Korean Job Discussion Forums

[DHX]

I see a whole lot of threads about drinking and social situations. What if I don't drink? I'm not a big fan of alcohol. Not for any religious or health reason, but just because I don't like it and it goes to my head way too fast and makes me feel sick. I haven't touched the stuff since New Years Eve and I'd like to set a personal rule not to drink when I am overseas. Will this cause friction with Koreans? Will they think I'm a weirdo or weakling if I say I don't drink? Just curious

[mole]

I'd just accept what they pour for you, touch to your lips, maybe take a sip.
They don't care about waste, just the ritual.

[Smee]

Yeah, I've been okay about limiting my drinking, or not drinking at all, around Koreans. At least at my school there haven't been any situations where we've had to sit down with the boss late at night and drink (before I came here that's what I assumed we'd do a lot, haha.) In fact, at various school functions with alcohol, few of the Korean teachers even drank at all.

On the other hand, I've found it a little harder to avoid drinking with fellow foreign teachers, since it is such a big part of the social life here. If you don't drink I doubt anyone will stuff you into a locker or anything, but it just might reduce the chances you have of socializing with coworkers/foreigners.

[Imbroglio]

There's a pot smokers support group that meets every other Thursday at the Reggae pub.





























kidding

[ella]

This is something I've been wondering about, too. I could do the fake-sipping thing but what if you don't smoke? There aren't any non-smoking bars, are there? How do you politely decline to go with the group without causing offense?

[SuperHero]

[heydelores]

My Korean friends respect that I don't drink or smoke. They still invite me out with them. I just order Coke or Sprite when I'm out. We're more likely to go grab a meal in a restaurant than a drink at the bar, though. It seems that most of the Westerners in my area do all their socializing at the bars, so I don't fit into that circle quite as well, but I've still managed to get to know some of them.

[Juregen]

[RACETRAITOR]

[Corporal]

Actually in some cases, your Korean acquaintances might be more understanding of your not drinking than your foreign colleagues will be. A lot of Korean women don't drink beer because they're worried about the calories. No one gives them any flak. I even have a good Korean (male) friend who doesn't drink any alcohol at all, ever. No one bothers him about that. But many foreigners seem to assume you're going to want to spend the entire weekend boozing it up, because they can't find anything better to do, or because their jobs are so stressful.

[laogaiguk]

[Hapkido-In]

Pretty much everyone here is spot on. You don't have to drink to get along with people in Korea. Drinking is a big part of socializing here, for sure, but it's not the whole part. Just touching the drink to your lips and putting it back down is absolutely fine.

[JZer]

[JZer]

[laogaiguk]