Korea's Second Mandatory Military Service

Added: 2026-05-06

[00:00:00]In South Korea, skipping afterwork drinks is a worse offense than missing a day of work. It's called shook. A survey of 659 Korean workers found only 49% said they were free to choose whether to attend. You don't go for fun. You go because you're afraid of how it looks when you don't. The drinking follows military protocol. The most senior person takes the first sip. Everyone waits. You pour with both hands. You turn away from your superior when you drink. You accept whatever is poured for you. Then you cycle through multiple bars in a single night. Dinner with beer, second round with soju, third round at a whiskey bar, fourth round at karaoke. In 2018, a new employee at a workshop couldn't handle the drinking, but his boss was present and he was pressured through multiple rounds. He lost consciousness and passed away. A court ruled it an occupational accident.

[00:01:00]Soul's traffic patterns follow the entire cycle. Monday nights are light because workers leave their cars at the office to go drinking. Friday has the worst rush because everyone is finally driving home to their families. If this seems like a poor team bonding exercise, it's not meant to be. It's an obedience test with deep roots in the Korean military culture that every fighting age male internalizes. And the system doesn't need you to enjoy it.