Drinking Culture in Korea

Drinking Games in Korea

Koreans love their drinking games, and there are plenty to choose from! One of the most popular games is "Apartment", where players stack their hands together, and the leader calls out a number. Players then remove their hands one by one, starting from the bottom. There was also a song written about it!APT. By Rosé, But that’s just one example—Korea has tons of drinking games to enjoy! Here’s a list of some top games you can try with your friends:

1. Titanic

· Setup: Place a small cup inside a larger cup and fill the larger cup with alcohol.

· Gameplay: Players take turns pouring small amounts of alcohol into the larger cup, trying to avoid sinking the small cup inside.

· Penalty: If the small cup sinks, the player who caused it to sink must drink from the cup.

2. Baskin Robbins 31

· Objective: Players count numbers in order, but every time the number is a multiple of 3 or contains the digit 3, they must say "Baskin Robbins" instead of the number.

· Gameplay: Players take turns counting in order, but when it’s their turn to say a number divisible by 3 or containing the number 3 (e.g., 3, 13, 23), they must say "Baskin Robbins" instead.

· Penalty: If a player makes a mistake or hesitates, they must drink.

3. Drunk Jenga

· Setup: Build a Jenga tower and write drinking rules on the blocks (e.g., "Take a Drink," "Choose Someone to Drink," "Waterfall").

· Gameplay: Players take turns pulling a block and must follow the action written on it (like drinking, swapping seats, or doing a truth/dare). If the tower falls, the player who caused it must drink.

· Endgame: The game ends when the tower collapses, and the loser typically has to take a shot or drink.

4. Flunky Ball

· Setup: Each team has a bottle in the middle and stands at a distance.

· Objective: Teams try to knock over the other team's bottle with a ball while racing to drink from it.

· Gameplay: Teams alternate throwing the ball to knock over the opponent's bottle. If successful, the other team must drink.

· Winning: The game ends when a team knocks over the bottle and drinks enough.

5. Go Stop

· Objective: Players aim to collect sets of cards to score points.

· Gameplay: Players take turns drawing cards, trying to complete combinations like "lights," "flowers," or "animals." Special cards like "Go" and "Stop" let players continue or end the round.

· Winning: The round ends when a player declares "Stop" with enough points, and the winner is determined by the points scored.

Fun Facts About Korean Drinking Culture

Teamwork and Camaraderie: In some companies, there’s a policy of mandatory participation in after-work drinks, even if you're not much of a drinker. This is meant to help build teamwork and friendships among coworkers.

Drinking Etiquette: Korean drinking etiquette is important. For instance, it’s considered disrespectful to drink while facing an older person or someone in a higher position. Also, pouring drinks for others (especially older or higher-ranking individuals) is a sign of respect, and failing to do so can be seen as offensive.

Legal Drinking Age: In South Korea, you must be at least 19 years old to legally drink alcohol, which is one year older than the legal drinking age in the Netherlands (18 years). If you are caught providing alcohol to a minor in Korea, you could face a fine of 20 million won or a prison sentence of up to two years.