Almost one-third of Koreans aged 15 and above have drunk “poktanju” ― a mixture of spirits and beer ― this year, with nearly half of those in their 20s having done so.

According to the survey conducted by the Korean Food Drug Agency 626 of 2,066 respondents, or 30.3 percent, said they had more than one glass of the Korean boilermaker. The rate of people drinking poktanju was highest among those in their 20s, with 49.2 percent, followed by people in their 30s and 40s with 34.9 percent and 32 percent, respectively. More than 22 percent from the underage group between 15 and 19 also said they have had more than one glass of boilermaker, the study added.

“Sopok,” consisting of a shot glass of soju and a glass of beer, was the most common type of poktanju with 97 percent of poktanju drinkers having had it, followed by “yangpok,” a mix of beer and whisky, with 18.1 percent. Respondents said they had an average of 4.1 glasses of sopok or 5.1 glasses of yangpok in a session.

The KFDA said in its report that a new type of poktanju involving highly caffeinated beverages such as energy drinks is becoming popular among younger people.

The health authority warned that people may experience serious side effects from the energy poktanju as it helps human body absorb alcohol more quickly. The state-run office also recommended men to drink no more than five shots of soju and women 2.5 shots. It asked the public to drink alcohol slowly, and to also drink water.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)