culture
"Hanteok" describes one person covering the entire bill for a meal or outing, with the understanding that treating rotates across occasions — today's payer becomes tomorrow's guest, so the generosity balances out over time rather than in any single sitting. It's especially common between people of different seniority.
Splitting exactly 1/N each time is actually a more modern, increasingly common alternative (Dutch pay) rather than the traditional hanteok pattern being described, and eating at separate restaurants doesn't relate to bill-splitting customs at all.
Because the system relies on remembering whose "turn" it roughly is, many Korean coworkers keep a loose mental tally, and forgetting to reciprocate after being treated repeatedly can quietly affect how you're seen socially.
culture
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