33 Keys to Decoding the Korean Wave #14 DRINK
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 soju today? Let’s each drink what we like. … By the way, what is this? Royal Salute! It’s liquor. I’m gonna drink Makgeolli (milk-white rice wine). I have to drink it in a glass of Dongdongju (unfiltered rice wine), but in a bowl. What am I drinking today? I will drink Cheongju (rice wine) and then eat. Wow, you are a real alcohol lover! There’s a rule. You drink it clear one first, then you drink a little thicker... a little harder.... I drink when the top is clear..... Let’s start to drink first.”
Global superstar K-pop band BTS announced that it would temporarily suspend group activities on June 14, 2022. 7 BTS boys shocked at the “BTS FESTA dinner” posted on the official YouTube BANGTANTV channel 4 days after the release of the 3 CD set “Proof,” a collection of music from 9 years since their debut in 2013. A hiatus plan was announced. RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook started talking about food and alcohol at the annual dinner party commemorating the founding of BTS. BTS’s casual mukbang led to a dramatic hiatus declaration.
And that summer, BTS published a cookbook titled "BTS RECIPE BOOK: Book of Tasty Stories," featuring simple Korean food that BTS enjoys when they feel good (kimchi fried rice, banquet noodles, budae stew), when it rains (pajeon pancakes, sujebi, stir-fried chicken soup), when they want daytime snacks (scorched rice crackers - nurungji, fish-shaped bun, hotteok), late-night snacks (chicken, tteokbokki, ramen), and dishes that bring comfort (suyuk, samgyetang, braised ribs). This book also introduces these recipes.
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
Songgang Jeong-cheol, the master of Joseon lyric literature (*intermediate form between rhyme and prose), such as “Guandong Byeolgok,” “Samiingok,” and “Sokmiingok,” was a famous drinker of the time . There are about 20 works based on alcohol, including the poem “Jangjinjusa,” which recommends alcohol influenced by Chinese poet Lee Baek (701-762).
At the entrance of Nammun Market in Suwon, near Seoul, there is a statue of King Jeongjo (1752-1800) of the Joseon Dynasty sitting in front of a liquor table, titled “Bulchumugwi.” It is said that King Jeongjo, who was a drinker, forced his servants to drink, saying, “You can’t go back home if you’re not drunk.”
In addition, genre painters Danwon Kim Hong-do (1745-?) and Hyewon Shin Yun-bok (1758-1814), who were favored by King Jeongjo, depicted the scene of drinking between aristocrats and the common people. Kim Hong-do’s "Haengnyeungsokdobyeong", "Nobyeonyaro" and "Jumak", and Shin Yun-bok's "Jusageobae" are representative paintings.
<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.
In 1996, seven middle-aged Korean male directors (Kang Woo-seok, Kim Yu-jin, Park Jong-won, Park Cheol-soo, Jang Gil-soo, Jang Hyeon-soo, and Jeong Ji-young) gathered to direct an omnibus film about alcohol, “Seven Reasons Why Beer Is Better Than a Lover.” Bong Joon-ho, who graduated from the Korean Academy of Film Arts (11th class) in 1995, adapted the screenplay with Byeon Won-mi, and he also participated as an assistant director in an episode directed by Park Jong-won, a graduate of the 1st class of the film academy.
The story is a “beer romance” that takes place when Jonathan (Han Jae-seok), a young man who only drinks beer because of his family history, returns to Korea after living in the United States and meets many women, told in seven 15-minute episodes: “I’m not jealous even if I drink other beers” (director Kim Yu-jin), “I'm always the first man to open” (director Jang Hyeon-soo), “I don’t feel guilty even if I drink several types of beer in one night” (director jeong Ji-young), “I can share it with friends” (Director Park Chul-soo), “There is no period of reluctance to drink” (director Park Jong-won), “You can know the quality and taste just by looking at the label” (director Jang Gil-soo), and “You can get the bottle price even after drinking it all” (director Kang Woo-seok).
The content of the movie is full of patriarchal thoughts of Korean men. Comparing women to beer is also outrageous. It was a movie that defined women as jealous people, emphasized virginity, subtly rationalized men’s cheating, ridiculed women’s menstruation, emphasized their looks, and exposed the Korean masculinity to the world. “Seven...” not only failed at the box office, but also received harsh criticism. The patriarchal way of thinking of the seven leading directors in Korea was exposed and buried.
#Hong Sang-soo: Romance of Alcohol and Words
Right Now, Wrong Then, 2015
While seven mainstream directors were making a sexist, absurd drinking movie “Seven Reasons Why Beer is Better Than a Lover,” emerging director Hong Sang-soo, who loves drinking, quietly made his debut film. After attending Chung-Ang University’s Department of Theater and Film, Hong studied at the California College of Arts and Crafts and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. After returning to Korea in 1992, he worked as a PD (TV director) for SBS-TV’s liberal arts program “Writers and Topical Works.” He may have indulged in Korean novels at that time.
His first feature film was “The Day a Pig Fell into the Well,” based on Koo Hyo-seo’s novel “Unfamiliar Summer.” Song Kang-ho, a former theater actor, made his debut in the movie as a business friend of the main character Kim Eui-sung. “The Day ...” is a stark depiction of the daily life of a snobby third-class novelist and a reminder of how fictional and hypocritical Korea’s so-called “realist films” were around that time in Korea.
In his later films, director Hong Sang-soo plays novelists, PDs, film directors, actors, and painters as the main characters, showing intellectuals’ false consciousness and snobbery, always through drinking. No matter what their occupations, the male characters in Hong Sang-soo’s films always dream of having sex with the other woman, and either reach their goal or fail through alcohol, flattery, and lies. Alcohol is an elixir that enables men and women to shed their false consciousness and become faithful to their emotions instead of reason, that is, their desires. The main character quenches his desire by kissing, having sex, and beating while drunk. So, the drinking place that always appears in Hong Sang-soo’s films is a space where snobbishness, instinct, false consciousness, lies, and ugliness rage. At this place, a persistent psychological tug-of-war between men and women takes place.
As of September 2022, Director Hong Sang-soo's 19 films were screened at the New York Film Festival.
Hong Sang-soo’s films are a recurring and variable “romance between alcohol and words.” It is reminiscent of Woody Allen in New York and Eric Rohmer in France. He has made 28 feature films, and has consistently included drinking scenes. His films have been underperforming in Korea, however, he has been highly regarded abroad. Hong won the Prix Un Certain Regard Award at the Cannes Film Festival for “Hahaha” (2010), the Golden Leopard Award at the Locarno Film Festival for “Right Now, Wrong Then” (2015), and at the Berlin Film Festival, he has won major awards for three consecutive years, including Best Director/ Silver Bear for “The Woman Who Ran” (2020), Best Screenplay/Silver Bear for “Introduction” (2021), and Grand Jury Prize/silver Bear for “The Novelist's Film” (2022).
Critics in New York also adore Hong Sang-soo’s films. As of September 2022, 19 of his films have been screened, the most in the 60-year history of the New York Film Festival. Program director Denis Lim published “Tale of Cinema” (2022), focusing on Hong’s film of 2005. I interviewed Hong in 2006, when “Woman on the Beach” was shown at the New York Film Festival. He invited me and my junior reporters from The Korea Daily of New York to dinner at Ise, a casual Japanese restaurant in Midtown. A music director of Hong’s film joined as well. While drinking soju, each confessed their first sexual experience and love story, falling into the trap of the “Rock-Paper-Scissors Truth Game” that Hong enjoys. These stories would one day be used in director Hong’s films.
#Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar acceptance speech
Bong Joon-ho at the 92nd Academy Awards ceremony on February 9th, 2020.
“I’m the king of the world!” director James Cameron said after winning the Best Director Oscar for 1998’s “Titanic.” In fact, it was taken from the lines of the film shouted from the bow of Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio), a third-class passenger who was destined to die in “Titanic.” The blockbuster movie “Titanic” swept 11 Oscars, but Cameron, quoting Jack Dawson’s line, came off as somewhat conceited.
Meanwhile, director Bong Joon-ho, who rewrote history at the 2020 Academy Awards, said, “I'm ready to drink tonight!” after winning his first Oscar, the Best International Feature Film for “Parasite.” Then after receiving the Best Director Oscar, he declared to everyone that he is a Korean who enjoys drinking, saying “I'll drink until next morning!” It was said that the “Parasite” team of fifty or so held a party until 5 a.m. the next day at Soban, a Korean restaurant in LA, with braised ribs, braised codfish, bibimbap, and seafood tofu pancakes and drinks.
Parasite
Of course, several drinking scenes appear in “Parasite.” At the beginning of the movie, a drunkard urinates on the street, and the Kim family sits around and drinks beer (Filite) while looking at the scholar’s rock. While the Park family go away for a camping trip, the Kims have a drinking party and enjoy tequila, cognac (REMY MARTIN) and whiskey (Ballantine 30 year old, Royal Salute 21, Glenfiddich 15). The song that Choi Woo-sik (Ki-woo, the son) sings in the ending credits is “A Glass of Soju,” written by Bong Joon-ho and composed by Jung Jae-il.
*뉴욕 영화제 2019 (8) 우리의 마음 속엔 기생충이 산다 '기생충(Parasite)' ★★★★☆
*사람들 사이엔 선이 있다: 흑백으로 다시 본 '기생충' ★★★★★
Soju and Makgeolli went to the world
Now, beyond K-Food, K-Drink is riding the Korean wave high. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Korea’s soju and makgeolli were recognized as healthy, and exports surged. According to Korea Liquor Industry Association-Korea Customs Service import and export trade statistics, by July 2021, alcoholic beverage exports by Korea reached $169.76 million (184.9 billion won).
In 2016, Hite Jinro, which advocated “globalization of soju,” developed fruit flavored soju (grapefruit dew, green grapes dew, plum dew, strawberry dew…) with low alcohol content, and recorded an average annual sales growth rate of 41%. Jinro Soju is exported to over 80 countries around the world. In addition, it has been the world’s best-selling distilled liquor (Spirits/蒸溜酒/ Distilled Liquor: soju, gin, vodka, rum, whiskey, brandy, etc.) for 21 years. Drink International, a British media specializing in liquor, has classified it as a member of the “The Millionaire’s Club,” a liquor that sells more than 1 million cases per 9 liters per year. In the 2022 Millionaire’s Club rankings, Jinro Soju sold 94.5 million cases in 2021, keeping the top spot in the distilled liquor bestseller category. Ginebra San Miguel (Philippines), a gin brand with 36.7 billion cases, took second place, and McDowell’s No. 1, an Indian whiskey with 30.1 billion cases, took third place. In 2022, Hite Jinro recorded soju exports of $120 million (approximately 156 billion won), the largest ever. This is a record increase of 16.4% from 2021.
“While Jinro didn’t see growth in 2021, we fully expect its export strategies to take effect next year and the brand has the potential to become the first in history to break the 100 million case threshold,” said Drinks International editor Shay Waterworth. Meanwhile, Johnnie Walker recorded the world’s No. 1 selling scotch, the No. 1 American whiskey was Jack Daniel’s, and No. 1 vodka was Smirnoff.
Traditional Korean liquor Makgeolli also gained popularity as it became known as a lactobacillus liquor that is effective in strengthening immunity. The Makgeolli boom began with the result of a study that “the lactobacillus content of one bottle of Makgeolli is equivalent to 100-120 bottles of yogurt.” Since 2018, Kooksoondang has been upgrading and enhancing Takju Makgeolli with the launch of the “100 Billion Lactobacillus Makgeolli” series. Makgeolli has also been transformed into a cocktail.
U.S. liquor website Liquor.com ( https://www.liquor.com ) published an article,”Everything You Need to Know About Soju, the Most Popular Distilled Spirit in the World,” in November 2020. In a column titled “Spirit in the World,” the magazine explained the reasons why people should drink soju, aka, “Korean vodka.” According to the column, Jinro Soju sold 86.3 million cases in 2019, more than any other alcoholic beverage brand in the world. And, it was recommended to use soju instead of vodka when making cocktails.
The New York Times made headlines in January 2022 about Makgeolli’s retro style. The Times said in an article titled “This Ancient Brew Has Retro Appeal in South Korea,” that Korean traditional liquor makgeolli, especially during the COVID-19 lockdown, caused a great sensation worldwide. Koreans had a history of brewing makgeolli for centuries before it was banned under Japanese colonial rule.
The New York Times explained that Korea’s makgeolli industry was dominated by large companies until more than a decade ago, but the quality increased recently as a large number of small start-ups participated, and demand for handmade makgeolli increased. Makgeolli, once a “peasant's drink,” is gaining huge popularity due to its increased online transactions and advanced strategies . This marketing strategy was attributed to the Newtro (new + retro) craze in which the new generation interprets old culture according to modern times. The Times also explained the process of making makgeolli, including the process of stamping on yeast, through photos and videos.
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
