If you thought that Psy's binge-drinking in his music video for "Hangover" was weird, then you must not be familiar with Korea's drinking culture. Well Wall Street Journal has recently investigated the issue, noting that binge-drinking is a common trend in Korea, and that in a 2013 Hard Alcohol Consumption international survey, South Korea came out on top for consuming the most hard liquor. 

Number 1 in Starcraft, League of Legends, and getting your "buzz" on... we'll drink to that!

All joking aside, WSJ finds that it's pretty easy to binge-drink on the popular hard liquor soju in Korea because of its cheap price. Furthermore, drinking has been ingrained into the culture as a social activity. Hwae-sik is a term used particularly for after-work dinners, which for the Korean employee is spent with coworkers and alcohol. Nearly every Korean working man and woman participates in these hwae-siks, to the point that it's considered strange and even rude not to. 

The music video, in fact, shows multiple aspects of Korean drinking culture, from the let-me-smack-your-back-'til-you-vomit-your-soul mentality, the so-mek love (combination of soju and beer, or 'mekju'), to the emotional karaoke (noraebang) singing. 

Snoop: Get your sh*t together man!
Psy: Thanks man, your high-fives to my back help a lot. I can now follow my puke as it falls into the toilet. Mm, the sweet smell of regret. 

So-mek bomb style, what whaaaaat! 

G-Dragon + soju + noraebang = "My emotions, MY EMOTIONS!" 

Now, while some may find Korea's love for soju a bit concerning, according to WSJ the trend is starting to die down a bit. Because as fun as it is to party hard and watch your G-Dragon-friends embarrass themselves, the hangovers don't always make it worth it.

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below!