회식 - obligatory fun with your Korean coworkers
Tuesday, April 21st, 2009Company dinner.
Rule #1) count on 소주. Lots of it. Serious. Just look at what happens when I type “회식” into Google Image. Food and alcohol - get used to it.
This cultural event of course has a deep cultural context that should never be ignored. I encourage those seeking to understand the Korean mindset to venture into the past. Either way, in the present, soju is plentiful, cheap, and widely available.
Soju has been around for a while and there’s no sign of it stopping - however it is getting weaker in alcohol content as the years pass. Soju is typically drunk at such company diners but certainly other spirits are involved, too. However, I get the impression that beer is not exactly a masculine choice for alcohol. I’ve been told that although drinking beer is perfectly acceptable, it’s typically drunk by Korean women because of its lower alcohol content. That’s too bad, too - I’m probably one of the only foreigners that actually likes Korean beer. Sorry America.
Korean people don’t just hang around their boss to drink and eat just because they have nothing better to do. Quite the opposite. Any expatriate can tell you that there are plenty of times the last thing on their mind is hanging with their coworkers with the expressed intent to get drunk and eat food that they might not exactly dig. Oh and go singing.
Rule #2) There will be fun and games in addition to food. If it’s a great night out, then you’ll still be on the third or fourth 차 or place by the time everyone is ready to go home.
What I’m trying to say is that 회식 is one facet of Korean drinking culture (which we looked at a while back). Even though you are considered a guest in the country there are a set of courtesy rules that are expected to be followed. However, as with most things Korea-related, foreigners are allowed to pull the “Foreigner” card at times and politely refuse a drink or two in favor of keeping your wits (for reasons that you are allowed not to explain - be it religious, philosophical, etc). However, it is generally still expected to attend at least the first and second place that the company visits for the night - at the end of the second place (be it a 노래방 or a bar) you can politely excuse yourself with little to be sorry about - you came, didn’t you?
People who refuse or make excuses or otherwise weasel out of these company dinners are not cruising for a bruising per se but they definitely are putting on a subtle “Does Not Play Well With Others” shirt on. Again, as a foreigner, you can weasel out but I would recommend that in order to maintain a well-oiled work environment, plan on going out with your boss and coworkers. Remember, Korean business hours do not function the same way as in America - a 회식 is considered to be an extension of normal working hours.
Of course, as with all things in life, too much of anything is a bad thing. I’m certainly an advocate for moderation in anything that has the potential to be habit forming - to include food, alcohol, or 이효리 music videos. yowza.
Having said that, drinking with your coworkers is one of many ways to improve your relationships with your coworkers and will make or break the ideal working environment. In a group-centered society like Korea, you don’t want to be “that guy” who doesn’t want to get to know his or her coworkers.
A nice summary of a typical 회식 can be found here. But don’t take my word for it: here’s another first-hand rundown. And for good measure, here’s another. Just for you.
Thoughts?
Posted by Matthew in How Koreans Do It |
April 23rd, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Seriously… I don’t know why I have the “typical low Asian alcohol intolerance”. Koreans drink so much! XP
April 24th, 2009 at 1:26 am
I think I’ll be condemned to the bottom of the corporate ladder if I were to live and work in Korea. I can’t drink, and I don’t really like staying out late and partying..
April 24th, 2009 at 4:13 am
윤선씨 I have never heard of that before - the typical low tolerance for Asian people. I was always under the impression that Korean people are more likely to have an iron stomach. All but two of my Korean buddies can drink me under the table. It’s alarming…
Shan, I hear you. I, however, do like drinking socially but truth be told, I’m a lightweight. However, I wonder just how much fun going out and drinking and singing would be in 10 years? 20 years? I’ve been told that the ability to drink is considered a skill like any other office skill - typing, oral presentations, video editing, etc. So I imagine that it wouldn’t completely kill your chances but, like not being able to type, it certainly won’t help.
I wonder…do family men/women get a free pass? Do they get to go home instead of drinking?
April 24th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
You haven’t? Apparently Asian people lack something in their bodies that caucasians have that helps them process alcohol better. And I thought it was just kind of… typical that Asian people have lower tolerance than caucasians? Oh well, here it seems to be… and I live up to it very well! LOL. One drink, and I’m gone! =P
April 26th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Another interesting write up, Matthew. I’m not sure how I would feel about being obligated to go out and drink with coworkers. I suppose I could adapt
.
According to wikipedia, there are three keys to alcohol tolerance: body mass, repeated consumption, and having enough of the right enzymes in your body to break down the alcohol. Apparently Korean workers make up for the lower body mass and somewhat lower count of the enzymes with practice. But some portion of the population just doesn’t have the right enzymes and just turns red after one drink.
April 28th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
If anyone’s been following the intermediate series here on KClass recently, you’ll know that the poor employee was dragged out to a “Welcome Dinner” (a very special type of 회식) on his first day and forced to drink by his superiors– despite his repeated insistence that he can’t drink. That evening did not end well…
Anyway, the Foreigner Card is a good card always to have up your sleeve. Like Matthew said, I’d suggest always trying to show that “you play well with others,” but whip out that foreigner card as soon as you really start to feel uncomfortable. If you’re good at your job and get along with your co-workers at work, then politely refusing that fifth drink (or better yet, accepting the drink then subtly hiding it when the boss looks away, to let everyone save face) won’t torpedo your chances of doing well at the company.
July 8th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
[…] So, as many well know, Korea is heavily influenced by Confucian thought. Modern day Korean business meetings take place both in the office and in the restaurant with more importance on the latter. Drinking culture permitted the spread of free thoughts and ideas without the usual beating-around-the-bush that is the norm even today in Korea. Drinking with friends, colleagues, and potential clients all play a huge role in how the well-oiled 13th-largest-economy-in-the-world machine works. So what if you don’t drink? […]
December 1st, 2009 at 5:37 am
[…] Yeah it gets you out of going to 회식 with coworkers you don’t like. Sure it allows you to leave the lunch table before your boss. It even lets you sit in the senior citizen bench on the subway. Granted you’ll get stared at like no one else before you but at least you’ll be the youngest person sitting. Thanks Foreigner Card! […]