Here's How To Play Korea's Popular APT Drinking Game

K-pop singer Rose, from internationally acclaimed girl group BLACKPINK, recently dropped her new single featuring Bruno Mars. The song, curiously named "APT," garnered widespread attention on the internet, particularly in regard to the meaning behind its name. Since the song's release, Rose has gone on record saying that the name actually comes directly from a popular drinking game in Korea.

Known as "the Apartment Game," which is shortened to sound like "apateu" in the song, it's meant to be played in a group. All the players have to stack their hands on top of each other and one person, selected the leader, calls out a number at random. (The structure everyone's hands creates could be described as an apartment building with floors.) Starting at the bottom, everyone has to move their hands to the top of the stack, counting up with each person. Whoever's turn lands on the number that was called has to take a drink.

Players may also be required to drink if they repeat a number that has already been said. Beyond that, there are no rules regarding how many people can play or even what kind of alcohol can be consumed. The game can serve as a fun activity between friends or an icebreaker in a group setting.

The Apartment Game is not the only drinking game in Korean culture. Others, like "Nunchi Game," still involve numbers but rely more on timing and reading other people's expressions than the Apartment Game. Popular drinking games include the 3-6-9 Game and the Bottle Cap Game; there is even a Korean drinking game named after famous actor Son Byeong-ho!

The list of drinking games in Korea doesn't end there either. Though it may seem like a lot of different games for one country, there is some reasoning behind why drinking games are so prevalent in Korean drinking culture in particular. Outside of Europe, Korea is among the countries with a higher and heavier alcohol consumption than average.

Games are not the only thing that sets Korean drinking culture apart from the rest of the world. Korea also has its own liquor, soju, which is often confused with sake. It is a subtly sweet distilled drink that can come flavored with various fruits, and it's usually the drink of choice for the various games.