On the Rocks: Does South Korea have a drinking problem?

Hic, hic Hurray! South Korea enjoys its drinks and the latest numbers are proof of it. Figures show an increase in wine, whiskey and beer imports and the COVID-19 pandemic has also changed how South Koreans consume their alcohol. What used to be a social activity, has now slowly transformed into an at-home indulgence.

However, whether one drinks socially or privately, South Korea’s love for alcohol hasn’t waned. We take a closer look at the Asian nation’s drinking habits and what drives the country to be one of the heaviest drinking nations across the world.

Alcohol sales see a high

According to data from the Korea Customs Service, whiskey imports have shot up nearly 80 per cent in the first quarter of this year. A whopping 8,443 tonnes of whiskey was imported between January and March, up 78.2 per cent from the previous year. It marks the highest first-quarter tally since 2000, when data tracking began.

This rise can be attributed to the country’s so-called “MZ Generation” of millennials and Gen Z opting more for whiskey. An increasing number of young Koreans are switching to the darker beverage which can be mixed with soda or used in cocktails.

Additionally, whiskey is becoming cheaper in the country and it is also easily accessible.

Jihong Park, the owner of music bar Strange Fruit in a trendy part of western Seoul, told Bloomberg that a rising number of his customers were drinking Jameson Irish whiskey in recent times. “Whiskey is more and more popular with young people, and they don’t drink much compared with our generation. I think they’re interested in tasting whiskey,” he was quoted as telling Bloomberg, adding that the alcoholic beverage was “not expensive, quite good and easy to drink.”

The data also revealed that beer still remained South Korea’s top preference when it came to alcohol – the volume of imports was about seven times that of whiskey in the January-March period.

In the past year, wine imports also saw a rise by 3.8 per cent to the preceding year. The total value of wine imported by South Korea last year came to $581.2 million, according to the data compiled by the Korea Customs Service.

Also read: Why Japan is urging its sober, young people to hit the bottle

South Korea’s alcohol consumption

These new numbers reflect South Korea’s love for alcohol. South Korea has a drinking culture, which is deeply embedded with its work culture. South Korea employees have long hours. As a result, drinking after work is common — it’s a way to relieve some of their stress. The entire team, or sometimes the company, has hoesik (work dinners), which everyone is expected to attend.

Employees say hoesik is essential in the country. “Drinking is never the goal. It is to build bonds in business and with people. At work, we can’t be so open but here, we can make good memories,” an employee was quoted as telling Al Jazeera.

This practice has fuelled a heavy alcohol habit in the country – in 2016, the country had a per capita alcohol consumption of 10.2 litres. This is higher than the average of the WHO Western Pacific Region.

In previous years too, South Korea has guzzled down alcohol – an average of 13.7 shots of liquor per week in 2014. Data published by Euromonitor had shown that Russians only consumed 6.3 shots per week, while Filipinos drank roughly 5.4 shots per week; and Americans consumed only 3.3.

Also read: What is making Germans buy less wine?

COVID-19 and drinking in South Korea

However, when the pandemic struck in 2020, hoesik events went for a toss as there were strict restrictions across the country to stop the spread of COVID-19.

This, in turn, gave rise to homsul or drinking at home, alone. In fact, according to a 2020 report, the “preferred trend” was home drinking. And while this was celebrated by alcohol manufacturers and sellers, it was also a concern among health experts.

This is because lonely people, sitting at home alone were indulging in hard liquor, which could further cause alcoholism. In fact, Korea Rural Economic Institute’s report revealed that in 2021 single-person households spent much more on alcohol than households with two or more people. According to the findings, single-person households spent 10.6 per cent of their processed food spending on alcohol products. Comparatively households with two or more people spent 7.3 per cent on alcohol products.

But with the end of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in South Korea, hoesik is making a comeback. But, this news hasn’t been well received by the country’ ‘MZ generation’. “This is because many young workers regard hoesik as overtime work,” Kwang-Yeong Shin, a sociology professor at Chung-Ang University, told Insider.

Echoing similar sentiments, ,Yoon Duk-Hwan, consumer trends researcher and co-author of 2019 Korean Trends, had told BBC that for the MZ generation, these “gatherings reinforce an authoritarian culture that an increasing number of younger South Koreans are choosing not to partake in anymore”.

Whether it is hoesik or homsul, drinking alcohol continues in South Korea unabated.

With inputs from agencies

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,
India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.