Never, never, NEVER look into the eyes of someone who is in a superior position than you are. This includes everyone who is older than you, even by one year, family or not. This also includes people who are higher than you in a workplace or social hierarchy, regardless of age. (For example, your boss, a judge, etc.) In practical terms, this means that you are pretty safe with not looking into anyone’s eyes when you are in Korea.
Also, in places with a lot of ne’er do well young men roaming around and where the enforcement of public order leaves something to be desired, making eye contact with strangers in public can be seen as a challenge to a fist-fight (or worse).
As a Korean who grew up in a very traditional hometown, I agree at some point with the article XiXiDu posted. But in modern days, in a mutual relation(at a school, a workplace) we need to contact others’ eyes. Avoiding eyes is sometimes seen as a person who is not confident or unreliable. But staring one’s eyes in public may be seen as trying to fight.
Ask a Korean!: When is it OK to Make Eye Contact?
Also, in places with a lot of ne’er do well young men roaming around and where the enforcement of public order leaves something to be desired, making eye contact with strangers in public can be seen as a challenge to a fist-fight (or worse).
“Coming from Dunfermline, if someone looked at you squint, you went across and battered them. That was it. I just done it.”
As a Korean who grew up in a very traditional hometown, I agree at some point with the article XiXiDu posted. But in modern days, in a mutual relation(at a school, a workplace) we need to contact others’ eyes. Avoiding eyes is sometimes seen as a person who is not confident or unreliable. But staring one’s eyes in public may be seen as trying to fight.