韓國燒酒：一體多元下的飲酒文化、階序與認同

Korean Soju: Drinking Culture, Hierarchy, and Identity in a Pluralistic Society

本文以韓國最具代表性的酒類「燒酒」為例，討論燒酒對於當代韓國人的意義為何，以及看似一致的集體認同下多元且具張力的飲酒文化、階序及認同差異。以傳統蒸餾方法製作出來的燒酒，在13世紀高麗時代後期通過蒙古人傳入韓半島，歷經朝鮮王朝及日本殖民時期前半期，基本上沒有太大改變，然而從1919年開始有了不同的變化。燒酒之所以成為韓國的國民酒，源自於1970年代韓國政府的政策。1973年韓國政府制定「一道一社」政策，開始扶植地方燒酒事業，並在1976年頒布「自道酒義務購買制度」，規定酒類批發商所販賣的燒酒中，必須有50%以上購買自己區域內所製造的燒酒，直到1996年憲法裁判所裁定違反自由競爭原則並廢除這條法規為止。在當代韓國眾多的酒類消費競爭中，燒酒維持了一定的市場占有率。本研究採取混合式研究方法，藉由長期深度參與觀察、半結構式訪談、文本分析、及既有統計資料整理分析等方式蒐集相關資訊，試圖探討在此過程中所牽涉到的飲酒文化、階序、與認同等相關的變異因素與張力，並討論燒酒如何在社會變遷過程中呈現兩極化發展。

This article examines the case of Soju, South Korea’s most iconic alcoholic beverage, as an example to explore its significance to contemporary Koreans and the diverse and tense drinking cultures, class structures, and identities that coexist within a seemingly unified collective identity. Soju's rise to national status stems from government policy in the 1970s. In 1973, the South Korean government enacted the“One Province, One Company”policy to support local soju production. In 1976, it enacted the“Mandatory Purchase System for Local Soju,”requiring liquor wholesalers to purchase at least 50% of the soju they sell from their own region. This regulation was abolished in 1996 after the Constitutional Court ruled it violated the principle of free competition. Amidst the multitude of alcoholic beverages competing in contemporary South Korea, soju has maintained a significant market share and continues to grow. This article explores the dynamics and tensions involved in this process, including those related to drinking culture, social class and identity, and discusses how soju has developed in a polarized manner during this period of social change.