One of the two topics I picked for my cultural post is the lifestyle of students that are my age. Being somewhat familiar with Korea, I know that drinking culture is a huge part of university as well as adult life. Because it is different from how students in the US spends their weekends, I thought it would be interesting to learn more about it.
Unlike drinking in the US, the drinking culture in Korea has a lot of etiquette rules - even in a university setting. Generally, the hierarchy runs based on age. Therefore, if there is someone older than you which you're drinking with, you must accept any drinks they give you and make sure their glass is filled. I've heard a lot of stories where some students were not comfortable with drinking. However, since it is often considered rude to decline a drink, they are forced to do so.
Korean students also play a lot of drinking games. Examples include: 3-6-9 where you count excluding numbers with 3,6 and a 9 and take a shot if you mess up, the quick wit game, where people count and stand up, but if more than one person does so, they must drink, and the name game where you pick a topic and say as many words you can think of while keeping track of what people said before you, among many others.
Korea also has a large club culture. In areas like Hongdae, which is by Hongik University, the streets are full of bars which continue well into the morning. The Korean drinking ate is 19, so people ranging form 19 to around 30 usually frequent the club scene. Along with Hongdae, areas like Gangnam and Itaewon are also full of clubs - and generally play electronic or hip hop music. There are also bars in addition to clubs. However, unlike most bars in the US where you can mingle with strangers, most Korean bars have restaurant-like seating only, so most people tend to hang out with the people they came with. However, bars in areas where foreigners are more common - such as in Itaewon - tend to have more "American style" bars where people can mingle and meet new people.
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