Are Korean Tourists Distorting Tipping Culture in Vietnam? Discover the Controversy!

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There’s a growing debate over whether South Korean tourists’ excessive tipping in Vietnam and other parts of Southeast Asia is changing local customs for the worse.

On the 7th, a thread titled South Koreans are easy targets for tips in Vietnam was posted on an online community focused on travel to Vietnam.

The post’s author, identified only as A, says that unwarranted tip requests aimed at South Koreans have become common in Vietnam, where tipping wasn’t traditionally part of the culture.

According to A, local staff often directly ask for extra tips for services like massages, manicures, and basket-boat rides—even when the listed price already includes a service charge.

A said that when Koreans began handing out tens of thousands of dong as tips, a stereotype took hold among some locals that “Koreans always tip.”

Travelers to Vietnam have shared photos online of small “tip packages” they prepare in advance—bundles of small bills, sheet masks, and snacks.

Online commenters criticized the trend, saying things like, “They blatantly reach out as soon as they see Koreans,” “It’s a practice made for show,” and “A warm greeting would be enough.”

But others pushed back, arguing that tipping is a personal expression of gratitude and that the backlash is overblown. The debate continues.