The Rules of Soju According To Itaewon Class And Other Beloved Kdramas
We watched soju be a plot device in our favorite kdramas and we fell in love
After bingeing on countless Korean dramas and K-pop songs, we’ve become well aware of the magic powers of soju. If you haven't been initiated, well, soju is a traditional Korean distilled beverage made from rice, wheat, or barley, usually containing about 16.8% to 53% alcohol by volume.
Soju originated in the 13th century kingdom of Goryeo, which occupied part of the Korean peninsula. Today, hundreds of years later, it is arguably the most popular drink in Korea and by the 2000, soju had become the largest selling spirit in the world. In fact, in 2019, the soju brand Jinro sold 86.3 million 9-liter cases worldwide. A major reason for soju's global popularity is kdrama.
In the Philippines, soju exploded onto the drinking scene in recent years primarily thanks to our obsession with Hallyu or Korean culture. The many Korean dramas we watch and the K-pop idols we follow have given us a hunger for all things Korean, and soon soju with Korean bbq, or soju with Yakult became staples for dinner and get-togethers in the ordinary Filipino household.
But how much do we know about soju, really? An iconic alcoholic drink that's several hundred years old, it has its unique place in Korean culture, as you can see if you watch Korean dramas (which we do!). Korea has a rich and interesting culture that we get intriguing glimpses of from soju scenes in kdrama. After hundreds of hours of viewing, and several hundred bottles of soju, here's what we learned about Korean culture based on the soju scenes in our favorite Korean dramas.
What We Learned About Soju From Kdramas
What We Learned About Soju From Kdramas
Father-son bonding over soju in "Itaewon Class"
The scene when Park Saeroyi first drinks soju with his father is a deeply emotional bonding moment. He’s just been expelled from school, but dad is proud that his son has made the difficult but ethical choice. Soju is sweet when you’re happy, says dad. As the series unfolds, soju and its sweetness (or bitterness) highlights the hero’s journey.
Photo Credit: JTBC
Jung Geum Ja and Yoon Hee Jae at an after-work drinking party in “Hyena”
Did you notice a lot of after-work drinking scenes? Soju (and drinking) is a huge part of South Korea’s corporate culture, and etiquette dictates such things as who pours the drinks and who receives drinks.
Photo Credit: JTBC
Saeroyi offers to pour the drink first for his staff
Usually, the oldest person or the one with the highest rank at the table offers a drink first. If you’re receiving the drink from an older person, you must bow your head slightly while the drink is being poured. Hold and accept the glass with both hands, and then look away and drink it in one shot. After your superior offers the drink, you may then offer one in return using the same glass.
Photo Credit: JTBC
Saeroyi and his DanBam crew cheers to soju
Koreans value drinking etiquette since the drinking culture has been embedded in their history. However, drinking with friends doesn’t have to be as formal.
Photo Credit: JTBC
Rain as Lee Hae-joon, drinking and crying his heart out in “Please Come Back, Mister”
When you toast with soju, you might say “geonbae,” which means “bottoms up!” It is also customary, whenever you see an empty glass on the table, to offer to refill it. It can be tricky to refuse a drink, as you may be seen as rejecting someone else’s generosity. We suspect this habit of not refusing drinks may have led to a lot of binge-drinking.
Photo Credit: KBS
Captain Yoo Shi-Jin and Seo Dae-young drink to celebrate their break from duty in “Descendants of the Sun”
in 2014, Euromonitor data found that South Koreans drank the most in the whole world, at around 13.7 shots of liquor per week on average. That’s almost twice Russia’s average, at 6.3 shots per week on average, and 8 shots over the Philippine average of 5.4 shots per week. These off-duty soldiers from “Descendants of the Sun,” however are exempted! Give them a break!
Photo Credit: KBS
Wol-ju and Chief Gwi’s tent bar in “Mystic Pop-Up Bar”
So much Korean culture has indeed rubbed off on us, thanks to K-dramas. Have you ever longed to go to a tent restaurant and drink soju and eat Korean bbq after a good ol’ rom-com? Well, that’s because South Korea has succeeded in selling the idea of soju-drinking through its many dramas—just like in Mystic Pop-Up Bar, where Wol-ju has to resolve the grudges of 100,000 people in her tent bar, and the makeshift table made from stacked plastic boxes become the ultimate location for the troubled ones to escape reality with a shot of soju and a bowl of fishcakes.
Photo Credit: All Things Hallyu
Cho Jung-seok gets the liquid courage to confess
Soju functions as an important plot device in many Korean dramas—like how a soju-drinking party led to Cho Jung-seok confessing his feelings in this episode of “Hospital Playlist.” Rarely will you find a Korean drama that doesn’t have at least one soju-drinking scene.
Photo Credit: Netflix
Se Ri and Captain Ri share their hopes and dreams with each other
Characters may use soju as an excuse to act differently than they usually would or confess their feelings, which they can’t otherwise do when sober. Just like in this touching moment where a tipsy Captain Ri confesses that he doesn’t want to go back to North Korea and, instead, wants to stay with Se Ri and marry her.
Photo Credit: tvN
Joon carries a black-out drunk Ha Na
Soju nights also make for good lead-ups to a piggyback ride home or a morning after scene where the character cannot remember the events of the night before. Just like in this scene in “Love Rain” where Joon carries Ha Na after she had too much to drink. Classic!
Photo Credit: KBS
Tae Eul’s somaek in “The King: Eternal Monarch”
While soju is usually drank neat, it has also become a cocktail ingredient. Some of the more traditional and popular South Korean drinks made with soju are yogurt soju and somaek, a cocktail made from soju and beer, which was made by Tae Eul for Lee Gon in “The King: Eternal Monarch.”
Photo Credit: Netflix
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