South Koreans push back against businesses asking for tips: ‘I hope this never settles’
- A Seoul bakery which put out a tip jar received backlash on social media, with many calling the custom ridiculous and illegal
- Tipping culture has extended to the ride-hailing sector in South Korea, with passengers given an option to tip drivers up to US$1.50 at the end of a ride
Out of the blue, tipping culture appears to have burst onto the scene in South Korea, with some restaurants, cafes and even taxi-hailing platforms asking customers for tips.
Given that South Korea has been a tip-free society, many people have shown overwhelmingly negative reactions towards the apparent emergence of tipping culture.
A recent online post, titled “Foreign culture we wish to never settle in Korea”, went viral recently, showing pictures of a glass jar at the cashier of a popular Seoul bakery filled with cash and labelled “Tip Jar” in English.
The Instagram account of the Seoul bakery was swarmed with more than 200 negative comments, many of them asking the owner to remove it, calling the custom ridiculous and illegal.
The post prompted other South Koreans to share similar experiences. One user said an employee at a coffee shop in Seoul’s Mapo District asked her to tip, showing a tablet with tipping options of up to 10 per cent of the bill, while others said they saw some restaurants place signs on tables asking customers to tip employees.
Tipping culture has even emerged beyond cafes and restaurants.
The Kakao T app, which accounts for more than 90 per cent of the domestic ride-hailing market, introduced a trial tipping function last month.
Passengers are given an option to tip the driver with up to 2,000 won (US$1.50) at the end of the ride, after he or she rates the service five stars. It is optional and Kakao Mobility, the platform operator and a subsidiary of Kakao, has said it takes no commission from the tip.
“I don’t understand why they ask us for tips when we haven’t received any service that deserves tips. Unlike in foreign countries, customers make orders and collect themselves, so why tip them?” a 30-year-old customer surnamed Jung, who had been waiting in line at the bakery with the tip box for over an hour, told The Korea Times.
Another customer surnamed Kim said: “In Korea, the final charge already covers service and service workers are paid at least minimum wage.
“I hated tipping culture in other countries, where service workers aren’t paid enough and customers are burdened under the pretext of ‘goodwill’. I hope this culture never settles in Korea,” she added, doubting if the money in the tip box would go to employees, instead of business owners.
According to a recent survey of 12,106 people by tech company SK Communications, over seven out of 10 South Koreans view tipping as “unacceptable”. Only 19 per cent of respondents said tipping was a personal choice, while 5 per cent supported it.
Under the current Food Sanitation Act, South Korean food service businesses are to list final prices on the menu, which includes tax and service charges, and a customer is to pay no more than that.
In response to growing complaints, business owners are backing off.
As of Wednesday afternoon, The Korea Times observed that the tip box at the controversial bakery was removed from the counter. The owner explained it was “more of a decoration” to add an exotic vibe to make visitors feel like they were travelling, and no customer was forced to tip.
Meanwhile, Kakao Mobility said more than 2,000 passengers tipped their drivers during the first week since the service was introduced, and believes it could nudge the drivers to improve services. Drivers who drove smoothly for a child getting carsick or who returned lost items to passengers were given tips, for example.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety confirmed to The Korea Times on Thursday that forcing a customer to pay more than the listed charge goes against the Food Sanitation Act and local governments conduct regular crackdowns on food service businesses to watch such violations, along with hygiene and safety.
