Drinking Etiquette

People need to know two things when they travel to other countries. 

First one is communication and second one is respecting the culture of the country you are visiting. 

Some countries, for example, have their own drinking cultures.

Korean drinking culture is quite unique. If you are a first- comer to Korea, you could think it is too strict yet once you understand what it is, it is not too demanding and you would be able to enjoy this part of Korean culture. 

After having a long day in the work place, Korean people often go to bars with their co-workers, friends and family to relieve stress from work and life and get to know each other better. In other words, in order to make good relationships with people, you need to drink beer or soju, which is the representative Korean alcohol. People can not live alone and they need friends who can share their concerns, secrets and stories. Once people drink and eat together, they could strengthen their relationship through conversations over drinking. 

When Korean people drink with seniors or older people, they need to show their respect. When senior people offer you a drink, you need to grab the glass with two hands and drink facing the opposite direction from the person. This is the way Korean people show our respect for our seniors. 

High school students are unofficially educated by parents in their house how to drink with older people, because as they become a certain age, they would have many chances to drink with older people. 

Some Korean people demand their friends or co-workers to drink at their pace. It was the most annoying and some people followed the speed, but Korean people in their 30 and 40s are trying to change the demanding drinking culture, because they know how difficult it is. 

Most people benefit from drinking with friends. They can learn about life, work, language, country, etc. Drinking too much could affect your health and work, but as long as people can use moderation, it can be a positive experience.