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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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 Posted: Wed May 27, 2015 5:00 pm Post subject: |
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| Smithington wrote: |
And yet if a foreigner is caught in possession of a single joint it causes a national outrage, page after page of editorials about tightening up the E-2 visa requirements, and the depiction of English teachers as complete and utter retrobates.
As for the salaryman lying on the street in his on vomit, why he's a standup citizen who just drank a little too much because of the pressure of his job and providing for his family. |
I think that has as much to do with the necessary effort to obtain marijuana in Korea. You either have to internationally have drugs mailed to you (no trifling matter) or you have to go and seek out a drug dealer, which aren't exactly out and advertising in the open like say, prostitutes.
The view of narcotics and the nature of their consumption and acquisition is not the same here as back home. The staff at the Burger King next door isn't going behind the dumpster to fire up a J during their break. They can't just call up some random friend and ask "Hey, do you know where I can get a bag?" If a normal Korean did that to another Korean they'd think their friend has gone crazy, might well be trying to get them in trouble, or some other terrible matter. In all likelihood they'd immediately sever any connection they had to the person. |
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Bongotruck
Joined: 19 Mar 2015
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| Posted: Wed May 27, 2015 11:59 pm Post subject: |
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Also has a lot to do with the social acceptance of alcohol.
Alcohol is fairly accepted here but the acceptance is starting to slowly decline, at least to what I see.
Someone can say 'he is so stressed. He/she is young and in university, he/she needs to blow off some steam.' Then there are things like MT (Membership training) that has nothing to do with membership nor training but very much to do with lifting a bottle. And once in a company, there are 'workshops' (also nothing to do with work) and forced company dinners where alcohol is in abundance.
In the recent past (and possibly present too) some criminals have used alcohol as an excuse for their crimes and have, in fact, been given lighter sentences for it. |
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cj1976
Joined: 26 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 5:13 am Post subject: |
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| It is too cheap. 3 bottles of soju that will seriously mess you up costs less than 5,000. They really need to consider raising the price to at least 5,000 per bottle. That might dissuade younger drinkers a little. |
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World Traveler
Joined: 29 May 2009
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Bongotruck
Joined: 19 Mar 2015
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 1:40 pm Post subject: |
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That would cause a national outrage among the middle aged male crowd. Not to mention the homeless.
They might then be forced to drink *shudder* good alcohol.
| cj1976 wrote: |
| It is too cheap. 3 bottles of soju that will seriously mess you up costs less than 5,000. They really need to consider raising the price to at least 5,000 per bottle. That might dissuade younger drinkers a little. |
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cj1976
Joined: 26 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 9:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Bongotruck wrote: |
That would cause a national outrage among the middle aged male crowd. Not to mention the homeless.
They might then be forced to drink *shudder* good alcohol.
| cj1976 wrote: |
| It is too cheap. 3 bottles of soju that will seriously mess you up costs less than 5,000. They really need to consider raising the price to at least 5,000 per bottle. That might dissuade younger drinkers a little. |
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There isn't a lot that is good about soju - except for the price. Ironically, that might be a big part of the problem. Saying that though, I have been drinking it more than usual recently. Partly because I'm off the beer and partly because I have been broke. |
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Bongotruck
Joined: 19 Mar 2015
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| Posted: Sat May 30, 2015 11:12 pm Post subject: |
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the same reason poor uni students in north america eat lots of mr noodles and mac n cheese.
soju smells like something i would put in my gas tank to clean it out.
| cj1976 wrote: |
| Bongotruck wrote: |
That would cause a national outrage among the middle aged male crowd. Not to mention the homeless.
They might then be forced to drink *shudder* good alcohol.
| cj1976 wrote: |
| It is too cheap. 3 bottles of soju that will seriously mess you up costs less than 5,000. They really need to consider raising the price to at least 5,000 per bottle. That might dissuade younger drinkers a little. |
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There isn't a lot that is good about soju - except for the price. Ironically, that might be a big part of the problem. Saying that though, I have been drinking it more than usual recently. Partly because I'm off the beer and partly because I have been broke. |
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Sector7G
Joined: 24 May 2008
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| Posted: Sun May 31, 2015 6:08 am Post subject: |
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| cj1976 wrote: |
There isn't a lot that is good about soju - except for the price. Ironically, that might be a big part of the problem. Saying that though, I have been drinking it more than usual recently. Partly because I'm off the beer and partly because I have been broke. |
One theory I have heard, and agree with, is that this is also the reason South Korean beer makers have not developed a quality beer - it's just not worth it for them as long as soju remains the working man's drink. Thus beers like Cass and Hite are so low in quality even compared to those made in other Asian countries....Singha, Asahi, Tsingtao come to mind but there are many others. Even a relatively poor country like the Philippines makes a halfway decent beer -San Miguel. |
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World Traveler
Joined: 29 May 2009
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2015 1:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Why? Nihilism. |
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jazzmaster
Joined: 30 Sep 2013
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| Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2015 6:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Sector7G wrote: |
| cj1976 wrote: |
There isn't a lot that is good about soju - except for the price. Ironically, that might be a big part of the problem. Saying that though, I have been drinking it more than usual recently. Partly because I'm off the beer and partly because I have been broke. |
One theory I have heard, and agree with, is that this is also the reason South Korean beer makers have not developed a quality beer - it's just not worth it for them as long as soju remains the working man's drink. Thus beers like Cass and Hite are so low in quality even compared to those made in other Asian countries....Singha, Asahi, Tsingtao come to mind but there are many others. Even a relatively poor country like the Philippines makes a halfway decent beer -San Miguel. |
Korean beer used to be German style, but it was changed around the Korean War period to lighter American style beer in order to extract as much money from the American military as possible. By changing from decent ingredients (and decent beer) to adjunct lagers they were able to lower costs and increase popularity.
That's one of the reasons Korean beer is so terrible. |
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denverdeath
Joined: 21 May 2005
Location: Boo-sahn
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| Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2015 7:47 am Post subject: |
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Well, GREAT thing they FINALLY let the American and German and other imports in at a reasonable price!!!
Anyway, they drink too much because they work too much, they're stressed too much, they have no idea what to do when they have some free time, and, yeah, soju's too cheap. |
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Sector7G
Joined: 24 May 2008
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| Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2015 12:44 pm Post subject: |
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| jazzmaster wrote: |
Korean beer used to be German style, but it was changed around the Korean War period to lighter American style beer in order to extract as much money from the American military as possible. By changing from decent ingredients (and decent beer) to adjunct lagers they were able to lower costs and increase popularity.
That's one of the reasons Korean beer is so terrible. |
Perhaps, but that is kind of my point. They have been satisfied with their crappy beer, and thus have not developed any quality ones. But there may be more to it than that, and there are signs things may be changing.....here's an interesting article on the South Korean beer industry.
"Crushing tax system, price controls keep duopoly in place as drinkers suffer in the ‘land of the bland"
http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2964841&cloc=joongangdaily|home|online
Hite-Jinro and OB say they are capable of producing various types of beer other than their mass lagers, but they stick to their products based on thorough market research.
“We conduct surveys among thousands of consumers every year and a majority of them prefer the American lager style that is light and crisp,” says an official at OB who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Others dismiss this explanation and place the blame not on consumer preference but on government taxation and regulatory policies.......
......There have been signs for some time that Koreans are thirsting for better beer.
The total production of Korean beer by Hite-Jinro and OB has stayed consistent between 2008 and 2011 while total imports have been continuously increased over the same period.
Some 43,196 tons of imported beer was consumed in 2008, a number that increased to 63,415 tons last year. Meanwhile, 1.99 million kiloliters (525 million gallons) of Korean beer was produced in 2008. That figure actually dropped to 1.96 million kiloliters in 2011. |
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kingkong9
Joined: 16 Feb 2012
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| Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2015 4:32 am Post subject: |
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| 3rd? More like, 3rd place of the night to the 4th on a Wednesday. |
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jazzmaster
Joined: 30 Sep 2013
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| Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2015 6:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Sector7G wrote: |
| jazzmaster wrote: |
Korean beer used to be German style, but it was changed around the Korean War period to lighter American style beer in order to extract as much money from the American military as possible. By changing from decent ingredients (and decent beer) to adjunct lagers they were able to lower costs and increase popularity.
That's one of the reasons Korean beer is so terrible. |
Perhaps, but that is kind of my point. They have been satisfied with their crappy beer, and thus have not developed any quality ones. But there may be more to it than that, and there are signs things may be changing.....here's an interesting article on the South Korean beer industry.
"Crushing tax system, price controls keep duopoly in place as drinkers suffer in the ‘land of the bland"
http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2964841&cloc=joongangdaily|home|online
Hite-Jinro and OB say they are capable of producing various types of beer other than their mass lagers, but they stick to their products based on thorough market research.
“We conduct surveys among thousands of consumers every year and a majority of them prefer the American lager style that is light and crisp,” says an official at OB who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Others dismiss this explanation and place the blame not on consumer preference but on government taxation and regulatory policies.......
......There have been signs for some time that Koreans are thirsting for better beer.
The total production of Korean beer by Hite-Jinro and OB has stayed consistent between 2008 and 2011 while total imports have been continuously increased over the same period.
Some 43,196 tons of imported beer was consumed in 2008, a number that increased to 63,415 tons last year. Meanwhile, 1.99 million kiloliters (525 million gallons) of Korean beer was produced in 2008. That figure actually dropped to 1.96 million kiloliters in 2011. |
I'd agree with that. As usual the massive chaebols actually make life worse for many Koreans. Their domination of the market means that truly unique innovations are given very little chance of success.
It's nice to see smaller brewers and brew pubs starting to get a small piece of the market. Long may it continue.
And props to the US microbrewers who reinvigorated the international beer market with their reinterpretations of beers. |
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