Drinking is a big part of adult life in South Korea (Alcohol is even a socially-acceptable gift.)
South Korean drinking culture is at least 1,000 years old. Drinking age is 20, or 19 in international age (you are one-year-old at birth in Korea).
Koreans usually start when they enter uni during a 3-day long OT(orientation), a large tented welcome event. No one remembers much from those three days, except that they had a blast. Strong bonds are formed at night that are sometimes forgotten the next day.
We have already discussed a lot about Korean Drinking Culture and how alcohol forms an important part of Korea as a whole.
But today we will talk about the Korean Drinking Game. Korea has a unique set drinking games that you won’t find anywhere else in the world. So let’s talk about them and maybe the next time you party with your friends you can have fun playing these Korean drinking games.

Napkin, Beer, Cigarette
This one involves pyrotechnics and might be frowned upon in some countries. You start by placing a napkin over a beer mug.
Then put a 100 or 500 won coin (feel free to substitute with whatever currency is available) on top. Players take turns burning holes into the napkin with a lit cigarette. Whoever drops the coin into the mug must drink.

“I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best.”― Marilyn Monroe

Up and Down (업다운)
In this game he/she announces two numbers, the range in which the number in the bottle cap lies.
For example, if the number is 35, they would say 1-50.
The other players start guessing the number, while the one with the cap hints if it’s higher or lower.
Whoever guesses right is safe (so no shots for them), but the players to the left and right have to drink!

Spoon Game
This one is perfect for slower groups (you know who you are).
There are many variations of this game. The object is to flip a spoon while ending up in the majority of flipped or non-flipped. Everyone sits in a circle with a spoon in front of them.
Then, they either flip their spoon or leave it the way it is after counting down from 3. The person who is in the minority group has to drink. Another way to play is with rock paper scissors for three rounds with the losers having to flip their spoons.
Needless to say, there will be a whole lot of drinking going on.

3-6-9
This game is simple to learn, but lots of fun.
The object is to say the numbers out loud starting from 1 but you must clap instead of saying a number that has a 3, 6, or 9.
So, if the person before you say 8, you would clap once for 9. But, if it’s my turn and the number is 39, I would have to clap twice. Whoever ends up saying 3, 6, or 9 must drink! Then it goes back to 1 and starts over again.
Don’t worry though, numbers rarely go that high given the amount of alcohol involved.

The Black Knight
Not a game per se, but a special move in the sophisticated art of Korean drinking.
After a few of these games, it becomes quite clear who can hang in terms of alcohol tolerance, i.e. who will get ahead in Korean society.
If you are a team player (or like the person who just lost) you can take a bullet for someone with a lower tolerance by being the 흑기사 (black knight). This simply means you drink in their stead.
In return, the black knight gets a wish from the person. This usually is something light like, “let’s get Baskin Robbins together” or “go buy us some soft drinks”. So get your mind out of the gutter!
Drinking games are a great way to break the ice in Korea. You can definitely try these games and let us know if you and your group enjoyed them.