According to a set of statistics released by the Korea Customs Service (Customs) on the 23rd, Korean whiskey consumption increased this year, while wine consumption declined for two consecutive years.

Data show that from January to October this year, whiskey imports increased 26.8 percent year-on-year to 26,937 tons. The figure is close to the level of 2002 (27,379 tons), which was the highest in a single year, and it is almost certain that this year's import record will be set. The analysis pointed out that the cocktail "Hi bar", which is a mixture of whiskey and carbonated drinks, is widely popular in South Korea, driving up the increase in whiskey consumption.

It is worth noting that whiskey imports increased by only 1.5% year-on-year to $221.46 million. That means more imports of lower-end whiskies. An industry insider said that "Hi bar" to add soda water, do not have to use expensive high-end whiskey, so the low-end product sales are relatively considerable.

In contrast, wine imports fell 18.8 per cent year-on-year to 47,500 tonnes and imports fell 11.6 per cent to $426.78 million. As a result, wine imports have declined for two consecutive years. Thanks to the popularity of drinking at home and drinking alone during the COVID-19 pandemic, wine imports have surged from 43,495 tons in 2019 to 54,127 tons in 2020 and 76,575 tons in 2021. However, after the epidemic situation stabilized last year, imports fell slightly to 71,0102 tons, and they have shrunk further this year.