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Groove readers’ opinions and feedback Does Korea have an alcohol problem? Nowadays, the belief that Russia is the most heavily drinking na- tion seems rather like a prejudice. How could one nation drink that much more? I understood it, however, when I first saw how much the people of the Land of the Morning Calm drink — often not out of desperation, but rather a sense of duty. The reason is Korea’s specific drinking culture, one where alcohol occupies a special place in the national consciousness. It’s very common, for example, to see drunken people stumbling down the street in the late evening on a Friday night, or even see- ing entire groups of office workers or students leaning on each other on their way to the nearest subway station. Some of these revelers, whether well-dressed white-collar workers or female stu- dents, can be found sitting or lying on the street or subway stairs. Such images — a common sight in the commercial and entertain- ment areas of Seoul — can shock foreigners who are visiting Korea for the first time. According to WHO statistics, Korea is the most alcohol-consuming nation in Asia. The WHO report, published in 2014, shows that Korea’s consumption among adults (aged 15 and older) is approx- imately 12.3 liters of alcohol per capita per year. Furthermore, Ko- rea’s best-known alcoholic beverage — soju — holds 97 percent of the alcohol market in Korea, and is sold more than twice as much as any other spirit in the world. While having a conversation with Koreans, you will surely be asked questions about your ability to drink alcoholic beverages such as “술 잘 먹어요?” (Literally: Are you good at drinking alcohol?). Such questions are hard to answer, especially for foreigners. For ex- ample, in my home country of Uzbekistan, it’s unacceptable for a woman to drink excessive amounts of alcohol, or even to admit to having done so. But in Korea, a negative answer to these questions can break your friendship with a Korean. Such actions are brought about by Koreans’ aspiration for national solidarity, which is also a very important part of Korean culture and the national conscious- ness. It’s considered bad form if you differ from the rest of the collective. If everybody eats guksu (Korean noodle soup), you must eat the same. If everyone drinks beer, it would be considered crim- inal to order something else. Though it should be noted, however, that Koreans are also a diligent and well-organized population who brought their country to prosperity through this solidarity — one of their indisputable merits. That being said, the alcohol story wouldn’t be so sad if those who drank alcohol did it by themselves, not bothering those who don’t like hard liquor for a variety of reasons. But the reality is the exact opposite; Koreans call themselves “술 권하는 사회,” referring to a society that enforces drinking alcohol. Now, I understand that peo- ple all over the world drink alcohol: some of them drink a lot, others don’t drink at all. But still it is a choice that each person should be able to make by him or herself. More specifically, it’s abnormal when somebody uses their authority or higher position in order to promote alcoholism in others, especially when it becomes a part of the culture and can have such pernicious consequences. It’s natural for a nation to have its own problems; the unnatural thing is when it is not trying to resolve these problems. I entertain a hope that the younger generation of Koreans will change the current sit- uation, or that the government will pay more attention to the issue. By Elena Kan, international economics and law student, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies t H e I N b O X