SEOUL, June 2 (Korea Bizwire) – A slow but noticeable change is coming to South Korea’s once fierce and often authoritative drinking culture. Whiskey sales have struggled with negative growth for eight consecutive years, plummeting from 2.84 million crates (18 500-mililiter bottles) in 2008 to 1.67 million in 2016, while HiteJinro, a major distiller here, [...]
SEOUL, May 29 (Korea Bizwire) – Sales of whiskey in South Korea have declined sharply over the last decade due largely to a shift in the country’s drinking culture, industry data showed Monday. The domestic sales of the spirit hit 1.67 million boxes, or some 30 million bottles, in 2016, down 41 percent from 2.84 [...]
SEOUL, May 16 (Korea Bizwire) – It’s no secret that alcohol has a special place in South Korea’s societal culture. It’s often consumed heavily both in good and in bad times, and also a large intake is often considered a virtue among the workplace buddy culture, especially among men. As a recent anecdote, when Moon [...]
SEOUL, May 2 (Korea Bizwire) – Sales of beer in South Korea are posting robust growth this year, largely backed by strong demand for imported beers, as consumers prefer to have light drinks over a meal instead of heavy liquor, industry sources said Tuesday. According to data by E-Mart, the country’s largest discount outlet chain [...]
SEOUL, April 19 (Korea Bizwire) – One out of three middle-aged men in South Korea show risky drinking patterns, suggesting heavy alcohol dependence, a study said Wednesday based on a health and nutrition survey carried out on more than 15,000 people. The study was conducted by professors Kim Dong-jun and Hong Jae-won of Inje University [...]
SEOUL, April 13 (Korea Bizwire) – Collegians who are depressed or stressed out try to find solace in drinking, which exacerbates their mental conditions and perpetuates a cycle of deterioration, a study said Thursday, indicating a different perspective is needed to solve campus drinking problems. The latest health and social welfare review from the Korea [...]
SEJONG, Jan. 9 (Korea Bizwire) – The price of soju, a rice-based liquor most popular with local drinkers, leaped 11.7 percent in 2016 from the year before, the highest rate of increase since recordkeeping began in 2000, a statistical agency said Monday. Prior price hikes for soju were 8 percent in 2001-2002 and 3.7 percent [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 30 (Korea Bizwire) – Convenience stores have become the largest market for selling alcohol drinks, a market report showed Wednesday, apparently due to more people choosing to drink alone or with their families. The retail index provided by information analysis firm Nielsen Korea said convenience stores ousted discount chains to become the biggest [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 23 (Korea Bizwire) – Sales of alcoholic beverages have shown an unusual increase since October, a leading retailer said Wednesday, possibly from more people drinking at home after an anti-corruption law took effect. According to E-Mart, whiskey sales during the Oct. 1-Nov. 21 period rose 11.7 percent compared with the same period last [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Korea Bizwire) – The new anti-graft law has given rise to yet another consumption trend in Korean society, this time with “Yangju” or foreign hard liquor such as whiskey, brandy, or rum. These types of beverages, which in the past would usually have been consumed at entertainment establishments, are now becoming increasingly [...]