Your age and social status influence the way that you are treated in society. Being respectful to strangers, elders, and family members is very important. Showing respect and honor can be done through different customs such as speaking respectfully, bowing while saying hello or goodbye or using both hands when paying or shaking hands. While it is always important to show respect to others, showing respect also is important in Korean culture for keeping face. Keeping face is showing that you are well mannered and a mature person in society.
Age is a huge determiner in how you are treated in Korean society. Elders are treated with high levels of respect by their kids, grandchildren, and even strangers on the street. They are usually served food first. Additionally, in certain situations, people that are younger have to turn their cups away from the elderly while drinking. There is also a higher form of speech when talking to the elderly. This honorific form of speech honors the elderly and is only used when talking to or about the elderly.
If someone is a year older or younger than you, it will affect the way you speak to them. When you are a little older than someone else, the younger person is supposed to show you respect.
