@article{ART003352406},
author={KIM HYUN JOO},
title={The Rise of the Sober Life and the Transformation of Korean Drinking Culture: Focusing on Sober Living, Self-Management, and Changes in Alcohol Consumption},
journal={International Journal of K-Culture/K-Culture융합연구},
issn={2951-2808},
year={2026},
volume={9},
number={9},
pages={167-182}
TY - JOUR
AU - KIM HYUN JOO
TI - The Rise of the Sober Life and the Transformation of Korean Drinking Culture: Focusing on Sober Living, Self-Management, and Changes in Alcohol Consumption
JO - International Journal of K-Culture/K-Culture융합연구
PY - 2026
VL - 9
IS - 9
PB - K-culture Convergence Research Society
SP - 167
EP - 182
SN - 2951-2808
AB - (1) Objectives: This study examines the spread of the “sober life” in contemporary Korean society and interprets it as a sign of change in drinking culture. It focuses on how reduced alcohol consumption is connected to health, self-management, leisure, and changing consumer attitudes among younger generations.
(2) Methods: This study reviews recent statistical data on liquor tax revenue, domestic alcoholic beverage shipments, and alcohol intake among people in their twenties. It also analyzes the social background of this change, including the decline of group gatherings after COVID-19, inflation, MZ-generation lifestyle values, and changes in self-employment structures.
(3) Conclusions: The sober life represents a shift in Korean drinking culture from group-centered drinking to individual choice. The decline in alcohol consumption is not a temporary trend, but a broader cultural change linked to health discourse, self-management, leisure practices, and the restructuring of local consumer economies. This transition reveals changing patterns in social relationships, everyday life, and consumption in Korea.
KW - sober life;drinking culture;MZ generation;alcohol consumption;self-employment;lifestyle
DO -
UR -
ER -
KIM HYUN JOO. (2026). The Rise of the Sober Life and the Transformation of Korean Drinking Culture: Focusing on Sober Living, Self-Management, and Changes in Alcohol Consumption. International Journal of K-Culture/K-Culture융합연구, 9(9), 167-182.
KIM HYUN JOO. 2026, "The Rise of the Sober Life and the Transformation of Korean Drinking Culture: Focusing on Sober Living, Self-Management, and Changes in Alcohol Consumption", International Journal of K-Culture/K-Culture융합연구, vol.9, no.9 pp.167-182.
KIM HYUN JOO "The Rise of the Sober Life and the Transformation of Korean Drinking Culture: Focusing on Sober Living, Self-Management, and Changes in Alcohol Consumption" International Journal of K-Culture/K-Culture융합연구 9.9 pp.167-182 (2026) : 167.
KIM HYUN JOO. The Rise of the Sober Life and the Transformation of Korean Drinking Culture: Focusing on Sober Living, Self-Management, and Changes in Alcohol Consumption. 2026; 9(9), 167-182.
KIM HYUN JOO. "The Rise of the Sober Life and the Transformation of Korean Drinking Culture: Focusing on Sober Living, Self-Management, and Changes in Alcohol Consumption" International Journal of K-Culture/K-Culture융합연구 9, no.9 (2026) : 167-182.
KIM HYUN JOO. The Rise of the Sober Life and the Transformation of Korean Drinking Culture: Focusing on Sober Living, Self-Management, and Changes in Alcohol Consumption. International Journal of K-Culture/K-Culture융합연구, 9(9), 167-182.
KIM HYUN JOO. The Rise of the Sober Life and the Transformation of Korean Drinking Culture: Focusing on Sober Living, Self-Management, and Changes in Alcohol Consumption. International Journal of K-Culture/K-Culture융합연구. 2026; 9(9) 167-182.
KIM HYUN JOO. The Rise of the Sober Life and the Transformation of Korean Drinking Culture: Focusing on Sober Living, Self-Management, and Changes in Alcohol Consumption. 2026; 9(9), 167-182.
KIM HYUN JOO. "The Rise of the Sober Life and the Transformation of Korean Drinking Culture: Focusing on Sober Living, Self-Management, and Changes in Alcohol Consumption" International Journal of K-Culture/K-Culture융합연구 9, no.9 (2026) : 167-182.
