Drinking trend shift: Why more young Koreans are avoiding company dinners

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The culture of pressuring people to drink alcohol at company gatherings and social events is gradually disappearing. Yet in some workplaces and social groups, the practice still persists. Younger Koreans are drinking less than previous generations, and the traditional pattern of moving from soju at a first-round dinner to draft beer at a second round is also becoming less common.

For some young workers, especially those grappling with a difficult job market, forced drinking at company dinners can be serious enough to make them consider leaving even after joining a small company. Korea's drinking culture is increasingly becoming a source of generational conflict.

Older Koreans still drink heavily

According to the 2025 Community Health Survey released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Sunday, monthly binge-drinking rates among men increased among those in their 60s and 70s over the past six years. Among women, the rate increased across all age groups in their 30s and older.

OECD data also showed that Korea's monthly binge-drinking rate ranked fifth-highest among 27 OECD member countries surveyed. The 2024 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, meanwhile, found that 13.6 percent of Korean adults were engaged in high-risk drinking, while 37.8 percent reported binge drinking within the previous month.

People in their 20s are drinking less

In contrast, a series of surveys show that Koreans in their 20s and 30s are drinking less.

According to the 2024 National Health Statistics, people in their 20s consumed an average of 64.8 grams of alcohol from alcoholic beverages per day, lower than the 66.8 grams recorded among people in their 60s.

Among young adults aged 19 to 29, the proportion who either did not drink at all or drank no more than once a month reached a record high of 56 percent. The age group that once consumed the most alcohol now drinks less than middle-aged and older Koreans.

Alcohol as major health concern

For young people who have become increasingly distant from alcohol, being pressured to drink can be particularly uncomfortable.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer, an agency of the World Health Organization (WHO), classifies alcoholic beverages as Group 1 carcinogens. Alcohol can increase the risk of cancer through processes including its breakdown in the liver into acetaldehyde, which can damage cells.

Claims that moderate drinking could be beneficial to health were once widespread, but the WHO has emphasized that there is no completely safe level of alcohol consumption when it comes to cancer risk.

Beyond the health risks, drinking pressure is an outdated social practice. For many young Koreans, mandatory drinking at company gatherings has become another source of stress and frustration.

Another reason is the growing emphasis on healthier lifestyles. Instead of drinking, many young people are turning to activities such as running and other forms of exercise.

The financial burden of drinking is another factor. With many young Koreans struggling to find stable employment, spending significant amounts of money on drinking gatherings may feel like an unnecessary expense.

Older Koreans, however, continue to drink relatively heavily. Because the risk of cancer generally increases with age, partly due to aging and long-established lifestyle habits, reducing both the amount and frequency of alcohol consumption is important.

Korea's company dinner culture is undergoing a significant transformation. The shift away from mandatory drinking is not simply a change in drinking habits — it reflects a broader generational change in attitudes toward health, money, work and social relationships.

This article from Kormedi.com, Korea’s top health care and medical portal, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.