“119” and the Social Emergency of Korean Drinking

Doctor doctor...

---

As I covered a bit in a previous post, the drinking culture in Korea is one of the most intense arenas in the world, so much so that entire industries are dedicated to mitigating its effects. Drinking is just a daily part of Korean society and used as a primary tool to make friends, warm up to dates, bond with coworkers, show reference to higher management and extended family, give tribute to the deceased, fend off work stress, and so many more.

• Source: Cherry Blossoms and Kimchi

This is obviously not great in a number of circumstances. Daily post-work drinks for instance really hamper weekday productivity.

Canceled due to an Emergency

---

“119” is the number you dial for an emergency situation, identical besides to the number order with “911” in the united states. Police contact, fire emergencies, ambulance requests, and sitings of extra-terrestrials all go to this line. Pretty straightforward.

• Source: Youtube

119 is now being used as a phrase abbreviation to indicate a situation of going home early after dinner/drinks.

1 – 1 setting for drinking
1 – 1 type of consistent alcohol
9 – Finished by 9pm

The time designation is self-evident but the first two requirements need a bit of background explanation. For the first “1,” you have to understand how rapidly group drinking moves from venue to venue. In an effort to pack in as many diverse experiences as possible, groups will eat/drink in one venue and pick up to go to another in quick succession. I'm talking about 45min-1hr intervals. Staying in one place gets dull quickly and the change in environment offers more bonding opportunities and a kind of memorable activity for new acquaintances to remembers fondly on. Keeping the fun to one place ensure things don't get out of hand.

• Source: Gadventures

The 2nd “1” hints to the predisposition for drinkers to mix up alcohol. Beer will quickly turn into soju, then mix together into “somek” (beer and soju), then turn to cocktails or whiskey, etc. and so forth. This is a little tactic to ensure everyone gets a bit tipsy and relaxed as soon as possible. Maintaining consistency will guard off deep intoxication and ensure that people can get home on time and back to work without throbbing headaches.

• Source: CNN

Finally, the last one is pretty clear - wrap up by 9pm. Everyone gets home early enough to sober up before the next workday.

So the next time you're drinking with Koreans and you know you don't want to go off the deep end, let everyone know that you want to keep it “119!”