K-dramas feature a lot of delicious Korean foods and drinks. Today, we're bringing you some k-dramas famous for their soju drinking scenes!
Why Is Soju So Important for Koreans?
Soju is called Korea's national drink for a few reasons. It's the world's most popular alcohol, with over half of it produced by HiteJinro. Main brands include Chamisul (shown below), Chum Churum, and Good Day.
Image Credits: Samia Liamani via Unsplash
Drinking soju is a big part of Korean culture. It's evolved from holiday rituals to becoming part of social and business events. Soju is popular with working-class people and students who need to relax or talk to each other.
Image Credits: MBC via Kokoro ga doki doki suru!
Soju can be paired with different foods (anju, 안주) including Korean barbeque and pajeon (파전). There are also different soju recipes and games you can try! You'll see a lot of them as you become more familiar with soju in k-dramas.
Image Credits: Wayan Vota via Flickr
Without further ado, let's look at some k-drama drinking scenes!
Let's Eat
We'll start with "Let's Eat," where the main cast shares a love of eating out. Soju appears with the meals - and in this scene from Season 3, on top of it! (Don't try this at home.)
This clip also shows somaek, a combination of beer and a soju shot.
Season 1 features a drunk confession scene. It's not a love confession, but an outpouring of emotions by our main protagonist (Lee Soo-kyung), made possible thanks to soju.
Image Credits: tvN via YouTube
"Let's Eat" has three seasons if you're interested in learning more about soju and Korean food.
Sweet Munchies
Also called "Midnight Snack Couple," this series is all about food and the world of cooking shows. So it's no surprise you'll find some soju scenes here.
Several times, the main cast eat out with their coworkers to celebrate or unwind after a successful or busy day. These meals are chances for the characters to get to know each other better, maybe even noticing things they've missed.
Image Credits: JTBS via KJT Amusings
Soju can also loosen lips and lower people's guards. During another meeting where the team eats gopchang (곱창) with soju, male lead Park Jin-sung (Jung Il-woo) expresses some of his discomfort with being part of the show (a role he got because he lied about his sexual orientation).
Image Credits: JTBC via YouTube
This is another show you have to watch for the food, and it does a good job of showing soju drinking as social and team bonding.
Misaeng: Incomplete Life
"Misaeng" was praised for its unflinching portrayal of office life, and that includes the numerous drinking scenes. Characters drink for fun but also to forget their hard, depressing lives.
Image Credits: tvN via Creatrip
Drinking is also a key part of business agreements. It turns into a test to see who can handle the most alcohol while making sure the contract is signed in the "first round." (The "second round" involves sordid and illegal matters.) As you may expect, soju loses its charm fast in the business world.
Image Credits: tvN via YouTube
It's not all doom and gloom, though. Jang Geu-rae (Im Si-wan) and Jang Baek-gi (Kang Ha-neul) made us laugh when they tried to sell socks while drunk.
Drinking Solo
Let's go to something more lighthearted. As the name suggests, "Drinking Solo" follows characters who like to drink on their own, an idea that's still unusual in most places.
Image Credits: tvN via Dramabeans
Working at a school is stressful. Our protagonists end the day at their jobs exhausted and go out to enjoy the night without a care in the world. Besides soju, you'll see different brands of beer and other Korean alcohols.
The Producers
Now here's a show that has several iconic drinking scenes. First, there is the scene where Tak Ye-jin (Gong Hyu-jin) confesses her feelings for Ra Joon-mo (Cha Tae-hyun).
Image Credits: KBS2 via Ahjumammshies
Then there's the time when both Ye-jin and Cindy (IU) have a little too much soju. Cindy repeats a story from her youth, while Ye-jin starts doing aegyeo and is excited for another round.
Finally, we can't forget when Baek Seung-chan (Kim Soo-hyun) gets drunk and kisses Joon-mo!
She Was Pretty
"She Was Pretty" has several drinking scenes, but this one is the most unforgettable. Kim Hye-jin (Hwang Jung-eum) goes to a covered tent, or pojangmacha/pocha (포장마차), to drink her frustration away. Her supervisor Kim Shin-hyuk (Choi Si-won) goes to keep her company.
Image Credits: MBC via YouTube
Under the influence of the soju, Hye-jin tells Shin-hyuk about her complicated relationship with Ji Sung-joon (Park Seo-joon). Later while still drunk, she tries to call Sung-joon.
"She Was Pretty" Clip - 1:54-4:06
The scene is especially awkward - and hilarious - since Shin-hyuk is Hye-jin's supervisor and has a crush on her!
Descendants of the Sun
Next up, we have "Descendants of the Sun" that combines a soju drinking scene with meeting the (potential) mother-in-law!
It begins with Yoo Si-jin (Song Joong-ki) getting so drunk with his friends that he doesn't remember Kang Mo-yeon (Song Hye-kyo), his girlfriend. She's unimpressed but joins them and ends up drinking too much.
A sober Si-jin takes the intoxicated Mo-yeon home, only to find an intruder there: her mother (Nam Gi-ae)! Luckily for the couple, she seems impressed with Si-jin, especially since Mo-yeon hasn't had the best of luck with boyfriends.
Hospital Playlist
Episode 11 of "Hospital Playlist" contains one of the most iconic drunk confession scenes. Here, doctor Lee Ik-jun (Jo Jung-suk) admits his feelings for his colleague Chae Song-hwa (Jeon Mi-do) after a game of Spin the Bottle.
The scene was filmed at Kao Kao Pub in Hapjeong-dong, Seoul. Take your k-drama experience to the next level by sharing some soju with your friends there.
Work Later, Drink Now
Let's end with "Work Later, Drink Now," where drinking is literally in the title. The main cast gets into many shenanigans thanks to soju, and these are the scenes that made us chuckle.
Exhibit A. The perfect method to get free drinks.
Exhibit B. A quest for a half-bottle of soju reveals its magic powers.
Exhibit C. Probably the longest continuous swearing in a single k-drama scene. Actress Lee Sun-bin should have been a rapper!
We'll stop there, but if you want to learn more about drinking soju, then put "Work Later, Drink Now" on your list of k-dramas to watch next.
Seoulbox: Bringing the Pocha to You!
Do you want to experience a Korean pojangmacha at home? Then you should get our pocha-themed Seoulbox. Every month, we put together a box of authentic Korean snacks and goodies, with a Seoulzine (magazine) about the month's theme. There's a vegetarian version (Seoulbox V) and also a box for Korean lifestyle products (Seoulbox Life). And it's so easy to order!
It's easy to get your Seoulbox. First, go to the Seoulbox website. Click on "Shop Now" or any of the options in the "Shop" dropdown menu.
Image Credits: Image via Seoulbox
Next, choose the frequency of your box. We have several options, including monthly and 12-month. If you're new to Seoulbox, try the One Time option.
Image Credits: Image via Seoulbox
Last step: pay at checkout. When you get your box, leave a review and tag us on social media. We love hearing from our Seoulmates!
Image Credits: Image via Seoulbox
Would you like to try soju? Have you had any crazy experiences drinking it, like the k-drama characters we've mentioned? Let us know which are your favorite soju drinking scenes we may have missed!
