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Daily life

♻️ You cannot leave a bag on the curb

Seoul hides household trash behind a paid-bag system. Tourists feel this as β€œno bins.” Use convenience-store bins for cups/cans you just bought, and hotel rooms for the rest.

Public bins exist in subway stations and some parks, not on every block. Do not abandon takeaway on palace grounds.
Convenience stores usually accept the packaging from items bought there. Do not dump a hotel’s worth of shopping bags.
Airbnb: hosts will explain the colored bags. Food waste (μŒμ‹λ¬Ό) is separate. When in doubt, take trash out when you leave rather than guessing the alley schedule.
Cigarette butts have dedicated ashtrays in some streets; flicking onto the sidewalk can mean a fine in enforcement zones.

This is one of the fastest ways visitors accidentally look rude. When unsure, carry it.

Etiquette β†’ Convenience stores β†’