A foreign student asked a Korean friend, "Do you want to go together this weekend?" The friend said, "Well…" and left it at that. Not knowing whether the friend was going or not, the student waited all day. ## The Price of a Single "No" In Korea, even a short "no" comes at a high price. The listener's face may stiffen, and things between the two of you can become awkward. Koreans value the relationship between people more than accuracy of words. So they choose words that come cheaper instead. ## The price paid by "글쎄요" and "좀…" "글쎄요" means "I'm not sure yet," but in reality it often means "I think it'll be difficult." "좀…" deliberately leaves the rest unsaid. If you don't finish the sentence, both the person refusing and the person listening feel less awkward. In exchange, the listener has to put in the effort of reading the meaning from the situation. Koreans practice putting in that effort from childhood, so they pick up on it easily. ## How to read it, how to use it If the voice drops, the end of the sentence trails off, or the eyes look away, it's almost certainly a refusal. If you want to be sure, ask, "Shall we do it another time, then?" Ask it back like that. That makes it easy for the other person to answer. When I'm the one declining, adding a reason like "I'm a bit busy" softens it. It takes a little more time, but it protects the relationship. However, anything involving a hospital, a contract, or money is different. In that case, it's okay to ask clearly with a "yes or no" question.