When I first started working in Korea, I thought a company dinner was just dinner. You eat together, talk a little, and go home. But my first hoesik taught me very quickly that in Korea, dinner with colleagues can easily turn into a whole evening.
It is not always like that anymore, but the old style of hoesik had its own rhythm. First, everyone eats properly. Then someone suggests a second round. If the mood is still high, a third round can follow. To someone who is not used to Korean work culture, it can feel surprising. To many Koreans, especially in older workplace cultures, it used to feel almost natural.
This does not mean every Korean loved it. Honestly, it could be fun, tiring, awkward, and useful all at the same time. That is why hoesik is hard to explain with one simple answer. It was not just about alcohol. It was also about hierarchy, teamwork, social pressure, and the Korean habit of building relationships through shared food.
💡 Key Summary
Hoesik (company dinners) traditionally built team bonds and managed relationships outside of formal work.
Modern hoesik culture in 2026 has significantly shifted, with less pressure for mandatory attendance or multiple rounds.
Despite changes, the sentiment of connecting through shared food and drinks remains a key part of Korean professional life.
Hoesik Is Not Just Dinner
Hoesik is a Korean company dinner, but traditionally it was more than simply eating with coworkers after work. It worked almost like an unofficial extension of office life.
During work hours, people usually speak carefully, especially around managers or senior employees. At hoesik, the atmosphere becomes a little softer. People talk more casually, new employees get a chance to blend in, and the team can release some of the tension built up during work.
That is why many older Korean employees saw hoesik as part of teamwork. It was not written in any company rulebook, but it was often treated as something a good team member naturally joined.
Of course, this could feel different depending on your position. For a senior employee, hoesik might feel like a relaxing team dinner. For a new employee, it could feel like another workplace situation where you had to read the room carefully.
When I was a new employee, I felt that pressure quite clearly. I worked in a manufacturing environment, and in the machinery department, I was the only woman. So even when the mood was friendly, I was always aware of how I should act, when I should speak, and whether it was okay to leave early.
🍽️ Round 1: Fueling Up Together
The first round of hoesik is usually centered on food. A common choice is samgyeopsal, or Korean grilled pork belly. It is easy to share, most people like it, and the atmosphere naturally becomes more relaxed once everyone starts grilling meat together.
Other common first-round menus include Korean barbecue, seafood, stews, or large shared dishes. If the company budget is generous, the team might go for beef. Either way, the first round is usually not a light snack. It is a proper meal.
Alcohol often starts here too. Soju and beer are common, and some people mix them into somaek, a popular soju-beer combination. But the main focus of the first round is still eating together.
At the beginning, the mood can feel a little formal. People are still in work mode. But after food comes out and a few drinks are poured, the atmosphere usually loosens up. Coworkers start joking, talking more comfortably, or sharing small work-related frustrations that would be hard to bring up during office hours.
In Korea, sharing food can create a sense of closeness. It is not just about filling your stomach. People sit around the same table, cook together, pour drinks for each other, and spend time in the same space. That shared time is part of what makes hoesik feel different from an ordinary dinner.
🍻 Round 2: Where the Night Really Begins
For many people, the second round is when hoesik starts to feel more like a social gathering than a meal.
After the first round, someone unfamiliar with Korean culture might naturally think, “Okay, dinner is over.” But in Korea, someone may say, “Should we go for a second round?” And quite often, the group moves to another place.
The second round usually involves lighter food and more drinks. It might be a chicken-and-beer place, a small pub, a pojangmacha-style spot, or somewhere that serves simple snacks like dried squid, fruit, or fried food. Since everyone already ate dinner, the second round is more about continuing the mood than having another full meal.
This is connected to the Korean idea of jeong. Jeong is hard to translate exactly, but it refers to a kind of emotional warmth or attachment between people. In older workplace culture, ending the night right after dinner could feel a little cold. If everyone was already out together, continuing for one more round felt more natural.
When I was a new hire, saying no to the second round did not feel easy. Since I was junior and still trying to fit into the team, I usually just followed along when senior coworkers suggested moving to another place.
It was not always bad. Sometimes I got closer to people, and sometimes I heard useful work stories that would never come out during the day. But honestly, it was tiring too. The difficult part was that it did not always feel fully optional.
That is the complicated side of old hoesik culture. It helped people bond, but it also created pressure.
💡 Tip: If you are attending a hoesik and want to leave naturally, it is usually better to give a simple reason after the first or second round. You can say, “I have an early start tomorrow,” or “I need to get home for my family.” These days, most people understand this much better than before.
🎤 Round 3: The Blurred Line of Fun and Fatigue
The third round was not for everyone, but it was not unusual either, especially when the team mood was high or when a senior employee wanted to continue.
A common third-round place was noraebang, Korean karaoke. After dinner and drinks, people would move to a karaoke room and sing together. Some people genuinely enjoyed it. Others mostly clapped, smiled, and waited for the night to end.
In older workplace culture, junior employees often felt pressure to participate. If a senior poured a drink, refusing could feel rude. If the team moved to another place, leaving alone could feel awkward. This was especially true for new employees who wanted to fit in.
I remember some hoesik nights starting around 6 p.m. and ending after 1 a.m. After the first round, second round, and sometimes karaoke, we would finally take taxis home. Then the next morning, everyone would still be back at their desks by 9 a.m.
That part always felt impressive and strange at the same time. People had been out late, eaten a lot, and drunk a lot, but they still showed up to work as if nothing had happened.
There was also a warm side to it. If someone lived far away, coworkers would make sure that person got into a taxi safely. People would say, “Get home safely,” and wait until the car left. Those small gestures were real.
So for me, hoesik always had two sides. It could make coworkers feel closer, but it could also leave everyone physically and mentally drained. You bonded, but you also got exhausted.
📈 Hoesik in 2026: A Changing Landscape
Compared to the past, Korean hoesik culture has changed a lot. Mandatory attendance is much less acceptable now. Heavy drinking is also less common, and many people feel more comfortable saying they do not drink.
Younger employees especially tend to value personal time more. They are less willing to spend the whole evening with coworkers after work. Family, rest, hobbies, and personal plans matter more than they used to.
The COVID-19 pandemic also changed group drinking culture. For a while, large gatherings became difficult or impossible. After that, many people became more used to shorter and simpler company dinners.
So today, hoesik still exists, but it is usually more flexible. Some teams have lunch hoesik instead of dinner. Some keep it to one round. Some people drink alcohol, while others drink soda or non-alcoholic beer. Leaving after the first round is also much more normal than before.
Still, hoesik has not completely disappeared. Many Koreans still believe that eating together helps people work together more smoothly. And honestly, there is some truth to that. When you have shared a meal with someone, it can feel easier to ask for help, coordinate work, or talk through small problems later.
The difference is that people now expect clearer boundaries. Hoesik can still be a way to build relationships, but it should not take over someone’s whole evening every time.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Is it always mandatory to drink at a hoesik?
Not anymore. Alcohol is still common at many hoesik gatherings, especially during dinner or the second round. But the pressure to drink heavily has decreased a lot. If you do not drink, you can say you do not drink alcohol or that you have a low tolerance. These days, many people understand.
Q. What if I can't drink much or don't want to go to every round?
It is generally okay to say no, especially now. You can politely say you have an early morning, family plans, or another schedule. In older workplace cultures, people might have pressured you to stay, but that is becoming much less common.
Q. What kind of food is typically served at a hoesik?
For the first round, it's usually a shared meal like grilled pork belly (samgyeopsal), various Korean stews, or seafood. Subsequent rounds might feature lighter fare like fried chicken, dried squid, or fruit platters, usually accompanied by beer or soju.
0 Comments