Drinking culture of Korea
Korea's drinking culture interfaces deeply with its social structure, lifestyle, and traditions.
[1] Alcohol drinking in Korea has been described as helping create and form ties between family members and friends.
Aside from traditional holiday and family ritual drinking, alcohol consumption has modernized and become a major aspect of everyday socialization in Korean culture.
Korea has a long tradition of consuming alcohol to celebrate holidays and seasonal events, in which they honor ancestors and exchange goodwill with neighbors and friends.
Once the harvest has ended farmers would spend their downtime brewing and fermenting alcohol as they looked forward to the spring.
[3] Upon the new year Korean ancestors consumed soju to drive out disease and bad spirits, the word 'Soju' meaning a welcoming spring.
One type of Soju is called Dosoju, made with medicinal herbs and refined rice wine.
On that night, Koreans drink Daeboreium or "ear-quickening wine" in hopes of hearing good news quickly for the next year.
While children do not drink the alcohol they are encouraged to place their lips to the glass, then pour the wine in a chimney to deter sickness and vaporization.
The custom during ‘Dano’ was/is to hold a memorial service[7] for their ancestors and toast the day with a drink mixed with sweet flag called Changpoju.
The properties in the drink were said to dispel evil spirits, providing escape from misfortune and promote health and longevity.
[8] During this era most Koreans practiced Confucianism which prohibited women and certain other members of society from drinking alcohol or pouring it for someone else.
In the past, people drank on specific days like New Year's, but presently alcohol can be consumed regardless of the occasion.
Some other aspects are beginning to adapt to modern ways as well; Koreans are changing to enjoy drinking all kinds of alcohol.
A variety of restaurants, bars, or other places to change the venue or activity, such as noraebang (karaoke) are common examples.
These drinking sessions help promote and influence idea sharing and building of social networks.
[22] Some behaviors during hoesik can be undesirable, such as passive or reluctant participation in collective drinking, or involuntary consumption of one shots, bomb cocktails, or sharing, exchanging or cascading beverages.
The campaign urged people to not mix their drinks, refrain from bar-hopping, and to return to their homes by 9 pm.
[22] Hoesik may be one of the main organization socialization processes in Korea, but it also has negative impacts on employee welfare, productivity, and work environment.
To help encourage healthier drinking habits, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety had created a website called sullae jabgi, which provides Koreans information on how to enjoy alcohol without threatening one's well-being.
The World Health Organization has identified drinking as a major factor affecting health-related quality of life.
