Drinking no longer default for Korea’s Gen Z
On a recent weeknight near Seoul's Hongdae area in Mapo District, a group of students gathered at Yeokjeon Halmaek, a familiar bar franchise. They ordered cans of zero-sugar Coke and a single highball, splitting one shot among four glasses. No one asked for soju. For bar owners, scenes like this now feel routine. "Alcohol is usually where the margins are," a worker at the Hongdae bar told The Korea Times on the condition of anonymity. "So now when a table orders a lot, I can't help but notice. They feel like a VIP." For Korea's younger generation, drinking is no longer the default social currency it once was. But the shift is not a simple turn toward abstinence, it's something more interesting — a renegotiation of what alcohol means, who it is for and how much of a life it deserves. Among the Korean Gen Zs, the frequency of drinking is falling sharply, while the nature of consumption is tilting toward lighter, more deliberate choices. Highballs with modest proof, craft low-alcohol beers and other nonalcoholic alternatives are gaining ground, reshaping not just what Koreans drink, but wh
Apr 28, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
