Key Points
A jar on the counter of a popular bagel shop in Seoul triggered a nationwide debate over the concept of tipping for service in South Korea, with most people opposed to gratuities becoming the norm..
Some are of the opinion tipping can even be considered insulting as it suggests a consumer considers the worker to be in need of charity.O)..
The South Korean perspective is in contrast to the United States, where the minimum wage for service sector jobs in many states factors in workers receiving as much as 20% of their total income from tips..
Another concern is that tipping could be an excuse for "gapjil," the Korean word for exploitation of workers, as employers can claim that as their staff are receiving tips they no longer have to be as generous with wages, even though the minimum wage is protected by law..
Falling consumer spending power among ordinary people, and a desire among some shops to be more "international," has added to the recent debate over tipping, said David Tizzard, an assistant professor of education at Seoul Women's University and a columnist for a Korean daily focusing on social affairs. ..
