Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sojusucks]

A toll of drinking culture in South Korea.

[Captain Corea]

I imagined that last quote of stats to be higher.

[Underwaterbob]

The only surprise here is that beer is outpacing soju. Go beer!

[Mr. BlackCat]

Something doesn't seem right with those stats. 6 million people drink each day, but only about 9 million bottles of beer and 9 million bottles of soju are consumed? What's the adult population here? Around 30 million at least? Let's say only 20% of them have a a couple of drinks on any given day (which is not that far flung). That's about 6 million. Let's say those 6 million have half a bottle of beer OR soju (again, a very conservative estimate). That's 1.5 million beers and sojus off the books.

That leaves 7.5 million bottles of both beer and soju for the 6 million alcoholics. That's slightly more than a beer and bottle of soju for each of them. Now, I've already been very conservative with my estimates of the adult population here, number of Koreans that drink each day, and the amount they consume on that day. But I am not willing to accept that people who drink each day only have a bottle of beer and soju and call it a night.

In simpler terms, that's 6 million Koreans drinking half a bottle of anything each day combined with another 6 million who drink a bottle of each (so called alcoholics). And then about 18 million adults not drinking anything at the same time. Each day. Does that sound right to anyone?

[Steelrails]

We need more data on crappy Scotch, Izakaya Sake, Magkeoli, BokBunJa, Cocktails at bars, and Miscellaneous Traditional Liquors. That might make up for the discrepancy.

[KimchiNinja]

Does the concept of "alcoholism" exist here?

I mean that assumes it's a "bad thing" right? Heck if they applied the US standard everyone here would be an alcoholic!

[Steelrails]

http://healthland.time.com/2012/05/14/dsm-5-could-mean-40-of-college-students-are-alcoholics/?iid=hl-main-mostpop1

Korea has its share of mental health problems, but stuff like this is one reason why the ol USA is looking more and more insane.

[JustinC]

OMG some people in Korea like to get drunk! Where are the laws protecting us from their bad habits and unsocial behaviors? We should be more like non-drinking countries where murder and rape never happens. People there are much happier and more tolerant of other cultures, so we should be more like them. If someone drinks alcohol here they should be forced to confront their weakness and put into jail. This will result in a much better society where less days are lost due to alcohol, improving GDP and thus improving the happiness of the people.

Yeah .... right.

[everything-is-everything]

I have no problems with the drinking culture here. It's a lot of fun.


I just wish Koreans wouldn't be so hypocritical and go after weed smokers.

Why is one substance celebrated when it is far far worse than weed?

[comm]