Specialist
Jang Gi-hun Researcher in KARF


KARF(The Korean Alcohol Research Foundation) is the only organization that develops and researches programs about alcohol consumption matters as well as training experts in Korea. NEWS@UOS talked with Jang Gi-hun from KARF about alcohol culture and solutions to the problem.

Q. Why do you think students are dying from excessive alcohol consumption?
A. From a social point of view, we can see a lack of control by the university. According to a survey in 2005, among universities in Korea, 40% of them have rules about drinking, and only 28% of those universities apply those rules strictly. There is no university that makes rules and follows the rules about drinking problems.

Q. Can you advise on drinking habits for freshmen?
A. Like I said before, don`t use alcohol as a means to get familiar. Especially, seniors should lead this behavior with responsibility. The wrong perception about drinking is `It is possible to truly talk when we get drunk on alcohol.` Being forced to drink shooters or playing drinking games gives people bad habits. These behaviors cause accidents and bring about excessive alcohol consumption. In the case of freshmen, they need to have the right drinking habits. Controlling the amount of time spent drinking, and also quantity, during a week by checking the date of drinking and amount definitively, by contacting friends or family, can reduce the damage from drinking.

Students
Lee Woo-seok Dept. of Physics `07

Q. How does Alcohol influence your social life?
A. Alcohol is important in interpersonal relations. Because Korea is ruled by Confucianism, Korean people stick together. And unlike other nationalities, Koreans don`t like close personal contact and therefore give someone or something a wide berth. But drinking makes strangers feel closer.

Kim Jong-tak Dept. of English Language and Literature `02
Q. What is the advantage of drinking liquor?
A. Drinking is important to social life. And in society, many people use liquor to make closer friendships. A great number of people find it difficult to talk to people they don`t know when they have a meal together. For this reason, many people drink alcohol but we must regard liquor as an instrument, not the goal.
Q. What is the meaning of drinking parties during our four years in university?
A. University students confuse friendship and union. We think drinking makes closer friendships but our behavior around alcohol is union. Pouring liquor into someone`s glass by compulsion is not friendship, just union.



Owner
Proprietor of a bar near the UOS


Q. What was the alcohol culture of previous students like?
A. I have operated a pub in front of the UOS for 8 years. In that time, seniors have come to place less pressure on juniors to drink alcohol. However, previous students didn`t take the right drinking etiquette lessons from adults such as parents, teachers and so on. And they don`t abstain from drinking alcohol. But lately drinking is just a game, not talking with seniors, therefore I miss the drinking days of old.

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