I have compiled these rules after many excursions with Koreans, in many different social contexts, and I'm fairly confident that they are adhered to by most Koreans to some degree or another.
- RULE 1. If at all possible, try to consume alcohol while hiking. Getting drunk before setting out is bad form, but getting slightly plastered while on the mountain shows commitment and, most importantly, sociability.
- RULE 2. If the first rule cannot be followed, it is acceptable to set out with a bad hangover, or after a night of very little sleep. Extra points are possible, of course, in the event that this second rule can be combined with the first to some degree.
- RULE 3. If the first two rules cannot be followed, some credit can be garnered by using inappropriate clothing, shoes and equipment (or no equipment). This rule is mostly to accommodate those who cannot consume alcohol: youths, hardcore Christians, Buddhist monks, and the like. This rule should NOT be combined with the first two – if either (or both) of the first two rules are being followed, then it is much more important to be dressed fashionably like a mountain climber and have lots of appropriate (if somewhat superfluous) equipment. In fact, combining all three rules is rank amateurism and will result is glares of disdain from those following the rules correctly.