The Pain Cage

Korean corporate culture is notorious for booze fueled after work gatherings.

People assume that this is a near daily thing, or that such events are unavoidable.

As always, the reality is more nuanced.

Excluding drinking sessions with work mates that you're close with - because those are always fun - corporate drinking sessions are influenced mainly by who your direct group or team leader is.

This leader may be a frequent drinker, in which case group members will get together more often than other groups, *but* not every session will be a must go event - there is actually a great amount of personal discretion involved.

Some people with experience working in Korea, and even some Korean employees may be surprised at that last comment, but of course there are a few caveats here.

First, if you hold a more senior manager position in the group, you will probably grab dinner and drinks more often than you would like if your group leader is a boozer. Your ability to exercise personal discretion in these positions will be greatly diminished.

Next there are promotion dinners, welcome parties and farewell drinks (unless it's for a hated enemy) which are really the only examples of must go sessions. If you don't go to these, unless you have an airtight excuse like marriage, death, or something, not attending will place a bit of a black mark on your reputation.

Another grey area is the 3~6 month period after you join a new team or group. During this period, there is no other better way to get to know your colleagues and boss than by breaking bread with them. And of course, imbibing copious amounts of alcohol.

During the drinking sessions over this 3~6 month period you will hear the real deal. Your R&R and expectations of you will be laid out. You are free to voice concerns and ask any questions.

In other words you will get to see the hidden 90% of the corporate reality iceberg. What you hear between 8 and 5 during this period may constitute 10% of reality.

I have just begun this 3~6 month period. Over the past two weeks I've had two very late drinking sessions on back to back Thursdays. From the time I wake up on Friday until about 3 pm I have been in the proverbial pain cage.

Drinking is something I am good at, but the next days are torture. It'll be tough, but I will need to attend most drinking sessions over the next couple of months. I can already tell the relationships I am forging and information I am picking up will prove invaluable to my future not just in this position, but in this life overall.

But I cannot wait to exercise my personal discretion again to selectively attend and avoid drinking sessions so that I don't have to serve my post drinking session penance sitting in the pain cage in the office.