Understanding the Tipping Culture in the United States

‌The tipping culture in the United States has recently become a social headache.
Even locals are having heated debates over whether tips really need to be that high.
First, you have to understand the structure of why the U.S. receives tips in this manner.
An aggressive tipping policy(?) from a certain restaurant posted on a central wall seems to explain it well.
Unlike Korea, the minimum wage is not legally guaranteed in the U.S.
In fact, even the four major social insurances are not legislated,
so the standard for a "good job" is based on which high-quality medical insurance provider the company contracts with and under what terms.
In American TV shows or movies, you often hear characters say, "Now I don't have to worry about medical insurance," when they land a good job.
In the case of restaurants, when hiring employees, the hourly wage is only enough to cover something like transportation costs.
Instead, they are hired on the condition that they receive a certain percentage of the sales from their assigned tables, or they split the tips entirely or at a specific ratio.
It is performance-based pay.
It is rooted in the American mindset of taking home what you earn.
It is the foundation of the American Dream—that if you work hard, you can earn a lot of money.
In Korea, though I'm not sure about nowadays, it might be easier to understand if you think about nightclubs in the past.
A nightclub waiter would make a contract with the owner and split the revenue from a specific table with the owner at a certain ratio.
In modern times, more and more people fail to understand this structure, and since prices have skyrocketed after COVID-19, the cost of dining out itself is a burden, making it impossible to handle these tips as well.
That is why it has emerged as a social issue even within the U.S.
That single photo of a restaurant posted on the central wall...
I can somewhat understand the owner's perspective in seeking (?) understanding regarding the tipping structure.
These days, when I go to a restaurant on a business trip to the U.S., the meal cost including tips is truly terrifying.
Of course, it is company money, but I often feel a sense of guilt.
On a different note, there are occasional stories about crazy restaurants or cafes in Korea—where the minimum wage is legally guaranteed—demanding tips, and I find it quite pathetic.