Soju Drinking Etiquette

Yesterday me and my friends went out on a Korean New Year Eve. At first we went to eat Samgyeopsal (pork belly meat). We ate quite a lot, because there was muhan refill, that means you pay only 9,900Won per person and eat as much as you want! After that we went to a pub to drink. We ordered kwail soju (fruit soju) that tasted pretty good and I got a thought to write about Korean traditional alcohol drink – soju.

Soju is 25%~30% alcoholic drink which looks and tastes like vodka. It is made from rice, potato, wheat, barley or sweet potato. It is the cheapest alcohol drink in South Korea, it costs around 3,000Won ($3) per bottle. You may read about soju history and brands here, but I want to teach you how to drink soju properly.

Koreans usually go to drink with their friends, colleagues, relatives, even with teachers. It is very common for students to have dinner and drink soju with their seniors and professors. Drinking with them you show your respect.

Soju bottles are always green.

Korean etiquette in drinking soju:

1. You can not fill your glass yourself. It's a bad manner.

2. When someone elder is going to fill your glass you should keep your glass with two hands. If someone younger is doing that, one hand is enough (pic1).

3. When you are going to fill someone elder's glass it's polite to keep a bottle with two hands (pic2).

4. Before drinking people usually clink glasses (pic3).

5. If you are a woman it is polite to turn side and drink (pic4).

6. Usually when Koreans invite you for a drink they say "술 한잔 해요" (sul hanjan haeyo) than means 'Let's drink together'.

7. Usually when Koreans drink they say "one shot" that means "bottoms up".

8. While young people are drinking they play funny games, and the loser is obliged to drink extra shots. Be careful! :D

Some soju sexy posters :)

Drinking soju is a very common tradition in Korea, and drinking with somebody may help you to make a lot of friends. Don't reject somebody's invitation to drink with you, maybe they want to be your friends :D

Sincerely yours, Yelena Lim