The Complete Guide to ‘해장’ (haejang) — One Word to Tame Last Night’s Drinks

Friday night, you clinked soju glasses with friends and laughed and chatted late into the night. Then Saturday morning, you open your eyes to a throbbing head and a burning stomach. The very first word Koreans reach for at a moment like this is 해장 (haejang). That scene in a K-drama where the hungover main character sits down in front of a piping-hot bowl of soup, or that variety-show moment where the cast heads to a restaurant saying “Let’s go get some 해장” — you’ve probably seen it at least once. Today, let’s dig deep into this warm and practical word.

해장

해장 (haejang) is a noun meaning ‘to relieve the effects of the alcohol you drank the day before.’ In Chinese characters it’s written with 풀 해(解, to loosen/relieve) and 창자 장(腸, intestines), so it literally carries the meaning of ‘loosening up your insides (intestines).’ It refers to the whole act of soothing a body and stomach worn out by drinking.

The nuance matters. ‘해장’ isn’t just ‘sobering up’ — it also includes the act of eating or drinking something to make that happen. So eating a hot bowl of soup counts as 해장, and having one more light drink — what’s called 해장술 (haejangsul) — is also 해장. Various words attach to the end of it, and it’s used actively in forms like 해장국 (haejangguk, soup for a hangover) and 해장라면 (haejang-ramyeon).

Checking the National Institute of Korean Language Dictionary

The authoritative Basic Korean Dictionary from the National Institute of Korean Language defines ‘해장’ like this:

해장 (noun): Relieving the effects of the previous day’s alcohol. Or eating soup, having a drink, and so on in order to do so. [en] relieving a hangover; eating a soup or having a drink for a hangover [zh] 解酒，醒酒 — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)

Shall we also look at some actual usage examples from the dictionary?

간밤에 약주를 하신 아버지는 아침에 일어나 해장국을 드셨다. (ganbame yakjureul hasin abeojineun achime ireona haejanggugeul deusyeotda.) — Father, who had been drinking the night before, got up in the morning and had some 해장국. — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)

This is the most classic scene: a father who drank the day before soothes his stomach with 해장국 in the morning. ‘약주 (yakju)’ is a polite way of referring to ‘술 (sul, alcohol),’ so it works well when speaking about your elders.

감치는 맛이 해장에 딱 좋군요. (gamchineun masi haejange ttak jokunyo.) — That lingering flavor is just perfect for curing a hangover. — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)

This is an admiring remark that the broth’s flavor clings deliciously to the palate (‘감치는’ / gamchineun) and is just right for settling the stomach.

술에 취해 친구네 집에서 자고 다음 날 아침 꿀물에 해장국까지 얻어먹었다. (sure chwihae chingune jibeseo jago daeum nal achim kkulmure haejanggukkkaji eodeomeogeotda.) — I got drunk and slept over at my friend’s place, and the next morning I was even treated to honey water and 해장국. — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)

A warm-hearted situation where you impose on a friend’s home and are treated to honey water and even 해장국.

어머니께서는 강에서 잡아 온 다슬기를 깨끗이 씻어 해장국을 끓여 주셨다. (eomeonikkeseoneun gangeseo jaba on daseulgireul kkaekkeusi ssiseo haejanggugeul kkeuryeo jusyeotda.) — Mother cleaned the marsh snails she’d caught in the river and made 해장국 for us. — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)

The ingredients for 해장국 differ by region, and a clear 해장국 made with 다슬기 (daseulgi, freshwater marsh snails) is beloved in the southern provinces.

Practical Example Sentences by Situation (Original)

Situation 1 — To a coworker (morning at the office)

어제 회식 때문에 다들 힘들죠? 점심에 다 같이 해장 (haejang) 하러 가요. (eoje hoesik ttaemune dadeul himdeuljyo? jeomsime da gachi haejang hareo gayo.) — Everyone’s rough after yesterday’s company dinner, right? Let’s all go get some 해장 at lunch.

A kind way of looking out for hungover colleagues while suggesting you grab lunch together.

Situation 2 — To a friend (casual speech)

나 속 너무 안 좋아. 우리 해장국 (haejangguk) 이나 한 그릇 먹자. (na sok neomu an joa. uri haejangguk-ina han geureut meokja.) — My stomach feels awful. Let’s just go have a bowl of 해장국.

This is the phrase that comes up most often between close friends.

Situation 3 — Talking to yourself / a resolution

오늘은 해장 (haejang) 도 못 했더니 하루 종일 머리가 아프네. (oneureun haejang-do mot haetdeoni haru jongil meoriga apeune.) — I didn’t even get to do any 해장 today, so my head’s been aching all day.

This is the lament of a day when you couldn’t properly settle your stomach and feel miserable.

Comparing Polite/Casual Forms and Similar Expressions

‘해장’ itself is a noun with no built-in polite/casual distinction, so you adjust the level of formality with the predicate at the end of the sentence.

Casual: 우리 해장하자 (haejanghaja). (Let’s do 해장.)
Polite: 같이 해장하시죠 (haejanghasijo). (Let’s do 해장 together.)

A similar expression is ‘술을 깨다 (sureul kkaeda, for the intoxication to wear off),’ but this is closer to naturally becoming sober again, whereas ‘해장’ differs in nuance in that it’s the act of actively taming your stomach. ‘숙취 (sukchwi)’ is a noun referring to the miserable state (a hangover) that lingers after you sober up, and it’s used as a pair, as in ‘숙취를 해장으로 푼다 (you cure a 숙취 with 해장).’

Cultural Background

In Korea, 해장 is a culture unto itself. 해장국 restaurants open 24 hours are common, and the varieties are diverse too — 콩나물국 (kongnamulguk, soybean sprout soup), 북엇국 (bugeotguk, dried pollack soup), 선지해장국 (seonji-haejangguk, ox-blood hangover soup), and more. In dramas, too, a scene where someone cooks up a bowl of soup for a hungover character is a staple bit of directing that shows ‘정 (jeong, deep affection).’ To paraphrase this kind of situation — that morning scene where a family silently holds out a bowl of 해장국 to a protagonist who stewed in misery all night is a classic cliché that conveys a warm heart without a single line of dialogue.

Closing Quiz

What word goes in the blank below?

“어제 술을 너무 많이 마셨어. 아침에 뜨끈한 ______ 한 그릇 먹으니 속이 좀 풀리네.” (“eoje sureul neomu mani masyeosseo. achime tteukkeunhan ______ han geureut meogeuni sogi jom pulline.”) — “I drank way too much yesterday. After having a bowl of hot ______ in the morning, my stomach feels a bit better.”

(Answer: 해장국 haejangguk — the soup that settles your stomach!)

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.