Office worker Mr. A enjoyed a 11,000 won 'So-hwak-haeng (small but certain happiness)' by finishing a bowl of Sundaeguk (Korean blood sausage soup) and a bottle of soju on his way home from work. It might seem impossible in today's high inflation era, but thanks to the 'soju corkage free' policy, it was possible. The Sundaeguk cost 9,000 won, and the soju was bought at a convenience store for 2,000 won.
As restaurant alcohol prices have surged, the popularity of 'corkage free' restaurants, where bringing your own alcohol is free of charge, is soaring. Corkage free, once considered a service exclusive to upscale restaurants, has recently spread to common eateries serving pork belly, cold noodles, gukbap (soup with rice), and other popular dishes.
Corkage is short for Cork Charge, a service where a restaurant provides glasses when customers bring their own wine. Corkage free means you can drink the alcohol you bring without any additional fee.
With the rising popularity of corkage free restaurants, a 'corkage free restaurant map' has appeared. Recently, restaurant reservation apps have even created a category called corkage free.
A Sundaeguk franchise allows customers to drink one bottle of any kind of alcohol per table for free. Since introducing corkage free, it has become common to wait in line for over an hour, and it is not difficult to find customers bringing soju, which is known to pair well with gukbap, as well as wine and other drinks.
LA Galbi and marinated ribs franchise B has become a 'wine sanctuary.' Corkage free applies regardless of the type or number of bottles. They also sell wine, offering prices comparable to discounted rates at large supermarkets to reduce the price burden.
As restaurants in Gangnam and other areas began charging up to 9,000 won for a bottle of soju, the perception that 'it's better to drink wine cheaper than soju' has spread. A bottle of wine is 750mL, about twice the volume of a soju bottle (360mL), and it is easy to find wines under 10,000 won even at convenience stores, leading to the saying, "If you drink affordable wine corkage free, it's cheaper than soju."
Even restaurants that are not corkage free attract customers with low alcohol prices. Restaurant C, which operates a hangover soup franchise across Seoul, has lowered the price of certain soju brands to 3,000 won until the end of next month. This is a 40% discount from the original price of 5,000 won.
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