In the Rear View Mirror.

Looking through our archives... this was first published on February 23, 2023.

Judy: Just because we're Kdrama fans we do not assume to be experts in Korean Societal Norms so take all this commentary with a grain of salt! And, let it be said that we are simply commenting on what we are observing; not providing moral judgements!

If you've read other parts of this website you'll be familiar with the Korean liquor called Soju. From the shows we have watched it's fairly common for co-workers to enjoy a drink after work. There appear to be rules that are followed when out drinking with co-workers. For example, underlings will pour for their work superiors in a very stylized manner... one hand holds the liquor and the other hand is positioned under the forearm as if holding large sleeves out of the way. Allegedly this dates back to when they actually had large sleeves on their clothes. They also use what I would call shot glasses and gulp the liquor down in one try... no slow sipping here. Frankly, it appears that South Koreans can really guzzle the liquor. Many Kdramas depict groups of both women and men drunk to the point of passing out and stumbling on the street.

This whole glimpse into Korean social drinking is somewhat alien to me. I cannot tell you the last time I saw anyone in public who appeared to be drunk; although that may be because I rarely frequent bars. It's also very possible that Koreans are not binge drinking as much as shown in these shows but rather the shows are more of a throwback to earlier years much as American 2-martini lunches were common in the 50's and 60's.

That being said, I also sense there are myriad pressures on Koreans to participate in after work meals and drinks. The importance of being a team player and part of the group cannot be underestimated. And if the boss suggests the outing it could be interpreted as being very rude not to participate. Having worked my entire life I must say that this is a stark difference in American and Korean work culture.

When I lived in Taiwan fifty years ago, my husband and I would get invited to many work related dinners. There was a lot of pressure on him to "ganbei", or drink the entire glass of Gaoliang liquor. Ganbei means "bottoms up", and poor Tony would go home soused! Of course he was taking one for the team, which meant he did my drinking as well. What a guy!

I'm thinking the pressure here is probably to play golf, and play it well. One of my daughters was routinely left out of social get-togethers in her previous job because she didn't play golf. But face it: Judy and I are so far out of it that there could be social requirements and pressures we have no clue about. I for one would like to try Soju...from the couch in my family room. I'll let you know if I get there. ~Pat

2026 Update: I currently have 6 bottles (including 3 jumbo size) of Soju in my fridge. And I don't want to discuss the lovely bar in Venice that Baby Brother and I closed down on my trip to Europe. And I need to rescind a former comment.... just last month I saw 2 people 'falling down drunk' on the streets. Alas, I was part of their entourage... Always ready to party! ~ Judy

Soju aside, my latest drink of choice is hazy IPA’s. Unfortunately for me it usually comes in a 16 ounce glass. I usually polish off 4 ounces and call it quits. Yes, I’m a light weight.~Pat