Korea is famous for its popular culture for night time entertainment.
People gather at pubs all the time. People go on a date with lovers, have reunion with college friends, hold a casual business meeting or family events. There always are alcohols whenever people meet.
Lots of my foreign friend like this culture saying that people are so cheerful and friendly. However, I have adverse feeling of drinking culture in Korea.
I think the problem is the fact that there are nowhere else to go other than pubs, and people don’t know what to do other than drinking when they want to meet people.
People go to pubs and drink to be drunk. Most popular drinks in Korea is soju, which is a traditional alcohol made from rice. It usually contains over 19% alcohols which is pretty high compared to beer and wine, and people tend to get drunken easily.
Korean society is highly hierarchical and that culture is also reflected in drinking culture. Often people are forced to drink over their appropriate amount. It is obviously bad for one’s health, and I believe this consequences in social problems.
It is natural that people just continue doing what they’ve done when they were young, at the age when one’s character is formed. Adults tend to keep enjoying late night life even after their marriage and birth. The more time people spend in drinking directly results in less time in the time spent at home. I believe that this is related to many social side effects originated from lack or communication and intimacy at home.
Number of coffee shops has increased incredibly in Korea during last few years, and I think this shows people’s thirst for alternative place for gathering. People need a space which is not a house nor a work place – the third place. I would like to add on more thing – people need space more than just a shopping mall. I believe library, stadium, and park can serve this function.