<Anchor> It is a
friendly economic time. Today (6th) will be with reporter Kim Hye-min. Reporter Kim, today we are talking about alcohol. Last year, it was said that Korea's alcohol imports decreased considerably. Is it due to the corona effect?
<Reporter> Not
really. This is due to the boycott of sake in Japan, and if you look at this, it will be estimated to some extent from when the alcohol income decreased.
In the midst of the year, imports continued to increase and then began to decline in 2019, and last year this has decreased even more.
However, if you remember once in 2019, I was boycotting Japanese products at this time, but it was a time when the corona was not yet prevalent.
So, the boycott of beer in Japan played the biggest role in reducing alcohol imports, and Corona 19 accelerated this further.
In fact, among foreign liquors, beer imports, especially Japanese beer imports, were disastrous.
It fell to the bottom of the list last year from the best-selling beer in Korea. The important thing here is that the boycott of Japanese beer did not end in a short period of time, but continues to this day for more than two years.
It is also called sake as well as Japanese beer. The import volume of Cheongju also decreased by 45% in one year.
Cheongju is often drunk in restaurants and bars, and it is said that the culture of not buying Japanese alcohol outside or inside the house has become a daily life.
<anchor>
It really is. It seems that everyday culture has changed. But there are some liquors that have increased their income?
<Reporter> There is a
beer that replaces Japanese beer, and it is Dutch beer.
There are not many Dutch beers that are imported into Korea, but there are only a few types that are very popular and sell well.
If you look at the number of beer imports by country, Dutch beer was the 6th most sold in Korea in 2018. This is about medium-sized, but after a sudden surge in sales last year, it is now making the most sales in Korea.
In addition, imports of most alcoholic beverages such as beer, whiskey, spirits, etc. declined last year, but wines increased significantly.
Originally, wine is a very expensive alcohol that you only drink on special days. Since the spread of Corona 19 last year and home liquor became a trend, it has become a very popular liquor.
It has established itself as a drink that can be enjoyed comfortably with family members at home.
Last year, wine imports increased by 30%, and when we looked at which wine was the most imported, the prices of the top 20 products were mostly less than 10,000 won.
If you go to a mart or convenience store, you can easily access these inexpensive wines. You buy and eat so much. In addition, there were a lot of Chilean, Spanish, and Danish products that were good for the price.
<anchor>
While listening to reporter Kim's explanation,'Oh, that's right.' I think there are quite a few people who sympathize this way. But overall, it means that the amount of alcohol imports decreased in the end. Then the Korean people drank less alcohol. Can you see it like this?
<Reporter>
This is not necessarily the case again. Although alcohol imports have declined, this is because some of the domestic liquors are selling very well in recent years.
The sales scale of domestic craft beer is increasing day by day.
Although it's called craft beer, it doesn't refer to all hand-made beer, but these days as a term used to refer to beers made by small beer makers at once.
If I went to a convenience store all the years ago, I could buy craft beer for 10,000 won for 4 cans just like overseas beer.
In fact, craft beers sell so well because they can be bought so easily and inexpensively.
In 3 years, the domestic craft beer market has grown 2.7 times, and the total sales volume is about 118 billion won as of last year.
A craft beer company, which is the No. 1 in domestic sales, has increased its sales by 15 times in three years, and plans to go public on the KOSDAQ in the near future and expand into Southeast Asia as well.
<anchor>
Most of the domestic craft beer companies are small companies. But anyway, it feels good to say that these small companies are growing. (Yes. Besides, it is made in Korea.) Right. Lastly, you said that the drinking habits of people in our country have changed a little?
<Reporter>
Actually, it is very difficult to drink alcohol for several people outside the house for a long time these days. A lot of company dinners and group meetings have also disappeared.
So, the frequency of drinking itself has decreased. The drinking party was changed to be alone or family.
It turned out to be mostly when I was alone or when I was drinking while watching TV or something like that.
By the way, although the frequency of drinking itself has decreased, the rate of high-risk drinking in those few drinking places has increased in all age groups.
Here, high-risk drinking refers to heavy drinking, drunkenness, binge drinking, and so on, so even if you drink once, you drink a lot. In particular, men were drinking more heavily and binge drinking than women.
Recently, there have been accidents caused by drinking, and it is very important to keep an adequate amount of drinking and create a healthy drinking habit by yourself.