Cycle 16 – Item 361

POST 5,840

1 (Thu) January 2026

VIP Special Set

3.5

at Gold Chamchi

-Bangi, Songpa, Seoul, Republic of Korea-

with the Family

In Korea these days, the legal drinking age begins on January 1 of the calendar year when the person will turn 19 (the age of majority).  So, starting today, DJ can now drink legally, even though he is still a minor by 6.5 months (July 15).  The only possible explanation for this bizarre policy that I can imagine is to allow friends from the same school year (most students born in 2007, like DJ, graduated high school last December; those moving on to college will begin in March) to begin drinking together from the get-go; otherwise, January babies could begin to party right away but December babies would have to wait nearly a year.

For some/no reason, driving and voting are allowed on the day of turning 18.

(See RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)

(See GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)

(See HANSIK)

(See BOOZE)