Bow the right way

Bowing is the act of lowering the torso and the head as a social gesture in direction to another person. It is most prominent in Asian cultures.

Not everyone becomes your friend when you first meet them.
In Canada, when we meet our friends, or our boss, or maybe even the Prime Minister of Canada, we all say “Hi”
In some cases, we shake hands to show respect.

In Korea, you can just say “Hi” to your friends, but you never just say “Hi” to your boss, or even someone older than you. You gotta know the rules of bowing:

• The 15 degree slight bow: 
  Let’s say you are walking down the street and you meet your mom’s friend’s son. You know that her son is younger than you, then you would only have to give him the 15 degree slight bow. This shows you are in a higher position than him (in this example, age) and when you know the person you meet is younger than you, you’re enough with a 15 degree slight bow.
  
  
• The 30 degree salute:
  This bowing technique is used when meeting someone new for the first time. For example, your best friend introduces you to his friends, then you would give them a 30 degree salute. This form of bowing shows mutual respect. 30 degree salute is the most common and used bowing technique in Korea. It’s okay to use this technique to someone older than you, but the third rule will get you around in Korea. 
• The 45 degree respectful bow:
  When you meet your friend’s parents, your high school teacher, or the CEO of the company you work for, you can get away with giving him or her the 30 degree salute but, why not bow 15 degrees more to show 100% respect right? After all, the more you bow, the polite bar goes up. 

If you can distinguish the differences in bowing and pick the right ones to use in given situations, congratulations, you are officially 10% Korean. Now, because I said the 45 degree respectful bow was the best option to greet someone, it doesn’t mean you use that bow to everyone you meet. Let’s say you meet your friend’s younger brother who is 4 years younger than you. If you give him the 45 degree respectful bow he will think you’re a retard or something. In that situation, he will be the one giving you the 45 degree respectful bow and you can give him the 15 degree slight bow or a simple, “Hi”, just like how Canadians would do.

Watch this funny clip where this little girl practices her bowing!

LEARN TO BOW THE RIGHT WAY!