Everyone Drinks Ah-Shot-Chu And You Should Too

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안녕! It’s Ari, your talkative Korean friend and weekend reminder 🎉 Thanks for participating in the poll last week. Based on the poll result, I changed my newsletter format a little. Most of the voters said they read my newsletter for news, trends, and culture so I’ll focus more on them. Today’s newsletter is about black comedy in Korea, a sweet drink everyone loves, and a parody of The Glory. Let’s start!

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Black Comedy Is Thriving In Korea

RM of BTS on Psick Show

When I heard that RM of BTS would be on Psick Show a month ago, I was thrilled because it was my favorite show. Psick Show is a comedy program on the YouTube channel Psick University. Although it appears to be a talk show, it is actually a comedy act performed by three comedians who pretend to be the hosts of an American talk show. They only invite guests who speak fluent English, since it is an American talk show. The hosts mostly use English, poor one often times, and mix Korean and English, which adds to the fun of the show.

Psick University is one of many comedy YouTube channels that are thriving these days. More people are watching comedy shows on YouTube rather than traditional TV shows. The fact that RM chose the YouTube channel, with 1.85 million subscribers, instead of big shows like SNL Korea reflects the shift in K-Comedy trends. Comedy shows on YouTube are different from traditional TV shows. In each show or video, a comedian plays a specific character found in everyday Korean life, such as a strict geography teacher or an unfriendly and poorly-skilled makeup artist. Many shows often depict real-life aspects of Korean life.

05학번이즈히어 (img credit: Psick University)

One great example is the "05학번이즈히어 (Class of 2005 is Here)" series on Psick University 👆. In Korea, "Class of 2005" does not mean you graduated from university in 2005, but rather that you entered school in 2005. The series covers the daily life of an ordinary Korean married couple in their mid-30s, with a son named Seo-Jun and living in a new town. Of course, they are not real, but played by two talented comedians who have never been married and don't have kids. The series shows how a married woman socializes with other married women in town, what kind of car a married man in his mid-30s drives, or how a married couple argues while shopping in a mall. The series is very popular now, with many people loving it for its superb acting and because it shows the reality of middle-class Koreans. In the latest episode, the couple attends their son's kindergarten play and pretends to be nice in front of other couples, but later they talk behind their backs about the apartments they live in or the cars they own, reflecting that many Koreans judge people based on the apartment they live in or the car they own. This is a social problem that exacerbates the social divide between the rich and the poor. Many comments say things like, "It's so real. I saw a mom who tells her kid not to play with a friend because the friend lives in a poor neighborhood."

The YouTube shows often remind me of "Parasite," a hit black comedy Korean movie. Most of them cover the harsh reality of the country, just as "Parasite" talked about the social divide between the rich and the poor, but in a much lighter way.

Everyone Drinks Ah-Shot-Chu And You Should Too

하니모하니 @1oo4_hanii_

아샷추🥤

I think this is my first time I'm introducing you to a drink, not food. I have to since it’s so popular right now. Everyone is drinking 아샷추 or ah-shot-chu. It’s an acronym of 아이스티에 샷 추가 meaning “adding a shot of espresso to a peach iced tea.” So it’s a peach iced tea with a shot of espresso. The drink was popular a few years ago and it has come back. People love this drink because it’s sweet and yet you can get enough caffein to survive a day. I also think it’s popular because of its cute name, ah-shot-chu, though one TikTok comment said that it sounds like “I shot you.” 😅 In Korea, there’s a saying, 얼죽아, an acronym of 얼어 죽어도 아이스 아메리카노 meaning “even if I freeze to death, I drink iced americano.” We love having a cold drink during the winter. This winter is apparently a season of 얼죽아샷추 🥤

Watch the making video and try it for yourself! It’s super easy!

Tip. When you order an ah-shot-chu at a cafe in Seoul, say

• 아이스티에 샷 추가해주세요. I’d like an peach iced tea with a shot of espresso.

• 아이스티에 샷 두 개 추가해주세요. I’d like an peach iced tea with two shots of espresso.

One last thing to share is a viral black comedy video clip from a recent protest in Seoul. Every Saturday, protesters gather to demand South Korea president’s resignation. Korean protests often have a festive atmosphere. Participants hold lightsticks resembling candles and there are performances like a short play or singing on a stage. Last Saturday, there was a parody of the popular K-Drama series 'The Glory.' In the series, a heroine reads a letter to her high-school bully. A performer read a letter copying the heroine’s voice condemning the first lady’s corruption scandals and the president’s policy failures. “Don’t apologize, Myung-shin (the first lady’s name). We didn’t light candles during the summer and winter just for your apology. You should be punished,” the letter said.

Thanks for reading! If you liked my newsletter, like ❤️, leave a comment, share with your friends, or support me. It’ll help me keep writing! See you next week, 안녕!