SEJONG, Jan. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s exports of kimchi shot up 20 percent in 2018 from a year earlier, hitting an all-time-high of US$97.5 million, the country’s agricultural ministry said Wednesday. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said the growth was the strongest upswing since it started compiling such data in [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 15 (Korea Bizwire) — Sales of brewed coffee at local convenience stores have increased as more South Koreans seek cost effective drinks in the face of rising consumer prices, industry data showed Tuesday. BGF Retail Co., the operator of South Korea’s largest convenience store chain, CU, said revenues from brewed coffee at its [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 13 (Korea Bizwire) — Whisky sales in South Korea fell for the 10th year in a row in 2018, industry data showed Sunday, amid changes in the country’s wining and dining culture, and a shorter workweek. Total sales of the distilled alcoholic beverage reached over 1.49 million boxes, down 6.2 percent from a [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — South Koreans ate out less in 2018 than a year earlier as they tightened their belt amid a weak economy, a poll showed Monday. According to the survey of 3,014 people aged 20-69, South Koreans dined out an average of 20.8 times per month last year, compared with 21.8 [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 4 (Korea Bizwire) — It has been reported that convenience store wine is gaining popularity among men in their 30s. The wine is cost effective, with bottles selling for as little as 10,000 won ($8.87). Sales data from GS25, a convenience store operated by GS Retail Co., offers additional confirmation. Of all the [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 3 (Korea Bizwire) — More than 60 percent of outlets operated by two leading fast food restaurants, McDonald’s and Lotteria, have electronic kiosks, industry officials said Thursday. A total of 825 out of 1,350 Lotteria branches across the country, or 62 percent, currently operate automated kiosks for ordering food, they said. “Most of [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — Japanese beer kept the title of most-imported beer last year in South Korea, while imports of Chinese beer faltered. Beer imports from Belgium and the U.S. also grew rapidly. South Korea’s National Tax Service released statistics showing that beer imports between January and November of last year totaled $288 [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 31 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea now accounts for 60 percent of Japanese beer exports every year. Most of the imports are manufactured at three factories in Fukuoka and Oita, Japan. NHK, Japan’s national public broadcasting channel, reported on Thursday that the volume of Japanese beer exports to South Korea has increased by [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 31 (Korea Bizwire) — With South Korea’s gross national income (GNI) expected to surpass US$30,000 this year, some predict that the domestic dining market will decline in the coming year. According to Prof. Choi Kyu-wan of Kyunghee University, the dining industry goes through three stages with economic and social development: a growth period, [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 31 (Korea Bizwire) — The traditional alcoholic beverage “makgeolli” has contributed to the increased consumption of alcoholic beverages by older women, a report showed Monday. According to the report conducted by a team of researchers at Seoul National University College of Medicine, a daily average of alcoholic beverages consumed by women aged between [...]