33 Keys to Decoding the Korean Wave #14 DRINK 

#14 People who enjoy eating, drinking, singing and dancing

<2> Drink (마시고/주/酒) 

 

*BTS  ‘Chin Bangtan Party’ #2022BTSFESTA, BANGTANTV <YouTube capture>

https://youtu.be/1t0iJ7F_k9Q

 

“Hey everyone! I’m hungry, so let’s eat quickly. Eat! I don’t know what to drink. Isn’t this your favorite drink? Is it soju? Is Jimin drinking soju today? Let’s each have what we like. … By the way, what’s this? Royal Salute! It’s liquor. I’m going to drink makgeolli (milky-white rice wine). I should be drinking it in a bowl, not a glass, like Dongdongju (unfiltered rice wine). What am I drinking today? I’ll start with cheongju (clear rice wine) before I eat. Wow, you’re a true alcohol lover! There’s a rule: start with something clear, then move to something thicker, stronger. I drink when the top is clear... Let’s start with a drink first.”

 

On June 14, 2022, global K-pop sensation BTS announced they would temporarily suspend group activities, shocking fans worldwide. The announcement came during their “BTS FESTA Dinner,” which was shared on their official YouTube channel, BANGTANTV, just days after the release of their anthology album Proof, marking nine years since their debut in 2013. RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook casually chatted about food and alcohol during their annual dinner party, commemorating BTS’s founding. What started as a lighthearted conversation over a mukbang (eating show) eventually led to the dramatic announcement of their hiatus.

 

Later that summer, BTS released a cookbook titled "BTS Recipe Book: Book of Tasty Stories," featuring simple Korean dishes the group enjoys. The book includes recipes for meals like kimchi fried rice and banquet noodles for when they’re feeling good, pajeon pancakes and sujebi for rainy days, daytime snacks like nurungji (scorched rice crackers) and hotteok, late-night favorites like chicken and tteokbokki, and comforting dishes like samgyetang and braised ribs. Each recipe offers a glimpse into the foods that bring comfort and joy to BTS.

 

 

Drinking scenes in 24 films of prolific director Hong Sang-soo

 

“Let’s have a drink, let’s have another drink

Let’s pick and count the flowers and eat them indefinitely

After this body dies, cover it with a mat on top of the lift

Gone tied up and gone. Many of the luxurious bier go away weeping

If you go to the silver grass, horsetail grass, oak tree, and white sheep forest,

When the sun, the white moon, light rain, thick snow, and whirlwinds blow, who will suggest that we have a drink?

How much more so when a monkey whistles over a grave, even if you realize it, what do you do?”

-Excerpted from “Jangjinjusa(將進酒辭, A Drinking Poem)” by Songgang Jeongcheol(鄭澈, 1536-1594)-

 

Shin Yun-bok's "Jusageobae"/ “Bulchumugwi” at Nammun Market in Suwon

Jeong Cheol (Songgang, 1536-1593), a master of Joseon lyric literature known for works like "Guandong Byeolgok," "Samiingok," and "Sokmiingok," was also renowned for his love of alcohol. He composed around 20 works centered on drinking, including the poem "Jangjinjusa," which reflects the influence of Chinese poet Li Bai (701–762) and advocates for enjoying alcohol.

 

At the entrance of Nammun Market in Suwon, near Seoul, there stands a statue of King Jeongjo (1752–1800) from the Joseon Dynasty, depicted seated before a table of liquor in a scene titled "Bulchumugwi." Known for his fondness of drinking, King Jeongjo was said to have insisted his servants drink heavily, famously declaring, “You can’t go home unless you’re drunk.”

 

Additionally, genre painters Kim Hong-do (Danwon, 1745–?) and Shin Yun-bok (Hyewon, 1758–1814), who were favored by King Jeongjo, captured scenes of drinking among both the aristocracy and common people. Kim Hong-do’s "Nobyeonyaro" and "Jumak," along with Shin Yun-bok's "Jusageobae," are representative works depicting the culture of drinking in Joseon society.

 

 

<2> DRINK 

<1>

There are also many proverbs about alcohol in Korea. “I'm getting serious while I’m drunk,” “I’m crying over a drink,” “I’m drunk even if I pass through a wheat field,” “As if mix alcohol with alcohol, water with water,” “I’ll get slapped after buying you a drink,” “A drunk man buys a tile-roofed house for his cousin,” “A drunkard is not a real friend,” “Looks in the mirror, sees the heart with alcohol,” “If matchmaking is good, it’s three glasses of wine, but if it doesn’t, it’s a dirty cheek,” “Drunk people and children don’t lie,” “Three drinks in death are not as good as one drink in life”....

 

 

A Glass of Drink

 

Life never bought me a drink.

On a winter night, at the end of a dead-end alley,

From a street cart bar,

I emptied my empty pockets,

And time after time, I bought drinks for life.

 

But life, never once,

Bought me a single drink in return.

 

Even on days when snow fell silently,

And on days when I lost,

A sudden flower bloomed silently.

-Jeong Ho-seung (1950- )-

 

 

“Daytime Drinking” (2009), a film by Young-Seok Noh

 

According to a 2014 survey by market research firm Euromonitor, Koreans drank the most among 44 countries in the world. Koreans were found to drink 13.7 cups every week, more than twice as many as Russia (6.3 cups), which ranked second. According to the 2020 Global Drinking Demographics survey, the amount of alcohol consumed by Koreans has gone down significantly and is now at an intermediate level.

 

However, it is clear that Koreans usually enjoy drinking. In fact, I enjoy binge drinking. They compete with each other with their ability to break down alcohol, saying, “How much do you drink?” There are many reasons for drinking alcohol. For work, to promote friendship, to be happy, to be in pain... and to get drunk. While Western drinkers drink alone, Koreans enjoy drinking in groups. Drinking alone is often misunderstood as alcoholism.  Also, drinking parties for Koreans are more like play. Koreans like to binge in groups, sing, dance, and go until they pass out.

 

After work, company dinners are common as an extension of work. Bomb cocktails (shots of liquor with beer) appear in company dinners. Executives, employees, and hierarchical drinking parties become one by drinking liquor and beer (Yangpok), or cocktails mixed with soju and beer (Sopok), taking turns drinking bomb liquor, and strengthening solidarity. The ceremony of bomb shot has become a “performance” from bomb drinking to drinking from the same cup and toasting. In fact, bomb shot is a drink that reflects Korean collectivism and uniformity. It’s also a way to save time and get drunk quickly. In addition, it is a democratic alcohol that neutralizes the strong and the weak instead of drinking alone, and drinks the same amount. It is said that our ancestors also drank bomb cocktails. In the 18th century, drinkers drank makgeolli with soju slightly, and called it “Hondonju.”

 

Why do Koreans want to drink until they’re drunk? What is the reason why you have to go to the end to get rid of the stress and oppression of everyday life and go into a complete trance? Is it because of the desire to break away from the daily life of pecking order and the well-defined daily life of an tightly organized workplace, so that the top is the bottom and the bottom is the top? As a nation that loves alcohol, many Korean movies about alcohol have been produced.

 

#Seven Reasons Why Beer Is Better Than a Lover (1996)

The outrageous omnibus movie “Seven Reasons Why Beer Is Better Than a Lover,” which compares women to beer, was a flop at the box office and with the critics.

 

The 1996 omnibus film Seven Reasons Why Beer Is Better Than a Lover, directed by seven middle-aged Korean filmmakers—Kang Woo-seok, Kim Yu-jin, Park Jong-won, Park Cheol-soo, Jang Gil-soo, Jang Hyeon-soo, and Jeong Ji-young—was a critical and commercial failure. The film, which attempted to compare women to beer, drew widespread criticism for its patriarchal themes.

 

The project involved a young Bong Joon-ho, fresh from the Korean Academy of Film Arts (class of '95), who co-wrote the screenplay with Byeon Won-mi and served as assistant director on Park Jong-won's segment. The film is structured around seven 15-minute episodes that revolve around Jonathan (Han Jae-seok), a man who drinks only beer due to family circumstances. After returning to Korea from the U.S., Jonathan encounters various women, with each episode focusing on one of the "seven reasons" why beer is supposedly better than a girlfriend:

 

-“I’m not jealous even if I drink other beers” (dir. Kim Yu-jin)

-“I'm always the first man to open” (dir. Jang Hyeon-soo)

-“I don’t feel guilty even if I drink several types of beer in one night” (dir. Jeong Ji-young)

-“I can share it with friends” (dir. Park Cheol-soo)

-“There is no period of reluctance to drink” (dir. Park Jong-won)

-“You can know the quality and taste just by looking at the label” (dir. Jang Gil-soo)

-“You can get the bottle price even after drinking it all” (dir. Kang Woo-seok)

 

The movie was criticized for its sexist portrayal of women, reinforcing outdated patriarchal attitudes. Its comparisons of women to beer painted women as jealous, overly concerned with their appearance, and even ridiculed natural bodily functions like menstruation. The film also rationalized infidelity and objectified women based on their looks, further emphasizing traditional gender roles in Korean society.

 

Ultimately, "Seven Reasons Why Beer Is Better Than a Lover" was a failure both critically and financially, exposing the problematic mindset of some of Korea’s most prominent directors at the time. The film was swiftly buried in the annals of Korean cinema, serving as a reminder of the societal norms it inadvertently showcased.

 

 

#Hong Sang-soo: Romance of Alcohol and Words 

 

Right Now, Wrong Then, 2015

 

 

As of September 2022, Director Hong Sang-soo's 19 films were screened at the New York Film Festival.

 

 

 

 

#Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar acceptance speech

 

Bong Joon-ho at the 92nd Academy Awards ceremony on February 9th, 2020.

 

When director James Cameron won the Best Director Oscar for 1998's Titanic, he famously exclaimed, "I’m the king of the world!" The line, shouted by Leonardo DiCaprio’s character Jack Dawson in the film, felt a bit self-congratulatory coming from Cameron after Titanic swept 11 Oscars.

 

In contrast, Bong Joon-ho, who made history at the 2020 Academy Awards with Parasite, took a more down-to-earth approach. After winning his first Oscar for Best International Feature Film, he quipped, “I'm ready to drink tonight!” Then, when he was named Best Director, he humorously reinforced his love for celebrating, declaring, “I’ll drink until next morning!” It was reported that the Parasite team, about fifty members strong, partied until 5 a.m. at Soban, a Korean restaurant in LA.

 

 

 

 

Parasite

 

Parasite itself is no stranger to drinking scenes. Early in the film, a drunk man urinates outside the Kim family’s semi-basement home, while the family gathers inside, drinking Filite beer and gazing at the scholar’s rock. Later, when the Park family leaves for a camping trip, the Kims indulge in a lavish drinking session, enjoying tequila, cognac (REMY MARTIN), and whiskey (Ballantine’s 30-year, Royal Salute 21, Glenfiddich 15). The movie’s closing song, sung by Choi Woo-sik (who plays Ki-woo), is titled "A Glass of Soju" and was written by Bong Joon-ho with music by Jung Jae-il, perfectly capturing the film's mix of melancholy and celebration.

 

*뉴욕 영화제 2019 (8) 우리의 마음 속엔 기생충이 산다 '기생충(Parasite)' ★★★★☆

*사람들 사이엔 선이 있다: 흑백으로 다시 본 '기생충' ★★★★★

 

 

Soju and Makgeolli Go Global

 

 

Beyond the rise of K-Food, K-Drink is now riding the Korean Wave to international prominence. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Korea’s traditional alcoholic beverages—soju and makgeolli—gained recognition for their health benefits, leading to a surge in exports. According to statistics from the Korea Liquor Industry Association and Korea Customs Service, by July 2021, Korea’s alcoholic beverage exports reached $169.76 million (approximately 184.9 billion won).

 

In 2016, Hite Jinro, a pioneer in the "globalization of soju," introduced fruit-flavored varieties with lower alcohol content, such as grapefruit, green grape, plum, and strawberry. These flavors saw an average annual sales growth of 41%, and Jinro Soju is now exported to over 80 countries. Jinro has held the title of the world’s best-selling distilled liquor for 21 years. According to the British publication Drinks International, Jinro Soju was recognized as part of the “Millionaire’s Club,” a ranking for liquors that sell over 1 million cases annually. In the 2022 rankings, Jinro Soju sold an astounding 94.5 million cases in 2021, far outpacing its competitors. Ginebra San Miguel, a Filipino gin, came in second with 36.7 million cases, and India’s McDowell’s No. 1 whiskey was third with 30.1 million cases. In 2022, Hite Jinro’s soju exports reached an all-time high of $120 million (around 156 billion won), a 16.4% increase from 2021.

 

“While Jinro didn’t see growth in 2021, we fully expect its export strategies to take effect next year. The brand has the potential to become the first in history to break the 100 million case threshold,” said Drinks International editor Shay Waterworth. Globally, Johnnie Walker remains the top-selling scotch, Jack Daniel’s leads in American whiskey, and Smirnoff dominates vodka sales.

 

 

Drink International

 

Makgeolli, Korea’s traditional rice wine, also experienced a resurgence during the pandemic. Known as a "lactobacillus-rich" drink that boosts immunity, makgeolli’s popularity soared after studies revealed that one bottle contains the same amount of lactobacillus as 100 to 120 bottles of yogurt. In 2018, Kooksoondang upgraded its makgeolli offerings with the launch of the “100 Billion Lactobacillus Makgeolli” series, contributing to the drink’s transformation into a trendy cocktail ingredient.

 

The U.S. liquor website Liquor.com published an article in November 2020 titled, "Everything You Need to Know About Soju, the Most Popular Distilled Spirit in the World." The column recommended using soju in place of vodka for cocktails and highlighted Jinro’s dominance, with 86.3 million cases sold in 2019—more than any other brand of distilled spirit.

 

In January 2022, The New York Times further spotlighted the appeal of makgeolli in a piece titled, "This Ancient Brew Has Retro Appeal in South Korea." The article discussed how, especially during COVID-19 lockdowns, makgeolli experienced a renaissance both in Korea and abroad. Once a "peasant's drink," makgeolli is now a premium product, gaining popularity through online sales and improved production methods. The Times attributed this resurgence to the Newtro (new + retro) movement, where younger generations reimagine old traditions for modern times.

 

With soju and makgeolli now thriving globally, they not only represent a cultural staple but also symbolize Korea’s growing influence in the global beverage industry. From fruit-flavored soju to artisanal makgeolli, K-Drink is proving to be as significant and influential as K-Food, captivating palates worldwide.

 

 

 

At Jungsik, the eight-course tasting menu (SIGNATURE MENU) at New York’s Michelin two-star Korean restaurant (CEO Jungsik Yim) cost $285 as of May 2023. They also serve Korean liquor. In the “SOOL” (alcohol in Korean) section, one can find Omija/Daechu/Baekseju Ginseng infused, and in the Traditional liquor section, Mir/ Hwanggeum Bori Black Label SOJU FLIGHT, Your Choice of Three Sojus, and Signature Cocktails include SEOUL MULE and AU LAIT, Golden Barley Soju, Devoción Coffee, and Ron Zacapa.

 

Junghyun Park, a former chef of Jungsik, received two Michelin stars and won the 2023 James Beard Foundation’s Award for Best Chef in New York State, for his tasting menu restaurant Atomix. The Korean Traditional Beverages menu at his first restaurant, Atoboy, is also noteworthy. Atoboy Yangchon Chungju, a rice wine made with snail rice from Yangchon, Nonsan, Chungcheongnam-do, Hwaju brewed at Hana Makgeolli Brewery in Brooklyn, and Hwanggeum Bori, Hwayo in the SOJU section, Seoul Night, and Mir are listed.

 

Hana Makgeolli Brewery opened in Greenpoint, Brooklyn in 2020 by Korean-Americans Alice Jun and John Limb . Here they make TAKJU, YAKJU, HWAJU, OMIJAMA MAKGEOLLI, and HYUNMIJU. In the tasting room, you can taste Hana Makgeolli with Korean snacks such as acorn jelly, tofu, kimchi, pajeon, and Korean Fried Chicken (KFC).

Sukie Park

A native Korean, Sukie Park studied journalism and film & theater in Seoul. She worked as a reporter with several Korean pop, cinema, photography and video magazines, as a writer at Korean radio (KBS-2FM 영화음악실) and television (MBC-TV 출발 비디오 여행) stations, and as a copywriter at a video company(대우 비디오). Since she moved to New York City, Sukie covered culture and travel for The Korea Daily of New York(뉴욕중앙일보) as a journalist. In 2012 she founded www.NYCultureBeat.com, a Korean language website about cultural events, food, wine, shopping, sightseeing, travel and people.

 

*33 Keys to Decoding the Korean Wave, Hallyu: contents <English> 

http://www.nyculturebeat.com/index.php?mid=Zoom&document_srl=4068226