Politeness

Koreans are very much Confuscianist. This isn't a religion, it's just a way of organizing society for maximum peace and prosperity.

A central tenet of Confuscianism is that people may be senior to, junior to, or equal to the person they are dealing with. For the sake of order, juniors defer to seniors, and seniors hold responsibility for the well-being of the juniors.

There is also the sense of politeness. You would take to your friend in a different way if he is acting in an official capacity than if you were simply hanging out as friends. You would use different language when talking to the king than when buying things in the market.

There are similarities in English. English doesn't have a structure to make these kinds of things clear, so it's not uncommon to hear people use English inappropriately.

Level of Speech

합쇼 체

This is probably the first form you will learn in Korean as a missionary. It's a good form to use, and although it sounds awkward in practice when used incorrectly, no one will get offended.

This is used:

• In formal situations or when speaking officially
• Towards one's seniors

The basic forms are:

• -ㅂ니다.: Statement. (Use -시- when the doer is senior.)
• -ㅂ니까?: Question. (Use -시- when the doer is senior.)
• -십시오.: Command.