韓國人真的很妙之Booking Club
The "booking club" is a social club exclusive to South Korea, and is a unique compromise between modern Western ideals and the preservation of traditional customs. "Booking" is very popular in the capital, Seoul, and can be found in some of the larger cities outside the country where there is a sizable Korean population (e.g. New York City, Los Angeles). "Booking" is very much a man's world, an extension of the traditions already in place in society.
South Korea is still steeped in traditional Confucian values, with a very strict division in the roles of women and men. (These have broken down greatly due to the modernization and Westernization, but not by a whole lot). Most importantly, chastity is still valued very highly. After all, the most famous romantic tale is the story of Chunhyang, who epitomized the ultimate ideal woman by refusing the advances of a corrupt governor, claiming that she was only one man's wife. Even in these days, it's considered unseemly for a woman to take the role of asking a man out; it gives the impression of being too "easy." So how exactly do two people meet if their circle of acquaintances isn't wide enough?
That's what booking clubs are for. Women and men come here to be introduced to each other through the use of a go-between. Instead of entrance fees in Western clubs, tables are "bought"; you rent out a table for the night with a group of friends. Each table comes with some snacks and some form of liquor; what's on the table is dependant on how much you want to spend. Obviously, "better" tables can be bought (where the liquor at the table isn't beer, but perhaps whiskey or soju), but the price of the table rises enormously, and "upgrades" are really meant for the men, not the women. (The best tables are usually private rooms, similar to karaoke rooms, and are meant for men.) Tables for girls are substantially cheaper than tables for guys, and for good reason: first, to encourage them to come to the club, and secondly, because most girls never sit at their table for a long period of time. Still, it's rather expensive; a single table can cost a few hundred dollars, which is why if you go, you go in a fairly large group.
Men's tables are very expensive, especially the private rooms; a single night out can cost up to US $1000 (~1,000,000 won) for men, not including additional drinks and tips, depending on what kind of table is bought. Each room has several waiters serving it; in many cases, customers have a specific waiter that they prefer or are in good standing with.
You might be asking yourself, "Why would there be a waiter if there is food and drink already on the table?"
