Alcoholism in South Korea and Japan: An Evaluation and Comparison of Factors Influencing Alcohol Use

Overconsumption of alcohol is detrimental to one's health, and is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. According to World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, Korea has the highest amount of alcohol consumption per capita in all of Asia, and has notably high rates of Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs). The neighbouring country of Japan is similar to Korea in numerous ways, but has significantly lower rates of consumption and AUDs. This poses the question in which ways Japan differs from Korea, and whether they tackle alcoholism in more effective ways. This thesis aims to find ways in which Korea could improve the current situation following the example of a similar country Therefore, both societies are compared by critically analysing secondary literature on factors that affect alcohol consumption: culture, age of onset, availability, affordability, mental health, religion, and restrictive measures. Results show that while both societies heavily emphasize alcohol consumption,...Show moreOverconsumption of alcohol is detrimental to one's health, and is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. According to World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, Korea has the highest amount of alcohol consumption per capita in all of Asia, and has notably high rates of Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs). The neighbouring country of Japan is similar to Korea in numerous ways, but has significantly lower rates of consumption and AUDs. This poses the question in which ways Japan differs from Korea, and whether they tackle alcoholism in more effective ways. This thesis aims to find ways in which Korea could improve the current situation following the example of a similar country Therefore, both societies are compared by critically analysing secondary literature on factors that affect alcohol consumption: culture, age of onset, availability, affordability, mental health, religion, and restrictive measures. Results show that while both societies heavily emphasize alcohol consumption, Korea could learn from Japan's attention to mental health research and development, and wider variety of sobriety groups. However, any conclusive evidence is yet to be found. More extensive and longitudinal research on this subject is therefore necessary.Show less

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Alcoholism in South Korea and Japan: An Evaluation and Comparison of Factors Influencing Alcohol Use