회식 (hoesik): Not Just a Meal, but a Moment That Confirms “We’re a Team”

If you watch Korean dramas, this scene is bound to come up. As the workday winds down, the department head stands up and calls out loudly, “Alright, let’s all go grab dinner together tonight!” And the employees—whatever they may be feeling on the inside—smile on the outside and start gathering up their coats. The name of this very scene is today’s expression, 회식 (hoesik).

If you’re a fan of Korean culture, you’ve heard this word countless times in K-dramas, especially workplace dramas. But 회식 is one of those words you can only half-understand from its dictionary meaning of “a dinner eaten together.” It’s a cultural code where Korean society’s warmth (정, jeong), hierarchy, and sense of belonging all blend together. Today, let’s dig deep into this single word.

회식

회식 (hoesik) is made up of two Chinese characters: ‘모일 회 (會)’, meaning “to gather,” and ‘밥 식 (食)’, meaning “food/to eat.” Read literally, it means “to gather (會) and eat (食).” It refers to a gathering where people who belong to a single organization—a company, a club, a team—eat together, or to the very act of eating that way.

The nuance matters. Friends simply having dinner together isn’t usually called 회식. 회식 carries the built-in premise of belonging to “the same organization or group.” So a 회식 is a place to eat, but at the same time it functions like a kind of ritual (의식, 儀式) for strengthening the bond of “we’re one team.” It can be a welcome occasion, and sometimes a burdensome one, too—that double-edged feeling clings to this word.

Checking the National Institute of Korean Language Dictionary

The Basic Korean Dictionary, published by the National Institute of Korean Language (a government body), defines ‘회식’ like this:

회식 (noun) A gathering where people belonging to a group or organization come together to eat food. Or such a gathering. [en] dining together; group dinner — A state in which people in a certain group or organization dine out together; or such a meeting. [es] cena en grupo — Estado en el que las personas pertenecientes a un determinado grupo u organización cenan juntas. O tal reunión. [zh] 聚餐，会餐，饭局 — 同属于某组织或团体的人聚在一起吃饭；或指这种聚会。 — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)

The Portuguese translation isn’t included in the dictionary, so we’ve translated it ourselves for learners (note that this is our own translation, not the original dictionary text): jantar em grupo — refeição feita em conjunto por pessoas de uma mesma organização ou grupo.

Among the actual usage examples the dictionary provides, let me quote the sentences using ‘회식’ exactly as written and explain the situations.

오늘 회식에서 술은 안 마시나요? (oneul hoesigeseo sureun an masinayo?) — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)

One thing that commonly comes to mind with 회식 is alcohol (술, sul). This sentence nicely captures a situation where someone who can’t or doesn’t want to drink is carefully reading the mood.

이번 회식에는 자네도 무조건 참석해야 하네. (ibeon hoesigeneun janedo mujokkeon chamseokhaeya hane.) — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)

From the speech style—words like ‘자네 (jane)’ and the ‘-하네 (-hane)’ ending—you can tell this is an older superior speaking to a subordinate. And the phrase ‘무조건 참석 (mujokkeon chamseok, “absolutely must attend”)’ reveals one side of Korean workplace culture, where a 회식 is often treated as an “obligation, not a choice.”

(Note: The dictionary’s example list also mixes in sentences about ‘개회식 (gaehoesik, 開會式, opening ceremony).’ This is a completely separate word that sounds similar but means something entirely different, so it should be distinguished from the ‘회식’ we’re covering today.)

Practice Sentences by Situation

Let’s get a feel for real usage with some sentences we made ourselves.

1. When announcing a 회식 schedule

이번 주 금요일 저녁에 팀 회식이 있어요. (ibeon ju geumyoil jeonyeoge tim hoesigi isseoyo.) — There’s a team 회식 this Friday evening.

2. When politely saying you’ll skip it (very useful!)

죄송하지만 오늘 회식에는 빠져도 될까요? (joesonghajiman oneul hoesigeneun ppajyeodo doelkkayo?) — I’m sorry, but would it be okay if I skipped today’s 회식?

3. When explaining 회식 etiquette

회식 자리에서는 윗사람에게 두 손으로 술을 따라 드려요. (hoesik jarieseoneun witsaramege du soneuro sureul ttara deuryeoyo.) — At a 회식, you pour drinks for your seniors with both hands.

Formal vs. Casual Speech, and Similar Expressions

The same 회식 talk changes its tone depending on who you’re speaking to.

To a friend or colleague (casual): 오늘 회식 가? (oneul hoesik ga?)
To a senior (polite): 오늘 회식 가세요? (oneul hoesik gaseyo?)

Here are some similar-but-different expressions worth knowing, too.

뒤풀이 (dwipuri): A get-together held right “after” a performance or event ends. It can overlap with a 회식, but it carries a stronger nuance of “celebrating after finishing something.”
술자리 (suljari): Literally, a place for drinking. It can be used regardless of organizational membership, so it’s broader than 회식.
모임 (moim): The most general word for “a gathering.” It doesn’t necessarily involve food or drinks.

Cultural Background: 회식 in Dramas, and How Things Are Changing

The masterpiece Korean workplace drama Misaeng (미생, tvN, 2014) drew attention for its realistic portrayal of 회식 culture through the eyes of a new employee. In the show, a 회식 is depicted as a place where drinks go around and the distance between bosses and subordinates narrows, while at the same time being an endless string of tension and mood-reading for the most junior staffer. (Rather than specific lines, we’re only describing the atmosphere of the scenes.) In this way, a 회식 has always carried both sides at once: “a warm place to share 정 (jeong)” and “a burden that’s hard to refuse.”

That said, Korea is changing fast these days. As a culture that values “work-life balance (워라밸, worabael)” spreads, 회식 that pressure people to drink late into the night are declining, and the trend is shifting toward lunch 회식 or “cultural 회식” like shows and bowling. If you’ve watched a 회식 scene in a K-drama and wondered, “Is it still all like that now?”, the answer is: “it’s gradually changing.”

Today’s Closing Quiz

What’s the most natural word to fill in the blank below?

New employee: “부장님, 죄송하지만 제가 오늘 몸이 안 좋아서 ______에는 빠져도 될까요?” (“Sir, I’m sorry, but I’m not feeling well today—would it be okay if I skipped the ______?”)

① 개회식 (gaehoesik) ② 회식 (hoesik) ③ 뒤풀이 (dwipuri) ④ 술자리 (suljari)

The answer is ② 회식 (hoesik). Since this is a situation where someone belonging to an organization (a company) is asking their superior for understanding about missing the organization’s evening gathering, ‘회식’ is the most natural fit. ① is ‘개회식 (gaehoesik, opening ceremony),’ which only sounds similar but means something completely different.

Next time you hear today’s word, 회식 (hoesik), in a K-drama, you’ll see the meaning that goes beyond just a single meal!

Definitions and example sentences are from the National Institute of Korean Language’s Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr); that portion of this post, including our translations, is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 KR.