A survey among university students in Korea released Tuesday found that while the majority recognized problems with the irresponsible drinking culture on campuses, few were willing to act to change the culture.

The survey was conducted by Diageo Korea, a global premium drinks company, on 2,400 college students. Seven out of 10 students said they saw a problem with the irresponsible drinking culture associated with college parties, but just 20 percent of them said they were willing to actively change their behavior.

The remaining 80 percent of students said that even though they recognized the problem, it would be difficult to change the widespread culture because students are socially expected to drink heavily at these gatherings and there is social acceptance of the inappropriate behavior caused by drunkenness.

Heavy drinking and related accidents or crimes have long been a point of debate in South Korea.

According to the Korea Public Health Association, 23 college students lost their lives in the past decade due to accidents related to drinking at the beginning of a new semester.

Korean universities have continually come under fire for being unable to manage irresponsible and coercive drinking at college parties.

Nearly 9 out of 10 of the respondents in the survey said there was a need for professional and structured education on responsible drinking, with over half of the respondents saying they preferred classroom-style lectures rather than digital programs in order to build social consensus on the issue. 

“Most students are aware of the need for education on moderate drinking, but society does not seem to have sufficient infrastructure to meet their needs,” said Cho Kil-soo, the CEO of Diageo Korea.

Since 2004, Diageo Korea has been sponsoring awareness programs such as the “Cool Drinker” campaign, which engages college students in discussions regarding responsible drinking.

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)