Koreans turn away from heavy drinking

South Korea’s after-work drinking culture is losing steam, as younger generations turn away from late-night company gatherings and heavy alcohol consumption.

For many office workers, “hoesik,” a company dinner often involving multiple rounds of drinking until the early morning, is becoming less common.

“Hoesik used to last until 2 or 3 a.m.,” said Hwang Sang-pyo, a 34-year-old office worker. “But now, if the clock hits midnight or even 11 p.m., people feel they should head home. Drinking until the morning is no longer usual.”

A 31-year-old marketer surnamed Kim echoed this sentiment, attributing the shift to habits formed during the pandemic.

“After COVID-19, the whole culture changed. When there were curfews, people got used to going home early,” she said.

For some young adults, heavy drinking has never been part of their social experience.

Choi Seung-yeon, a 25-year-old, said she does not drink at all. “I spent my freshman year during COVID-19, so I never experienced drinking late with friends. When we gather, we usually go to cafes. Most of my friends don’t drink either,” she said.

Recent statistics support these personal accounts.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the median monthly binge drinking rate across South Korea’s 17 provinces and major cities stood at 33.8 percent last year. The rate had risen from 31.7 percent in 2021 to 35.8 percent in 2023, but has since declined for two consecutive years.

Binge drinking is defined as consuming seven or more drinks for men or five or more drinks for women on a single occasion at least once a month.

Regional variations were observed, with Ulsan recording the highest rate at 39.2 percent, while Sejong posted the lowest at 28.2 percent. The sharpest decline was seen in North Jeolla Province, where the rate fell from 34 percent to 28.9 percent.

The monthly drinking rate — the proportion of people who consumed alcohol at least once a month — also declined across all 17 regions over the past year.

The shift is particularly pronounced among people in their 20s.

Except for North Chungcheong Province and Jeju Island, monthly drinking rates among this age group declined nationwide. In Sejong, the rate fell sharply from 68.3 percent to 50.5 percent, a decrease of nearly 20 percentage points.

Further evidence comes from the KDCA’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which found that 56 percent of individuals in their 20s either abstain from alcohol or drink less than once a month. This figure is higher than those for people in their 30s at 47.6 percent, 40s at 44.4 percent and 50s at 52.8 percent.

Experts party attribute this trend to the pandemic.

“Many people in their 20s entered university during COVID-19 and missed traditional group drinking events such as freshman orientations and retreats,” said Kim Sang-hag, a sociology professor at Hanyang University. “As a result, they did not form the same drinking habits as previous generations.”

Experts also highlight shifting values, including the rise of lifestyle trends such as “healthy pleasure.”

Professor Lee Eun-hee, a consumer studies expert, said these movements reflect a fundamental change in how people approach drinking.

“Healthy pleasure refers to seeking enjoyment without compromising one’s health, while there is a growing interest in reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption,” she said.

“Rather than completely abstaining, many young people are choosing to regulate their drinking based on their physical condition and daily routines.”

According to Lee, the transformation goes beyond changing preferences and signals a broader redefinition of how alcohol is viewed in society.

“In the past, the key question was ‘How much did you drink?’ Now it has shifted to ‘Why are you drinking?’” she said. “People are prioritizing their well-being and personal schedules over habitual or socially driven drinking.”

jychoi@heraldcorp.com