Guide to Drinking in Korea

Drinking in Korea is vastly different than in America. Not only culturally but also physically. Let's start with the cultural aspect of drinking.

• BASIC MANNERS
• If a Korean asks you out for a drink, it means they want to get to know you better. To them, drinking is a very personal experience. You get to know the real person and would talk about things you normally wouldn't. So, if you coworker, boss, or friend asks you out for drinks it's almost rude to decline without a very good reason.
• SOJU ETIQUETTE
• If you're going out to dinner, you'll usually be drinking soju. If a person older than you pours the soju you must accept it using two hands. Culturally, you must accept anything an older Korean gives you or you'll be considered extremely rude. You will also take the drink with either two hands, one covering the bottom of the glass, or you take it while looking away so that they can't see the bottom of the glass. However, if someone younger than you pours the drink you can accept it with one hand and not be disrespectful. Also, it's respectful to pour soju for your elders but remember to use two hands for older people but you can use one hand for younger people. It's also considered rude not to hold your glass when people pour for you. I've seen it where a friend leans over and touches the soju glass of someone who's not paying attention and gives them the look of, don't worry I saved you there.
• DIFFERENT DRINKS
• Soju (rice liquor 20%)
• Mekju (beer)
• So-mek (beer and soju mixed)
• BASIC DRINKING STYLE
• In most countries you start to go out drinking maybe around 9pm and finish at 2-3am. So, you tend to drink harder and faster. While here in Korea the bars don't close until 6-9am and even then you still go to breakfast afterwards and drink soju. I've had many late nights continuing until 11:30am. So where a lot of new people fail is in their drinking stamina. They come to Korea with their old drinking habits and just fall to pieces. Throwing up, falling down, and basically making asses of themselves. So, the best recommendations I have for you out there is to get a good, late, solid dinner, start drinking a little later and to pace yourself. I know it's a little hard to adapt to. We all still have our nights where we get out of control but if you follow those basic steps you'll be able to maintain a semi-functional drunk even at 6am.

Remember it's not customary to tip in Korea and can even be considered rude, however in a foreign bar it is usually appreciated. However, there are usually designated tip jars where they should be placed. And, as always, drink safe and be smart. This is a foreign country after all.