South Korean society holds two distinctive values and attitudes toward men and women’s drinking. For men, alcohol is a social lubricant, and the consumption of alcohol is considered essential to many business and social gatherings. The conduct of business generally involves alcohol as a means to please business partners or customers and to create a “good working relationship” among coworkers. Alcohol is also viewed as a means to promote enduring friendships and enhance existing relationships, as well as an acceptable coping mechanism for any stressful life event. The public has a high tolerance for open drunkenness, and “mistakes” made while under the influence of alcohol (such as rowdiness, arguments, and fighting) are readily tolerated. This cultural acceptance of alcohol clearly affects the extent to which individuals drink (Danko et al., 1988).
Societal acceptance of alcohol use is limited to men, however, and the values and norms regarding women’s drinking are unclear and often contradictory. Traditionally, Korean women are expected to stay at home, take care of their children, and support their husbands and parents-in-law. Characteristics of the traditional ideal woman include being permissive, submissive, and domestic. In the past, women were not expected to participate in work-related activities and were expected to refrain from drinking alcohol. In recent years, however, women’s role in society has been changing. Women’s participation in the workforce has rapidly increased, and young women are expected to work outside of the home for financial reasons and for self-actualization. As such, society requires them to engage in both traditional and modern roles.
Traditional social values and norms are slowly changing to reflect the reality of the contemporary women’s role in society. For alcohol, however, this involves more than a simple transition. As noted earlier, although drinking with coworkers is an important and natural part of business culture, women experience more difficulty adapting to the rules and standards of the workplace. Historically, women have served as entertainers for men in social settings or as cooks who prepare lavish side dishes and drinks. Woman enter- tainers are called “jik-up yeosung,” meaning “women who earn money by entertaining men at a drinking party.” Such women still exist in Korean society in large numbers, and many men look for their services to entertain at parties. Because of this, contemporary working women participating in a drinking party, or any women at private parties with men, have to be cautious not to come across as women entertainers, not to be taken as “easy.” This set of contradictory expectations requires women to maintain a continuous balancing act.
A woman who participates in social drinking must engage in constant self-assessment. Although she is expected to take part in the collective party mood by drinking like her coworkers or friends by offering drinks to others and not rejecting drinks offered by others, unlike men, she is not allowed to become intoxicated. If she fails to abide by these rules, which are different from those of her male coworkers or friends, she faces the risk of being criticized by friends and sometimes ostracized from the workplace. If she becomes drunk and falls asleep or vomits, she may be considered as lacking self-discipline or may run the risk of being seen as a woman entertainer or as “easy.” The issue is not whether to drink in these situations. Rather, it is how to navigate the subtleties of contradictory gender norms, traditional and modern, in regard to culturally appropriate drinking practices.