Why Do Koreans Use Scissors at the Dining Table?

For many first-time visitors to South Korea, one of the most surprising sights in a restaurant is a pair of kitchen scissors sitting right on the table.

In many countries, scissors belong in the kitchen, an office, or a craft room—not next to your chopsticks. As a Korean, I never thought much about this until I realized how often foreign travelers ask about it.

So why do Koreans use scissors at the dining table? The answer is simpler than it looks: scissors are one of the most practical dining tools in Korean food culture.

Note: If you’ve just seen a pair of kitchen scissors on your restaurant table in Korea and wondered if that’s normal — it is. The short version: Korean table settings never included knives, and a lot of food arrives uncut and meant to be shared. Scissors do the job a knife would elsewhere.

The Missing Knife

One of the main reasons Koreans use scissors is surprisingly simple: traditional Korean table settings do not include a dining knife.

A typical Korean meal comes with a spoon and metal chopsticks — that’s it. Knives stayed in the kitchen. So when something arrives too big to eat in one bite, you need another tool, and scissors are the one that ended up on the table.

Shared Dishes Are Common

Another reason is the way Korean meals are served.

Many Korean dishes are designed to be shared by everyone at the table. Instead of each person receiving a separate plate with individually prepared portions, diners often eat from common dishes placed in the center.

Large portions of meat, kimchi, vegetables, and noodles are often brought to the table without being fully cut.

Rather than having the kitchen prepare every piece beforehand, diners simply cut the food themselves as needed.

Korean BBQ: The Most Famous Example

The most common place visitors notice dining scissors is at Korean BBQ restaurants.

Large strips of pork belly (samgyeopsal) or marinated beef are cooked directly on the grill. Once the meat starts cooking, someone at the table uses tongs and scissors to cut it into smaller pieces.

This allows the meat to cook evenly and makes it easier to eat with lettuce wraps and side dishes.

Many visitors are surprised the first time they see someone cutting meat with scissors over a grill, but for Koreans it is completely ordinary.

Why Koreans Cut Kimchi

Kimchi is another food frequently cut with scissors.

In some restaurants, kimchi is served in large pieces or whole leaves rather than pre-cut portions.

Using scissors is simply faster and cleaner than trying to tear the kimchi apart with chopsticks.

The same applies to some vegetables served alongside grilled meat.

The Special Case of Naengmyeon

One dish that often confuses visitors is naengmyeon, Korea’s famous cold noodle dish.

Unlike ramen or udon, naengmyeon noodles are extremely long and chewy. They can be difficult to bite through cleanly.

So the restaurant hands you scissors, and you cut the pile of noodles a few times right in the bowl before you start. Some places the server will just reach over and do it for you without asking. Nobody thinks twice about it.

Useful for Families with Children

Scissors are also very convenient when dining with young children.

Parents frequently use them to cut meat, vegetables, and side dishes into smaller pieces that are easier for children to eat safely.

This is another reason why scissors remain a common sight in Korean restaurants.

Is It Rude to Use Scissors at the Table?

Not at all.

In fact, in many situations, using scissors is exactly what locals do.

If scissors are provided at your table, you can safely assume they are meant to be used. Restaurant staff expect customers to cut meat, kimchi, noodles, and other foods when necessary.

Final Thoughts

To many visitors, scissors at the dining table may look unusual at first.

However, once you understand how Korean meals are served, the practice makes perfect sense.

Rather than being a strange custom, dining scissors are simply a practical tool that helps people enjoy shared meals more easily. In Korea, they are just as normal as chopsticks or spoons.