Soju

What is soju? Soju is a distilled beverage that contains about 20% alcohol. It is the single most widely consumed alcoholic drink in Korea which can be bought just about anywhere in Korea for only 1~3 dollars. According to a report WHO released in 2011, an average Korean male drinks 18.4 liters of pure alcohol every year, which is equal to about 256 bottles of soju, and the rate of alcohol dependency among them is 13%. Soju is definitely more than just a beverage to Korean males.

In the film Chilsu and Mansu, soju bottles appear on the screen almost as much as the two male protagonists. Soju is omnipresent, and it’s almost like a third main character. To begin with, Chilsu and Mansu become ‘brothers’ over a bottle of soju. Mansu is a chronic alcoholic who drinks soju like water. He constantly drinks when he’s alone to relieve himself from stress. Chilsu doesn’t drink as much, but when he goes to see his alcoholic father, he orders himself a bottle of soju in order to face him. And ironically, the climax of the scene begins as Chilsu and Mansu drink soju on top of the whisky advertisement. There, Chilsu finally confess to Mansu that his life is a disaster and Mansu joins him by telling him about his father in prison. Under the influence of soju, they both start shouting at the world releasing their anger and frustration, only to be stopped by the police who mistake the soju bottle as a firebomb.

 The relationship between soju and the dysfunctional and isolated Korean males depicted in Chilsu and Mansu is not far from reality. It’s not over exaggerated or underrepresented. For the underprivileged males in Korean society, soju is present in times of sadness and in happiness, when in work or during rest. Sometimes soju is used to desensitize and to escape from reality, and on the other hand, soju also helps one stand up and face the truth. But the fact is, without the help of soju, these people don’t know how to feel or what to feel or what not to feel. They are so repressed by the society, their work, their family and the burden of life, they have forgotten how to be themselves. They have lost their identities. Now they can only depend on soju to feel and express and live their life for them.