Work and team dinners

❃ Work and team dinners

무슨 일 하세요? [ Museun il haseyo? ]: What kind of work do you do?
저는 아이티(IT) 회사에 다녀요. [ Jeoneun aiti(IT) hoesae danyeoyo. ]: I work at an IT company.
명함 여기 있습니다. [ Myeongham yeogi itseumnida. ]: Here is my business card.
출근 시간은 아홉 시예요. [ Chulgeun siganeun ahop siyeyo. ]: My work starts at 9 AM.
퇴근하고 뭐 하세요? [ Toegeunhago mwo haseyo? ]: What are you doing after work?
오늘 야근해야 해요. [ Oneul yageunhaeya haeyo. ]: I have to work overtime today.
내일 휴가를 냈어요. [ Naeil hyugareul naesseoyo. ]: I took a day off tomorrow.
오늘 저녁에 회식이 있어요. [ Oneul jeonyeoge hoesigi isseoyo. ]: We have a company dinner tonight.
건배! / 짠! [ Geonbae! / Jjan! ]: Cheers!
원샷! [ Wonsyat! ]: Bottoms up!
회의 중이라 전화를 받을 수 없어요. [ Hoeui jungira jeonhwareul badeul su eopseoyo. ]: I'm in a meeting, so I can't take the call.
이번 주 금요일까지 끝내 주세요. [ Ibeon ju geumyoilkaji kkeutnae juseyo. ]: Please finish it by this Friday.
연봉보다는 워라밸이 중요해요. [ Yeonbongbodaneun worabaeri jungyohaeyo. ]: Work-life balance is more important than salary.
이직을 준비하고 있어요. [ Ijigeul junbihago isseoyo. ]: I am preparing to change jobs.
부장님, 수고하셨습니다. [ Bujangnim, sugohasyeotseumnida. ]: Good job today, Manager.

Cultural notes

Corporate culture in South Korea is notoriously intense, deeply hierarchical, and heavily influenced by Confucian values. When you join a Korean company, you don't just get a job; you enter a new social family. You will rarely, if ever, call a coworker by their first name. Instead, everyone is addressed by their specific job title followed by the honorific suffix "-nim" (님), such as 부장님 (Bujangnim - Department Manager) or 대리님 (Daerinim - Assistant Manager). The workload is heavy, and doing overtime (야근 - Yageun) is frequently expected as a sign of dedication. However, the most fascinating and sometimes exhausting aspect of Korean work life is the company dinner, known as Hoeshik (회식). This is not just a casual "after-work drink" you can easily skip; it is considered an absolute extension of the workday and a mandatory team-building exercise. During a Hoeshik, hierarchy dictates the seating arrangement and the pouring of alcohol. You must always use both hands to pour Soju for your superiors, and when drinking it, you must turn your head slightly away from them as a sign of respect. The night usually involves endless toasts (건배 - Geonbae), downing drinks in one shot (원샷 - Wonsyat), and eating massive amounts of Korean barbecue. A proper Hoeshik rarely ends after dinner; it often moves to a second round (이차 - I-cha) at a pub, and a third round at a karaoke room! While younger generations are successfully pushing for a better work-life balance (워라밸 - Worabael), understanding the unwritten rules of Hoeshik and showing proper Nunchi (눈치 - reading the room) remains crucial for surviving and thriving in the Korean corporate world.

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