South Korea is a fascinating destination where ultra-modern IT infrastructure and K-Pop co-exist with thousands of years of tradition. It's also one of the safest countries in the world.

However, heavily influenced by Confucianism, Korea has strict unspoken 'rules' regarding manners and respect. To ensure you don't accidentally pull a cultural faux pas, we've compiled a list of absolute taboos every traveler must avoid.

In Western cultures, leaving a tip is standard practice for good service. In Korea, however, excellent service is simply expected, and all costs are included in your bill.

If you leave money on the table, the waiter will 100% chase you down the street violently waving cash thinking you forgot it. Worse, attempting to tip can sometimes be seen as condescending or taking pity on them. Just pay the exact amount and say 'Kamsa-hamnida (Thank you)'.

No matter how pretty your red pen is, NEVER write a living person's name with it in Korea. It is the equivalent of writing their name in a Death Note.

Historically, red ink was used to cross out the names of the deceased in family registers. Writing someone's name in red signifies that you wish them pain, misfortune, or death.

When taking a break from eating, never stick your chopsticks vertically into your bowl of rice. This is an enormous dining taboo across East Asia.

This action visually resembles the burning of incense sticks stuck into a sand bowl during traditional ancestral memorial services (Jesa) for the dead. It brings bad luck and ruins the appetite of everyone at the table.

Korean subways have strictly designated priority seating (usually on the far ends of the train) for the elderly, disabled, and pregnant women. Even if the train is packed, healthy young people must leave these seats empty.

Furthermore, respecting age is paramount. When receiving a gift, poured drink, or even a receipt from someone older than you, you must use both hands (or hold your right arm with your left hand) as a sign of respect.

Koreans traditionally lived on the floor (sleeping, eating, and sitting on heated 'Ondol' floors). Therefore, the floor must be kept immaculately clean.