Following is a translation exercise I did this morning. I took an interview included among the reading assignments in my textbook and did my best to translate it into relatively faithful, relatively readable English. Of course, you can't compare it with the original unless you're pretty proficient in Korean, but... you may be interested anyway to learn a little about alcohol in Korean culture!
Well, here goes:
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Park Chan Hui (abbr. Park): We have Professor Choe In Cheol with us today to look into the Korean attitude toward alcohol. Professor Choe, Koreans are pretty big drinkers of alcohol, aren't they?
Choe In Cheol (abbr. Choe): That's right. In a study of alcohol consumption among countries around the world, Korea ranked as one of the highest.
Park: So why is it that Koreans drink so much?
Choe: It appears that there is a connection to certain characteristics of the Korean mentality. In Korean society, compared to most other societies, people tend to place a high value on personal relationships (인간 관계), so even at the workplace it's common for personal relationships to come first, not work. Additionally, since fostering solidarity among workers is so important, employees often go out for dinner together (회식) after work. It's only natural for there to be a lot more chances to drink together when people spend so much time together.
Park: So Koreans don't necessarily drink a lot because they enjoy it.
Choe: Exactly. Of course, there are also people who drink a lot simply because they enjoy it. But even people who don't enjoy alcohol end up drinking because of the Korean custom of "pressuring people to drink" (술을 권하는). As a result, when you ask people why they drink, you'll frequently hear that it's not because they want to drink. Others say that they drink not because they like alcohol but rather because they like people.
Park: (laughing) Yes, it's the same for me. When I make plans to see someone, I say, "Why don't we get a drink or something." The thing I'm curious about though, Professor, is why Koreans think they have to drink to maintain their personal relationships.
Choe: In Korean society, there are a lot of rules you have to keep based on your age, your gender, and your status. These rules mean that even though you want to get closer to someone, it's hard to speak freely, and, what's more, even when you have some complaints that you'd like to share, it's ordinarily quite hard to do so. Since drinking tends to reduce that kind of difficulty, it becomes easier to have relaxed conversation.
Park: When you talk to people who enjoy drinking, it seems like they've got nothing negative to say about it. (laughter) In actuality, though, there are quite a few downsides as well. For instance, it's bad for your health.
Choe: Absolutely. As a matter of fact Korean society is gradually starting to place a higher value on the worth and happiness of the individual. Instead of going out for a drink with other people, the number of people pursuing their own private hobbies is increasing. Furthermore, the transition to a five day workweek has resulted in a decrease in the number of days for drinking.
Park: So you're saying that Korean society is changing from one that thinks of the 'group' first ('우리') to one that thinks of the individual ('개인'). Okay, today we looked into "a society that pressures people to drink" (술 권하는 사회) with Professor Choe In Cheol. Thank you for your time, Professor.
Choi: Thank you!
Some alcohol in Korea
