In South Korea, the company dinner is not optional, not social, and not over when the food is gone.
Hoesik (회식) is a Korean compound of hoe (회), meaning gathering or meeting, and sik (식), meaning meal. It refers to a company dinner, typically organized by a team leader or manager, that functions as an extension of the workday rather than a break from it.1
Attendance is technically voluntary. In practice, declining is understood as a signal of disloyalty or disengagement. The meal is followed by second and sometimes third rounds, usually involving heavy drinking at bars or karaoke rooms, and the evening can stretch past midnight.
The tradition is rooted in Confucian principles of hierarchical bonding and collective solidarity. Managers use hoesik to build group cohesion, settle workplace tensions, and reinforce loyalty. Younger employees, especially women, have increasingly pushed back against the expectation, citing the toll on personal time, health, and family obligations.2
South Korean labor reform efforts in the late 2010s targeted hoesik culture alongside overwork legislation. Some companies introduced formal policies limiting company dinners to once per month or making attendance genuinely optional.
The drinking component is central. South Korea has one of the highest per-capita alcohol consumption rates among OECD nations, and workplace drinking culture is deeply intertwined with professional advancement. Refusing a drink from a superior at hoesik carries social consequences that extend into the office the following morning.3
A 2019 survey by the Korean employment platform Saramin found that more than half of South Korean workers reported feeling stressed about mandatory company dinners.4