Korean Firms Dump Binge Drinking for Healthier Outings

Progressive Korean corporations are abandoning the traditional after-work entertainments that have given Korean executives a worldwide reputation as hard-drinking karaoke fanatics. The usual evenings of free-flowing scotch, soju and beer are being replaced by healthier alternatives, reports Chosun Ilbo.

Deciding that after-work drinking sessions leave employees tired and unproductive, one Seoul PR firm is turning to activities that are more likely to give vitality boosts, like going out to an amusement park for roller-coaster rides. Other trendy, progressive firms media, advertising and foreign companies are also seeking alternatives to traditional karaoke-bar carouses.

One ad agency takes employees out for after-work facials and beauty treatments. A foreign firm skips expensive dinners and uses the money to send a handful of highly-performing employees each quarter on a restful overseas trip to places like Bali, Guam, Malaysia or Hawaii. The policy has been well received by married staffers who appreciate both being spared loss of family evenings and the chance to take them on a trip.

Some companies are even skipping lavish year-end blowouts and treating workers to the services of professional make-up artists or stylists to help them prepare for their own personal social events.