New song Apt. unlikely to revive Korean drinking games

"Apateu, apateu." This catchy chant over a bouncy beat has been propelling K-pop girl group Blackpink's Rose and American singer Bruno Mars' collaboration, Apt., to massive global success.

- 

SEOUL - "Apateu, apateu."

This catchy chant over a bouncy beat has been propelling K-pop girl group Blackpink's Rose and American singer Bruno Mars' collaboration, Apt., to massive global success.

For many South Koreans, the tune and its themes feel all too familiar, mirroring a drinking game of the same name that they have nearly grown out of.

Before diving into the mixed views of Koreans about what is now in South Korea considered the somewhat passe drinking game that inspired the chart-topper, here is what this game is and what Korean drinking games in general entail.

Korean drinking games, once a staple of college parties, are quite varied. In 2016, local media outlet Money Today noted that while classics like I Am Ground and 007 Bbang once dominated the scene, the list of games had at that point grown so extensive that it became difficult to count.

Apt. is one of the time-worn classics. This is how the game is played, according to Rose's own tutorial on TikTok.

A group of people gather in a circle facing one another and, with their arms bent at the elbows and palms facing down, move their hands horizontally in a criss-cross fashion. The participants perform this movement while chanting "apateu, apateu", as in the song's chorus.

After chanting the phrase three times, everyone piles their hands up on top of one another in the centre of the circle.