Koreans for the most part are very social creatures and acceptance by their peers seems to be inbreed into their society. I really believe that without the right social contacts a Korean would die from loneliness. Koreans love to go out together after a hard day at work, whether it is dinner or drinks or both. Thus, the large congestion of restauants, take out places and bars everywhere you go. It is so much a part of their culture, that it is actually considered rude to decline an invitation to socialize. I have actually know foreigners who have been given grief over not going out and scocializing with their adult students when asked. Not going out when the boss asks can see you on a quick flight back to your home country. Koreans aren't just being kind or friendly when they invite you out for an evening, but to them, they are strenghtening the bonds between teacher and student. How you behave will have a reflection on you as a teacher. Now, you might be thinking that you have to behave yourself, but this is often not the case. Follow their lead and you will find that they are very happy to see you let your hair down.
That being said, most students and friends will usually treat for the evening's festivities, but the saw customs don't apply here. I remember one time one of my young, male Korean friends invited me out bar hopping, as it was his last night as a civilian(all Korean men twenty one or older have to do mandatory military service) and of course, having only been in Korea for a couple of months, that it would be his treat. Well, he was broke and I wound up picking up the tab at the several bars we visited. Was I angry? Perturbed? Naw, I had been warned about this custom and he introduced me to alot of new places to hang out and to many young, eligible, beautiful Korean women. I figured it was a fair trade. So, if you are concerned about the financial obligations of the evening's festivities, find out up front. It's still rude not to go, but if you plead poverity you might get away with it. Though, most Koreans believe we make alot more than we do.
You know, Canadians are well known as beer guzzling, bar hopping, pee anywhere type, but Koreans give us a run for our money. While they can't keep with me beer for beer, they often give me a run for the money, and are not afraid to literally drink themselves under the table, and quickly. I am a tortoise when it comes to drinking, slow and steady. Most Koreans I know are like a male jackrabbit in a herd of females, if ya know what I mean, fast and furious. A koreans time is precious and after a 12 hour work day, they want to cut loose and don't want to be restricted in anyway. I can't tell you how many times I have I have seen a korean asleep at the bar, or being carried out by his or her friends when it's time to go.
I've never seen a korean thrown out of a bar for falling asleep or being too drunk. They won't stop serving you if you wake up either.
There are so many types of Korean bars that I could dedicate a website to the subject(and may just do so at some point). From outdoor soju hofs(bars) to upscale western style bars, if you like to go out to for a drink you can usually find a place to suit your needs and preference.
Prices for drinks vary depending on the type of bar and you can find places where a drink costs little as little as the price of a beer at a corner store to paying three to ten times as much. The nicer the place the more expensive and the smaller the bottle.
Cocktail can be found at alot of bars, especially western style, but the alcohol contents vary. Again more expensive places tend to water them down till you wonder if there is any alcohol in the thing, while someplaces will be too generous with it. I remember I was at a family restaurant once and I made the mistake of ordering a Long Island Ice Tea. It was so potent I couldn't drink it and neither could anyone else at the table. Most drink names are written in English and are similiar although not always the same as we have at home. As I've said before, Korean tastes are different from foreigners at times, and they tend to make things koreanized to their tastes.
Is whisky more to your liking? Well, here you can order the whole bottle and you get treated like a king. You get a bucket of ice to keep it nice and chilled, a wide selection of mixers and the side dishes start coming like crazy.
What are side dishes, you ask, well, there are two types, complimentary and menu didhes. Every bar I've been to has given me atleast one item to munch on. I've found generally the generousity of side dishes varies from bar to bar, with, surprisingly the more expensive bars giving you less. At the better bars, the more you drink the more side dishes you get. Side dishes range from the standard of peanuts(candy coated and plain) and popcorn to dried squid, fruit and if your lucky something hot(as in cooked).. Koreans love to eat while they drink and so the side dish. Menu side dishes you have to pay for and in some bars it is expected for you to buy atleast one. Traditionally, this was to compensate for low drink prices, but with todays prices being about equal to Canada, now it just to get you to spend more money. I have actually heard of bars where foreigners have been asked to leave because they didn't order one. Personally, I was out with a student one time and the manager gave her a really hard time about not ordering one. We had only ordered one beer each and were only going to stay a short time. Needless to say, my dander got up and I had a few choice words for the manager and vowed never to return to the place. If you go to a bar alone or with a group of foreigners, you can usually use faned ignorance of the cutom and the language barrier(most bar staff speak little or no English) to get away with not buying one.
The thing I like the most about Korean bars is the service. Usually, the waitress and bar tenders are very friendly, and it is traditional for them to engage in small talk with you to make you feel more comfortable. It is almost as if they are your friends for a short time or a long one if you like to stay out late like me. Again, the language barrier and general xenophobia can raise their ugly heads, but the frienlier staffs will try to communicate the best they can. Service to me is the most important part of the bar experience in Korea and I make sure to go back to bars where I am treated well. If you can find a bar where one or two of the staff speak English, cherish it and go back frequently. As I said in another section, good staff tend not to last a long time in bars so if you enjoy their company, keep in touch.
Another thing, there is no tipping in Korean bars, in Korea period, but you can buy your waitress, waiter or bartender a drink if you would like to thank them for their attentions. One of my favorite bartenders is usually hammered by the end of his shift. He's hillarious and watching his socialize with customers is like watching a korean comedy movie, in a good way.
Every western bar in Korea has a gimic to draw foreigners in(the weirdest being a bar which had ceramic penises everywhere you looked. Was the owner compensating for something?), but for me a friendly staff, whether they speak English or not, brings me back everytime.
