🍽️ 12 TERMS THAT MAKE THE MENU MAKE SENSE
In-bun, Banchan, Service Charge: Korea's Menu, Decoded
Food and drink is one of the largest categories of foreign spending in Korea, and it comes with its own set of confusing rules — portion minimums, refill norms that aren't universal, an upscale service charge that surprises people who heard “Korea doesn't tip,” and payment practices that are outright illegal even though they still happen. This decodes 12 of them.
🔬 AMS Core Frame
Most of what confuses visitors here isn't a scam — it's a real norm that just isn't universal. Portion minimums, anju requirements and one-drink policies are all legitimate business practices a restaurant is entitled to set. The one item on this page that actually crosses into illegal territory — card payment refusal — gets a real reporting channel, not just a warning.
~21%
Total add-on at upscale venues charging the "10+10" VAT + service charge
126
National Tax Service hotline for reporting illegal card-payment refusal
90–120 min
Typical time limit on all-you-can-eat (mu-han ribil) restaurants
12
Dining terms and norms decoded below
The 12 terms — meaning, why it matters, what to know
인분 — In-bun (Portion Unit)
How dishes are pricedMeaning — Many Korean dishes — grilled meat, jjigae, hot pot — are priced and ordered per in-bun (portion), not per plate.
Why it matters — A lot of restaurants set a 2-in-bun minimum for certain dishes, meaning solo diners literally cannot order some menu items — it's not a scam, but it does mean checking the minimum before you sit down alone.
Worth knowing — The minimum is usually printed in small text under the price — worth a second look if a listed per-portion price seems suspiciously low.
반찬 — Banchan (Side Dishes)
Refill norms varyMeaning — The small side dishes served alongside a main — kimchi, seasoned vegetables, etc. — that come standard with most Korean meals.
Why it matters — Free refills are a common norm at many restaurants, but not a legal guarantee everywhere — some places charge for extra portions of specific banchan.
Worth knowing — Just ask — "리필 되나요?" ("can I get a refill?") — rather than assuming either way.
봉사료 ("텐텐") — Bongsaryo (Service Charge)
Upscale add-on, not a tipMeaning — Korea has no tipping culture — the listed menu price is meant to be the final price. The exception is upscale hotels and high-end restaurants, which commonly add a disclosed 10% VAT plus a 10% service charge on top of the bill — known informally as “10+10” (ten-ten) — adding up to roughly 21% to what you expected to pay.
Why it matters — This is standard and legal at the venue type where it applies, but it surprises visitors who assume Korea's no-tipping reputation means the sticker price is always final.
Worth knowing — Check the bottom of the menu or your bill for “VAT/service charge separate” language before you order at a hotel restaurant or high-end venue — it's usually disclosed, just easy to miss.
콜키지비 — Corkage Fee
BYO alcohol chargeMeaning — A fee some restaurants charge for opening and serving alcohol you brought yourself, rather than ordering from their menu.
Why it matters — Not every restaurant allows outside alcohol at all — ask before you bring a bottle, don't assume.
Worth knowing — Where it's allowed, the fee is usually posted near the menu or bar — ask upfront if you don't see it listed.
안주 필수 — Anju Required
Food-with-drinks norm at barsMeaning — At many Korean bars and pojangmacha (street tent bars), ordering alcohol without also ordering anju (food to accompany drinks) isn't an option — it's built into how the venue operates.
Why it matters — This isn't a scam or an upsell attempt — it's a standard operating norm at a large share of drinking establishments, and it changes your real minimum spend for a night out.
Worth knowing — If you only want a drink with no food, look for a standing bar or pub format specifically, rather than a traditional 술집 (sul-jip).
1인 1메뉴 / 1인 1음료 — One-Order-Per-Person Policy
Common at cafes and busy restaurantsMeaning — A policy, especially common at cafes and during busy hours, requiring every person at a table to order at least one item — you can't split one drink or dish among a group and occupy a table.
Why it matters — This has drawn public debate even among Koreans when enforced rigidly (e.g., a group that had already spent significantly being told to order “just one more drink”), but it's within an owner's legal discretion to set.
Worth knowing — Look for a small sign near the entrance or on the menu — if it's posted, it will be enforced.
무한리필 — Mu-han Ribil (All-You-Can-Eat)
Usually time-limitedMeaning — All-you-can-eat, most commonly at Korean BBQ and buffet-style restaurants — but almost always bound by a time limit rather than being truly unlimited in duration.
Why it matters — Typical limits run 90–120 minutes (sometimes split as 90 minutes to order, 120 to finish eating), and premium cuts or specific items are often excluded from the refill scope or carry a surcharge.
Worth knowing — Some venues charge a leftover-food fee if you order more than you finish — ask about the food-waste policy before you over-order.
원산지 표시 — Country-of-Origin Labeling
Legally required disclosureMeaning — Korean law requires restaurants to post the country of origin for specific ingredients — beef, rice, kimchi, and various seafood among them — on the menu board or posted signage.
Why it matters — This is a real consumer-protection law with inspections and fines for violations, not a decorative label — if a menu is missing this for a covered ingredient, that's worth noticing.
Worth knowing — It won't tell you about price or quality — only where a specific ingredient legally has to say it came from.
카드 결제 거부 — Card Payment Refusal
Illegal — report itMeaning — A merchant refusing card payment, pushing you toward cash, or setting a card-payment minimum (e.g. “card only above ₩5,000”) for a registered business.
Why it matters — All of this is illegal for VAT-registered merchants in Korea, not just bad service — refusing small-amount card payments specifically is covered by the same rule.
Worth knowing — Report it to Korea's National Tax Service (call 126, or via the Hometax website under credit-card payment refusal reporting) — reporting can come with a reward, and it's a real enforcement channel, not a symbolic one.
배달비 / 최소주문금액 — Delivery Fee / Minimum Order
Platform-set, not fixedMeaning — Delivery fees and minimum order amounts on apps like Baemin and Coupang Eats are set per restaurant, not standardized — both can vary significantly between two restaurants a block apart.
Why it matters — AMS has a separate, more critical Korean-language look at how delivery platform fee structures actually work for the restaurants themselves, not just what you see as a customer.
Worth knowing — Compare the total (menu price + delivery fee) against simply walking in, especially for small orders — the gap can be larger than it first appears.
노쇼 예약금 — No-Show Deposit
Growing reservation trendMeaning — A small deposit, increasingly required through booking platforms like Naver Reservations, meant to discourage no-shows on restaurant reservations.
Why it matters — It's usually deducted from your final bill if you show up, and forfeited if you don't — treat a reservation with a deposit attached as a real commitment, not a casual booking.
Worth knowing — If a popular restaurant doesn't require one, that's not unusual either — the practice varies by venue, not by a fixed rule.
리필 (음료) — Drink Refill
Not the same norm as water/banchanMeaning — Free refills on soft drinks or coffee — standard practice at some fast-food and casual chains, but not a general expectation at most sit-down restaurants or cafes.
Why it matters — Don't assume a free-refill culture applies to paid drinks the way it does to water or banchan — the two are governed by completely different norms.
Worth knowing — Chain fast-food restaurants are the most reliable place to expect it; independent cafes generally are not.
The one that's actually illegal
FACT
Refusing card payment, steering customers toward cash, or setting a minimum purchase amount for card payment (e.g. “card only above ₩5,000”) is illegal for VAT-registered merchants in Korea — this covers small-amount refusals specifically, not only outright refusal.
FACT
Reports can be filed with Korea's National Tax Service by phone (126) or through the Hometax website under credit-card-refusal reporting, and reporting can come with a monetary reward — this is an active enforcement channel, not a symbolic complaints line.
INFERENCE
Everything else on this page — portion minimums, anju requirements, one-order policies, the 10+10 service charge — is a legitimate business practice a venue is entitled to set. Card refusal is the one item that crosses from “confusing norm” into “actually against the law,” which is exactly why it's the one worth reporting rather than just tolerating.
Checklist — before you sit down
1
At hotels or upscale restaurants, check for "VAT/service charge separate" before ordering — the "10+10" add-on is legal and common there
2
Ask "리필 되나요?" instead of assuming banchan or drink refills are free everywhere
3
If a merchant refuses your card or sets a card-payment minimum, report it to the National Tax Service (126) — it's illegal, not just rude
4
At bars, expect to order anju alongside drinks unless it's specifically a standing-bar/pub format
Frequently asked
Should I tip at a Korean restaurant?
No — Korea has no general tipping culture, and the listed menu price is meant to be the final price at the vast majority of restaurants. The exception is upscale hotels and high-end restaurants, where a disclosed 10% VAT plus 10% service charge ("10+10") is commonly added to the bill — that's a standard, legal add-on at that venue type, not a tip you're expected to leave separately.
Why did the restaurant say I have to order 2 portions when I'm eating alone?
Many dishes are priced and prepared per in-bun (portion), and a real share of restaurants set a 2-in-bun minimum on certain items — it's a standard operating policy, usually printed in small text under the price, not something targeting solo diners specifically. Check the minimum before choosing where to eat alone if that matters to you.
A bar wouldn't let me order just a drink — is that normal?
Yes, at a large share of Korean bars and pojangmacha, ordering anju (food) alongside alcohol is built into how the venue operates, not an upsell attempt. If you specifically want a drink with no food, look for a Western-style standing bar or pub rather than a traditional sul-jip.
Can a restaurant legally refuse my card or make me pay cash?
No — refusing card payment, pushing customers toward cash, or setting a card-payment minimum is illegal for VAT-registered merchants in Korea, including for small amounts. You can report it to the National Tax Service by calling 126 or through the Hometax website, and reporting can come with a reward.
Related AMS reports
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Korea Banking Glossary
Account opening, certificates, and exchange rate fee math →
Gangnam, Hongdae, Myeongdong, Seongsu
The overcharging patterns and spending data behind each district →
Delivery Hell (Korean)
What delivery platform fees actually do to restaurants →
Korea Rental Contract Glossary
Jeonse, hwakjeongilja — the sequence that actually protects your deposit →
Primary sources
↗ KHub Life — Korea's tipping culture, and how the bill actually works↗ AJD — Whether cash-payment steering and credit-card refusal are illegal in Korea, and how to report it↗ Banksalad — Legal basis for why card-payment refusal and cash-steering are prohibited↗ Easy Law Go (Korean government legal-info portal) — Country-of-origin labeling requirements for restaurants↗ Namuwiki — All-you-can-eat (mu-han ribil) time limits and exclusions, common industry practice