What it means
회식 is a mandatory-but-supposedly-optional company meal or outing — a Korean workplace tradition where colleagues eat, drink, and bond outside the office. 회 = meeting, 식 = meal.
Nuance & when to use
회식 typically involves heavy drinking (소주, 맥주) and often continues to a 2차 (second round, e.g., noraebang) or 3차 (third round). Attendance is technically voluntary but culturally expected. Junior employees are expected to pour drinks for seniors (a hierarchical ritual). Famous in K-dramas as the setting for workplace drama.
⚠ Common mistake
회식 is specifically a work-related group meal — don't use it for casual friend dinners (그냥 같이 밥 먹어요).
Example sentences
See also
FAQ
When is this used?
회식 typically involves heavy drinking (소주, 맥주) and often continues to a 2차 (second round, e.g., noraebang) or 3차 (third round). Attendance is technically voluntary but culturally expected. Junior employees are expected to pour drinks for seniors (a hierarchical ritual). Famous in K-dramas as the setting for workplace drama.
What's a common mistake?
회식 is specifically a work-related group meal — don't use it for casual friend dinners (그냥 같이 밥 먹어요).
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