From "Pour and Drink" to Curated Choices... Soju, Beer, Makgeolli Shipments Hit Lowest Since IMF Crisis

Liquor Shipments Fall Below 3 Million Kiloliters for the First Time in 27 Years Since 1998

Liquor Market Faces Structural Changes, Seeks Breakthrough with Product Diversification

The domestic liquor shipment volume has fallen below 3 million kiloliters for the first time in 27 years since the International Monetary Fund (IMF) foreign exchange crisis.

The Asia Business Daily Database

According to the National Tax Statistics Portal (TASIS) of the National Tax Service on August 23, 2026, the domestic liquor shipment volume in the previous year was tallied at 2,988,000 kiloliters. This is the first time since 1998, during the era of the IMF financial crisis (2,922,000 kiloliters), that the domestic liquor shipment volume has dropped below 3 million kiloliters in 27 years. It also represents a 21.5% decrease compared to 2015 (3,804,000 kiloliters), a decade ago.

Among the types of liquor, beer, which accounts for the largest share, recorded a shipment volume of 1,519,000 kiloliters last year and has seen a decline for three consecutive years since 2022. The next largest category, diluted soju, also experienced a decrease for the third year in a row, with its shipment volume dropping to 793,000 kiloliters, falling below the 800,000 kiloliter mark. Takju (unrefined rice wine) shipment has also declined for five consecutive years, with last year’s volume standing at 318,000 kiloliters.

With the continued decline in shipments of these three most popular alcoholic beverages, there is analysis suggesting that the liquor market is undergoing fundamental structural changes.

The “2025 Liquor Industry Information Survey Report” published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) also showed that the average drinking frequency per month for consumers who drank at least once a month was 8.8 days. The average quantity consumed per drinking day was 6.6 glasses. Compared to 2023, both the drinking days (9.0 days) and volume (6.7 glasses) decreased. Factors behind these changes include heightened health awareness, aging of the population, population decline, and changing company dining (hoesik) culture.

In fact, among women, the average daily alcohol intake tended to decrease as age increased. In addition, according to a survey conducted by the job platform Jinhaksa Catch targeting 1,347 Generation Z job seekers on drinking culture, 64% of respondents agreed on the necessity of company gatherings, but cited “excessive pressure to drink” (41%) as the worst aspect of such events.

The report further stated, “Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the trends of drinking at home (homesul) and drinking alone (honsul) have continued. As drinking culture shifts from drinking to get drunk to drinking for enjoyment, preferences are expanding from conventional liquors to a wider variety of types.” In practice, consumer demand is becoming more segmented, with more people choosing specific products or new types of alcoholic beverages. Last year, domestic shipments of fruit liquor reached 17,000 kiloliters, surpassing the 17,000 kiloliter mark again since 2021. In addition, shipments of general distilled spirits (4,000 kiloliters) and brandy (31 kiloliters)—a distilled alcohol made from fermented fruit—were at their highest levels since 2015 (5,000 kiloliters) and 2017 (77 kiloliters), respectively.

In response, the domestic liquor industry is working to expand its consumer base by diversifying its product lineup—releasing low-alcohol, non-alcoholic, and alcohol-free products, as well as launching a series of items that emphasize various flavors and aromas.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.