I think Hooni Kim, the owner of NYC’s Danji, says it best in his new cookbook: Explaining the meaning of hanjan (or having a drink), he writes, 'It is the start of a night of laughter and heartfelt conversations with friends, sharing in joy, sharing in heartache.' Hopping from one location to the next, often until dawn, a high alcohol tolerance and won’t-quit attitude are basically mandatory if you’re partying in Seoul.Īt the root of Korea’s formidable drinking culture is the desire to connect with friends and colleagues and unwind after a long day. That may be because the greatest drinking city in the world conducts its evenings on a five-round regimen. A night out in Seoul can feel like five nights in one.
