When Friday or Saturday come around, school lets out and you have to decide on something to do for the weekend. Sure, there are mountains to climb, temples to visit and language classes that you can take. What if you prefer to step out with your friends and have a drink? Well, you are in luck as Koreans love to drink, especially the men. There are hundreds of thousands of 술집 (“sool-jeep” literally ‘alcohol house’) located throughout the country dedicated to serving the thirsty, and finding the place that fits what you are looking for requires money, a little know how and the guts to walk into a new place and try something new. Since we can’t really give you the money, and you obviously have the guts if you are coming to Korea, we’ll provide a little insight into what’s available
The Covered Wagon and the Hof
Both of these locations were covered in the Where to Eat section (LINK), but they deserve another look. The covered wagons, which aren’t even really covered wagons, are exciting places to taste decently cooked food and wash it down with an icy bottle of soju. Here, you may also have the option of beer or makgeolli, but they tend to be overpriced (around $3.00 for a can of beer). Stick with the soju, it’s the most popular drink among Korean men and its taste isn’t too over powering.
Hofs are interesting places to visit as well. These types of places range from mom-and-pop fried chicken stands to themed restaurants with different flavors of beer. Most hofs offer their draught beer (usually Cass or Hite) by 500 CC mugs, 2000 CC or 3000 CC pitchers. Some of the more showy/expensive places will have gigantic 5000 CC pitchers, complete with dry ice and a tap on the pitcher. When you come to a hof, be prepared to eat a bit as well, as its mandatory that you order anju (안주 “ahn-joo” or ‘drinking snacks’). As stated previously, both of these options won’t be too expensive, though visiting multiple places in one night can be.
Bars (술집)
Bars, pubs or ‘sool-jeep’, are usually where people do their drinking back home. In Korea, you have to take your chances. Usually the bars in and around “foreign” districts (specifically in Seoul and Busan) offer options closest to what you’d expect at home; music, cold draught beer and a warm, welcoming bar tender. Imported bottled beer can get rather pricey, but the beer on tap is just as cold (though it’s a touch sweeter and lighter than what you’d be used to) and usually $3-4 cheaper than the imported stuff.. Outside of the “foreign” districts, the bars tend to be a bit different from what you’d expect. They are usually more like hofs, with the obligatory anju required to be seated. The bar tenders and staff will be friendly, but it’s just not the same as sitting at your neighborhood bar.
Traditional Alcohol Houses (주막)
Dongdongju (동동주), makgeolli (막걸리) and baeksaeju (백세주) are all in peak form here. The first two are unrefined drinks made from rice, which have a milky consistency. Makgeolli is a bit more carbonated than dongdongju, though both are drinks that you will either love or hate. The nice thing about them is that they are relatively cheap - $5 for a bowl which would serve two people. The Baeksaeju is a type of Korean wine, sold by the bottle for about $7. Anju, again, is mandatory in these places, but its well worth it.
Business Clubs/Hostess Bars
As the name implies, these kinds of clubs/bars cater to the businessmen. They are typically places where the guys from the office get together to discuss “business” over outrageously priced whiskey and vodka. Here, you also pay for female accompaniment and over-priced anju as well. The girls who join are not prostitutes; rather they are cute entertainers who laugh at your jokes, sing songs with you and order cocktails for themselves that are priced expensive enough to make Donald Trump blush. The nice thing about these bars is that they will keep an eye on you to make sure that you don’t consume more than you can spend, nor take advantage of the girls (though the girls are by all means encouraged to take advantage of you).
Dance Clubs and Nite Clubs (나이트)
Dance clubs are becoming ever more popular as more and more young Koreans hope to become the next top b-boy on the block. Clubs have been springing up all around the country, mostly in the big cities but you could still find something around the smaller areas. Clubs in Korea are much like those found back home. There will be several well dressed people walking around the streets, inviting people with a suitable look into their clubs. There, you’ll pay a cover charge and be admitted into the pulse of a sweaty, throbbing, popping mass of people, dancing to the music of a DJ or live artist. There are usually bars located around the perimeter of the dance area, offering rather pricey drinks to those of age club goers.
Recreational Drugs
Here is a fitting place to mention a bit about the drug culture in Korea…there isn’t one. Koreans are highly suspicious of the effects of drugs, and as such recreational drugs are outlawed in Korea. While you may find them in some places, simply being caught with any illegal substance carries heavy penalties; imprisonment, fines and deportation. Its best for you, your name and your home country’s reputation if you simply steer clear of it So, you’ve now had a few drinks, feeling good and are up for something new.
What can you do? Walking down most streets that are lighted up by the glow of the neon signs of various bars and drinking establishments, you’ll almost assuredly find something of interest. Check out the section on Leisure Activities (LINK) for some good suggestions. After the party, if the subway isn’t open, hop in a taxi. Make sure that you know where you are going.
Generally, the taxi drivers are honest and hard working people, but sometimes there are bad eggs who wouldn’t think twice about overcharging someone who has had a bit too much to drink.
