Imports of wine, whiskey drop amid popularity of rice wine

SEOUL, Jan. 17 (Yonhap) -- Imports of Western wine and whiskey dropped by an
average of 15 percent in South Korea last year, as sales of traditional rice wine
surged amid the economic downturn, a state report said Sunday.
Imports of Western wine shrank 21.1 percent last year from a year earlier in the
first decrease in 10 years, while imports of whiskey decreased 8.9 percent during
the same period, according to the report by the Korea Customs Service.
Exports of the Korean wine "makgeolli," meanwhile, surged 35.7 percent last year
from the previous year, the report showed, mainly due to strong demand from
Japan, which was responsible for buying about 86 percent of Korea's exports of
the beverage.
Makgeolli, a milky brew with an alcohol content of 6-7 percent, has been
regaining popularity recently due to its relatively cheap price and gentle taste
compared to Western or Korean hard liquor.
The rice-base fermented drink was originally popular among farmers and manual
laborers here until the 1970s, but lost market share to imported drinks like beer
and whiskey for decades.
In terms of value, exports of makgeolli increased 41.9 percent to US$6.27 million
during the one-year period in 2009, which is nearly nine times the export revenue
of $705,000 in 1999.
hayney@yna.co.kr
(END)