“Apateu, apateu.” This infectious melody and catchy chant are propelling Blackpink’s Rosé and Bruno Mars’ newest collaboration, “APT,” into an enormous world success.
For a lot of South Koreans, the tune and its themes really feel all too acquainted, mirroring the consuming sport of the identical identify that they’ve practically grown out of.
“Ingesting video games are type of over,” stated Lee Ji-won, 22, a college pupil in Seoul.
“Individuals who carry them up appear old style. The times of pressured consuming are fading as everybody’s tolerance for it wears skinny.”
The consuming sport that impressed ‘APT’
However earlier than diving deeper into the views of Koreans who’re nonchalant concerning the sport that impressed this huge chart-topper, this is what this sport is and what Korean consuming video games generally entail.
Korean consuming video games, as soon as a staple of youth events, are fairly assorted.
In 2016, the native media outlet Cash At this time famous that whereas classics like “I Am Floor” and “007 Bbang” as soon as dominated the scene, the listing of video games had grown so in depth that it grew to become troublesome to rely. The sport “APT” is without doubt one of the time-old classics.
That is how it’s performed, in response to Rose’s personal tutorial on TikTok.
https://www.tiktok.com/@roses_are_rosie/video/7427960872389102866 (###retaining this for hyperlinking###)
Everybody gathers in a circle and waves their fingers horizontally, alternating placing one hand over the opposite. This, whereas chanting “apateu, apateu” with the identical melody featured within the tune.
After singing the road 3 times, everybody locations their fingers within the heart.
One individual, designated at the start of the sport, yells out a sure quantity.
Every hand stacked represents a narrative within the condo of fingers they’ve constructed. Gamers start counting, and the individual whose hand is on the very backside should transfer their hand to the highest till they attain the quantity that was known as out.
Whoever’s hand finally ends up on the prime should take a shot of alcohol in a bottom-up vogue.
Usually lasting nearly a couple of minutes, the sport can simply go away the unfortunate gamers drunk after an hour of play.
Korean consuming video games stand out for his or her simplicity, requiring no tools like darts, cube, or sport boards. All that’s wanted are reminiscence expertise, rhythm, and a willingness to chant some playful songs.
Most of those video games are only for enjoyable, with out deep cultural ties, although some mirror points of on a regular basis Korean life.
The “APT” sport is tied to Koreans’ familiarity with condo residing — by 2022, greater than 51.9 % of Koreans resided in flats. One other sport, the “subway sport,” begins when a participant calls out a Seoul subway line, and the others take turns naming stations on that line.
There’s additionally “Hunminjeongeum,” named after the Korean writing system created in 1443 by King Sejong. On this sport, the chief calls out consonants of a two-syllable phrase, and gamers should rapidly shout corresponding phrases whereas stacking their thumbs. The final participant to stack their thumb faces a penalty.
‘School freshman ritual’
The consuming video games inevitably result in many pictures being downed as penalties.
Due to this, it isn’t as standard because it was prior to now, in response to Kim Min-soo, 20.
“We’re consuming much less and enjoying fewer video games,” he stated. “At this time’s era sees alcohol as one thing to savor, like a delicacy — not only a strategy to get drunk.”
Kim Ga-eul, 24, added that consuming video games are principally a freshman ritual to interrupt the ice.
“I hardly ever play consuming video games with shut associates until we’re tremendous drunk and actually bored,” she stated.
A survey performed earlier this 12 months by South Korean pharmaceutical firm Handok that produces hangover cures, additionally displays this development, exhibiting college students’ reluctance towards consuming video games.
Performed on-line over two weeks beginning Feb. 26, the survey concerned 475 faculty college students from throughout South Korea, from freshmen to seniors.
It discovered that the individual college students most wished to keep away from at new-semester gatherings was one who persistently inspired consuming — 29.9 %. This was adopted by individuals who disappear when it’s time to pay (28.2 %) and people centered solely on consuming video games (26.5 %).
An promoting business insider echoed this shift, noting that Gen Z drinkers, these below the age of 27, favors selection and moderation of their consuming habits.
“Once we pitch for alcohol adverts, we needless to say Gen Z drinks much less and enjoys a wider choice,” the insider stated. “It was steadily occurring, however COVID-19 restrictions on massive gatherings actually sped up the change.”
An area liquor business insider added, “The consuming tradition has shifted dramatically on account of COVID-19’s affect. It’s moved away from the outdated ‘pour it, drink it up’ tradition to 1 the place you drink just a little and savor it.”
For some, a visit down reminiscence lane
Those that skilled the heyday of Korean consuming video games have combined emotions about their influence.
Ingesting video games in Korea are sometimes seen as an efficient approach for strangers to bond rapidly.
“They carry everybody collectively; it actually works,” stated Kim Joo-eun, 30. “One of many video games, the place individuals take turns stacking names of members, is a good way not solely to interrupt the ice but additionally to recollect everybody’s identify.”
Kim Hyun-jun, now in his 30s and a former highschool and college pupil in america, agreed. “I studied within the US, and truthfully, I haven’t seen something fairly like Korean consuming video games. They’re a incredible strategy to break the ice.”
Nonetheless, not everybody has fond reminiscences of those video games.
“Ingesting video games drive you to drink too rapidly,” stated Park Kyu-jin, in her 30s. “I don’t deal with alcohol nicely, so I at all times really feel responsible when associates take my penalty pictures.”
Min Jung-a, additionally in her 30s, noticed, “In Korea, it appears we benefit from the tradition of getting drunk collectively greater than the drinks themselves. It’s much less about savoring a drink or having a superb dialog and extra about enjoying video games and getting drunk rapidly, which I don’t desire.”
Kim Yoo-jung, 32, echoed this sentiment. “I positively drink extra after I play consuming video games, and I’ve seen so many associates throw up whereas enjoying. I don’t suppose it’s wholesome in any respect.”
Kim Ha-yoon contributed to this report.
