South Korea has one of the most prolific drinking cultures in Asia as drinking is approached as a social act. It is very common for Koreans to drink with their teams after work to loosen themselves up and connect with each other - known as hoesik. However, it is not simply drinking - it involves cultural traditions and etiquette too. The consumption of alcohol is deeply rooted in holidays and family rituals such as lunar new year and chuseok (day of giving thanks).
Koreans began producing their own alcohol during the Koryo Dynasy (946-943) due to the introduction to distilling liquor given the exposure to foreign cultures. During this time, the first prototypes of a popular alcohol ic beverage, soju, was created though it is still uncertain where exactly it originated from. Alcohol became more accessible under the Joseon dynasty and it is when traditional drinks were brewed using rice. Previously, it was mostly the royal family who were able to partake in drinking distilled alcohol but during the Joseon dynasty, the general public also partook. It was under the reign of this dynasty that many of Korea’s traditional liquors were created such as samhaeju and miinju. However, after Korea was colonized by the Japanese, taxes were imposed on the alcoholic drinks and they gained control over the traditional production techniques. This in turn led to the demise of traditional Korean alcohol as the Japanese began to impose their own means of producing alcohol. By the time Korea was liberated and faced the Korean war, traditional Korean alcohol had practically disappeared. In modern day Korean, drinking culture revolves around low-alcohol drinks like soju and beer as opposed to its counterparts.
Drinking rituals are heavily laced with respect for elders and/or your superiors. Some of the customs when drinking include serving everyone drinks first and then waiting for someone to offer you a drink as it is viewed as taboo to pour your own glass. When you are accepting or pouring a drink, bow your head slightly and you must also use both hands to sustain your glass - typically your right hand holding the glass or bottle and the left hand slightly holding your other wrist. As a sign of respect, when drinking the glass, the younger ones should face away from the elders and use their hands to cover themselves while drinking. As a rule of thumb, the first drink should be drunk all at once. It is regarded as distasteful if you reject a drink that is offered especially when drinking with your coworkers, resulting in a culture where you drink until drunk. Studies have shown that the biggest reason why Koreans drink is to relieve stress.
Given the high alcohol consumption rate, liver cancer along with other liver related diseases are the leading causes of death for Koreans. Due to the heavy drinking culture, the government has started several well-being campaigns in 2007 to reduce the amount of alcohol consumption. However, these initiatives have yet to be successful.
Comments
Thank you for this post! Since I started drinking, I was always curious where and when Korean alcohols originated from. I think it is very important to know the drinking culture because there are a lot of unsaid rules, especially when drinking with elders as you mentioned. It is concerning, however, how the cancer and diseases have increased. I heard that Korea recently increased the prices on alcohol.