To anyone new here, When the meal ends, people suddenly grab their wallets and rush to the cashier. Laughing, they say to each other, "I'll pay!" and so on. It looks like they're fighting, but they're not angry. You don't need to be alarmed. ## We Take Turns Paying for Meals In Korea, people don't think of paying for a meal as a one-time expense that ends there. If I pay today, the other person pays next time. So when we part, we say, "I'll get it next time." These words are also a promise that "we'll meet again." Usually, the older person or the one with the higher rank pays first. Then the younger person pays you back with a coffee next time. ## What Moves First Is the Heart If they just sat there, they'd worry it might look like they don't care about the other person, so each of them gets up first. Koreans call this feeling 'jeong.' The greeting "Have you eaten?" is similar. In the days when food was scarce, asking whether someone had eaten was itself a way of asking how they were doing. These days it's closer to "How are you?" Most of the time they aren't really asking about a meal, so just smile and say "Yes, I've eaten." ## Try this If someone treated you to a meal, say "Thank you for the meal" (잘 먹었습니다). And then buy them coffee or a meal next time. It's fine if the amounts aren't exactly the same. Nowadays, a lot of gatherings have everyone pay for themselves. If you're not sure, ask, "Shall we pay separately?" Just ask first. It's not rude.