By Elena KanNowadays the statement that Russians are the heaviest drinkers in theworld confirms some prejudices about them. I also learned to understand the reputation that Koreans have as drinkers when I first saw how often and how much the people of the "Land of Morning Calm"drink alcohol, not in desperation but out of duty. The reason is that in Korea there is a specific culture of drinking liquor and even in the national consciousness alcohol occupies a special place.
It's very common to see drunken people lurching down the street on a Friday night. Even whole offices or students all stumble around drunk,barely able to get to the nearest subway station, leaning on each other as they attempt to do so. Some of these revelers, whether well-dressed"white-collar" workers or female students, can be found sitting or lying down on the street or on subway stairs. However, such sights which can shock foreigners who are in Korea for the first time, are commonly seen in commercial and entertainment quarters of Seoul.
While having a conversation with Koreans, you will be surely asked thequestions about your ability to drink alcoholic beverages such as ''Are you good at drinking alcohol?", or "Can you drink alcohol?" which questions the resources of your body to assimilate large amounts of alcohol.
Such questions are difficult to answer especially for foreigners. For example, in the country where I am from, it's unacceptable for girls to drink alcohol a lot or even to admit to it. But negative answers to these questions can cause Korean friends to drift away from you.
Such behavior was brought about by Koreans' aspiration for national solidarity, a very important part of Korean culture and national consciousness. It's considered as something bad if you differ from the rest of the collective. If everybody eats guksu (Korean noodle soup)you must eat the same. If everyone drinks beer, you will be regarded as a criminal for ordering something else.
It wouldn't be so sad if those who drink alcohol do it by themselves, notbothering and offering to drink together to those who don't like hard liquor for various reasons.
But the reality is exactly the opposite. Koreans describe their country as "a society that offers ― or enforces ― drinking," In other words some Koreans not only drink by themselves but insistently recommend drinking to all, whether among a group of students or in clubs. In such circumstances, non–drinkers can get out of line. In some extreme cases, if one's superior is a drinker, then everybody under his or her authority must drink alcohol otherwise they can forget about promotions and advancement: these will be given to a more manageable person.
However, people all over the world drink alcohol: some of them drink a lot, others don't drink at all. But still it is a choice that each person should do so at his or her own will. And it's abnormal when somebody uses their authority or higher position in order to force others to drink alcohol,especially, when it becomes part of culture that can have pernicious consequences.
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1. What kind of drink do you like ?
2. When do you like to drink ?
In gloomy mood or happy mood ?
3. What type of person do you become when you've drunken crying, repeating words, abusing or high...etc ?