Politeness without pressure: How Korean Gen Zers rewrite drinking norms

Korea Herald

a day ago

In Korea, drinking with elders or seniors, whether at work, school or in other social settings, traditionally comes with some etiquette.
Beyond using both hands to pour or receive a drink and turning one's head away while drinking, proper manners include holding your glass lower than a senior's during a toast, promptly refilling their glass when it's empty and reserving the seat farthest from the entrance for the most senior person at the table.
For younger Koreans who haven't learned these customs firsthand, YouTube tutorials provide a clear breakdown of proper behavior in drinking settings. These videos often target college freshmen and first-year employees eager to make a good impression.
Kim Tae-woon, a 22-year-old university student in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, said he recently watched a video featuring Dex, a TV personality who rose to fame on Netflix's dating show 'Single's Inferno,' sharing tips on traditional Korean drinking etiquette.
In the video, Dex introduces customs like turning one's head and lightly pressing the glass to the lips before placing it down when it's difficult to take a full shot poured by an elder, as well as covering the neck of a soju bottle with one hand when pouring for someone else.
One of the rules Kim found most memorable was the act of turning his body away when pouring his own drink — a way to avoid drawing attention. Self-pouring, called 'jajak' in Korean, is traditionally discouraged in Korean drinking settings.
'I don't fully understand all the rules, but I make an effort to follow them when I'm drinking with seniors. Even though people say things have changed, I still think it looks good when men show proper manners since hierarchy and seniority tend to play a bigger role in male relationships than in female ones.'
'At first, some seniors thought I was being a bit much with all the etiquette. But later, they actually liked it.'
Rules remain, but pressure is easing
Korean drinking customs are deeply tied to the country's communal culture, where sharing drinks, or getting drunk together, has traditionally served as a means of bonding and building social cohesion.
However, these traditions have also drawn criticism for creating an environment of pressure, especially when participation feels more like an obligation than a choice.
While many university students still observe basic etiquette, the era of forcing drinks on others appears to be fading.
'Beolju,' for instance, which translates to 'penalty drink,' is increasingly frowned upon by younger students, who view drinking as a personal choice rather than an obligation.
The practice typically involves making the losers of drinking games consume strong, often unpleasant mixes of alcohol. Once seen as a way to break the ice and reinforce social hierarchy, it is now widely considered outdated.
Park Yu-ha, a 21-year-old art major at a university in Incheon, said she has never encountered beolju at any student event since entering university.
'If I were ever pressured to drink beolju by senior colleagues at work, I would seriously consider quitting. Drinking should be up to the individual, not something people feel forced into.'
Rather than simply drinking less, some students are now embracing entirely alcohol-free gatherings.
In May, Yongin University's dance department held a membership training with no alcohol at all. The snack table featured only nonalcoholic beverages, with the organizers explicitly labeling it an 'alcohol-free MT.'
Drink like a nerd, or not at all
Among Korea's Generation Z, drinking culture is becoming increasingly polarized, either you don't drink at all, or you're deeply into it, says Lee Seung-jun, a 27-year-old university student in Seoul and a member of Wine & Dining, an intercollegiate wine club.
'These days, drinking isn't about everyone getting drunk together. You can have a great time even if one person is drinking heavily and another isn't drinking at all. This kind of vibe has become completely ordinary among my friends and me," he said.
Lee, who has been active in the wine club for two years, said more university wine clubs have emerged in recent years, driven by students who approach alcohol with genuine curiosity and interest.
'I enjoy soju and beer too, but unlike them, wine doesn't carry the same image of excessive binge drinking. That's why a lot of Gen Zers who reject old-school drinking norms are turning to wine and joining wine clubs in the process.'