

And when you drink, you should turn your head or body away from your seniors. When you pour a drink or have yours refilled, it’s polite to hold it with both hands. Don’t drink yours until someone (or yourself) has poured a drink for the most senior person too! When drinking, often the most senior person will pour for others, and an empty glass is considered rude. So wait for them to break down the barriers first, and follow their lead. If someone is older than you, even by a year, they are higher in the hierarchy.

Make sure you ask someone’s age – this is very important. Since noraebang are often a part of these outings, what should you know?įirst, even though it’s a more lax environment, it’s still important to know the hierarchy of the situation. Tips for Your First Noraebang and Hoesik Outing That said, a new anti-grifting law in 2016 (as well as the global pandemic since) has changed how hoesik function and how often.īecause the most senior person (usually the boss) was traditionally expected to pay the entire bill, the new law prohibits that. These social outings after work usually happen around once a month. And hoesik are more-or-less mandatory, although this is changing. Unless you have a legit medical excuse, it’s hard to get out of it. Hoesik are notorious for being heavy on the alcohol and pressure to drink. You may be thinking, drinking with your boss? Yep, and it’s not just a little either. Sometimes, hoesik is the only time when co-workers can speak freely to one another… because there’s a lot of food and alcohol involved. This allows everyone to get to know each other better, bond, relax, and ease any office tension. Hoesik is meant to be a work outing where the typically strict hierarchy of Korean society and work are more lax. Especially if you’re not used to socializing with your co-workers and superiors. If you find yourself participating in hoesik for the first time, it may come as quite a surprise. While hoesik and noraebang have seen a decline in the past few years, it’s definitely still a part of Korean culture and entertainment. This is where a boss usually takes the employees out for drinks, food, or fun after work. The term 회식, hoesik, means “dining together” but refers to office outings.

In fact, it’s long been a part of office culture. The rooms are soundproof, and you usually sing with only people you know. Yes! Noraebang has typically been a staple after-work or after-school way to burn off steam and destress, even if you can’t sing. It’s essentially the Korean karaoke bar or karaoke box rooms like from Japan. It’s made from 노래, norae, which means “song”, and 방, bang, which means room. 노래방, noraebang, is a compound word in Korean. So… What is Korean karaoke called? After all, karaoke is a Japanese word that’s been adapted into English as well. What is it, the Korean culture and etiquette behind it, some popular Korean songs to practice with, and the best ways to use Kpop to learn.

I’ve linked to some of our own articles to help you at the end of this one.īut for now, let’s talk about noraebang. That said, you’ll need other awesome Korean resources to help you learn the basics. If music is your thing, then it’ll be a valuable resource for your Korean studies. Just ask any BTS fan – music is a great way to learn and practice the language. You may be wondering, how can you learn Korean with music?
