Is it rude to blow my nose at the table in Korea?
Yes. In Korea, blowing your nose at the table is widely seen as rude, even when the food is fiery and everyone's nose is running. If you need a real blow, excuse yourself and do it in the restroom. A quick, quiet dab with a tissue, with your head turned away from the table, is generally fine.
The main reason is that a Korean meal is shared. A stew bubbles in one pot in the middle, and everyone's chopsticks reach into the same little side dishes, as we explain in our story on banchan. A loud honk a few inches from food the whole table is eating feels unhygienic, and the sound alone can put people off their meal. A 2019 Korea.net column on table manners puts it right next to picking your teeth as something you shouldn't do during a meal, and points out that in Germany it's the other way around: sniffling at the table is the rude part, and blowing your nose is fairly common. That flip is why the Korean rule surprises many visitors.
So what do Koreans do when a spicy stew gets to them? Most just sniff quietly or dab a little, and nobody minds, because everyone knows hot, spicy food does that. Many casual restaurants keep a box or roll of tissue on the table, mainly for wiping your mouth and resting your spoon and chopsticks on, so one is usually within reach. Turn your head, dab, then fold the tissue and put it away rather than leaving it next to the dishes. If you run out, ask for 휴지 (hyuji, tissue).
For anything more than a dab, say 잠시만요 (jamsimanyo, “excuse me a moment”) and head to the 화장실 (hwajangsil, restroom). Coughs and sneezes work the same way: face away from the table and cover your mouth. Turning away at the table is a familiar courtesy in Korea anyway; it's what younger people do when drinking in front of elders, as we describe in our story on drinking etiquette.
How strict people are depends on the company. Among close friends at a casual spot, a discreet tissue moment barely registers. With elders, at a work dinner, on a first date or in someone's home, most Koreans would rather step out. If you have a cold, leaving the table a few times won't seem odd; it comes across as considerate.
