S. Koreans gulp down imported wine at record pace

South Korea imported a record-high US$239 million worth of wines from January to November, much higher than the $204 million for the whole of 2019 as more people drank and partied at home due to the pandemic.

If the December numbers are included, last year's value of South Korea's wine imports will far exceed the previous year's tally, which already more than doubled the $113 million recorded in 2011.

Chile was the number one red wine source for South Korea last year, followed by France, the US, Italy, and Spain.

Meanwhile, France exported the largest amount of white wine to South Korea, followed by Italy, Chile, the US, and New Zealand,

Wine is gaining popularity among South Koreans.

In late December, it was reported that wine sales have surpassed beer at several major Korean retailers.

South Korean hypermarket chain Emart Inc. revealed that wine accounted for 27.7 percent of total sales between January and December 13, surpassing beer and soju.

At Lotte Mart, domestic beer accounted for 27.2 percent of all liquor sales between January and December 17.