who has worked a full year with at least 80 percent attendance is entitled to 15 days of paid annual leave, rising with seniority to a statutory cap of 25. In the first year you earn one day for each full month worked. Public holidays are separate. Many Koreans do not use all their leave, and taking a long block can still raise eyebrows in traditional companies. Give plenty of notice, check team schedules, and avoid the busiest periods.

KakaoTalk at work

Most workplaces use KakaoTalk group chats alongside, or instead of, email and internal tools. Expect messages outside office hours. Some tips:

Read receipts are visible (the number beside a message), so reply or acknowledge when you see a message from a manager.
Use polite endings in work chats, even in short replies: 네, 확인했습니다.
Consider a separate profile or muting work chats in the evening if your company tolerates it; ask what colleagues do.

Tips for foreigners

Learn the titles of everyone on your team in the first week.
Greet people when you arrive and say 먼저 가보겠습니다 (I'll head off first) when you leave before others.
Bring a small treat back from holidays; sharing snacks is common.
Keep copies of your contract and payslips. The Ministry of Employment and Labor runs a helpline in several languages if something goes wrong.
If you are teaching English, read the teaching guide on this site for the visa side.

Rules change, so check the Ministry of Employment and Labor for current law. What surprised you most about working in Korea? Share your experience or questions in the comments.