About half of the beer imported into Korea in the first half of this year was from Japan. This is attributed to high familiarity among domestic consumers with Japanese beer, combined with aggressive market penetration through low prices and large volumes.
According to export-import trade statistics from the Korea Customs Service released on the 30th, beer imports totaled 124,200 tons in January-June this year, an 8.1% increase compared to the same period last year (114,863 tons). The surge in Japanese beer was particularly notable. Beer imports from Japan reached 58,305 tons in the first half of this year, accounting for 46.9% of the total, a 33.5% increase from the same period last year (43,676 tons). Last year, Japanese beer's share was 38.0%.
Beer imports increased by 9,337 tons in the first half compared to a year ago, with the increase from Japan alone amounting to 14,629 tons. Meanwhile, imports from the other 41 countries excluding Japan fell by 7.4%. This means that the increase in Japanese beer not only made up for all the volume lost from other countries but also exceeded it.
Japanese beer has a relatively low unit price among imported beers. The import unit price of Japanese beer in the first half was $0.79 per kg, below the average of all 42 importing countries ($0.88). This is a 2.6% decrease from a year ago ($0.81), placing it on par with other low-cost importing countries such as Vietnam ($0.78) and China ($0.81). Conversely, imports from high-priced countries saw volume declines across the board. Dutch beer, priced at $1.09 per kg, fell to 3,944 tons, a 71.5% drop year-on-year. U.S. beer (at $1.02) decreased by 17.9%, and Irish beer (at $1.23) dropped by 13%.
Sales of Japanese beer are also on the rise. According to Sapporo, domestic sales in the first half of this year increased by 52% compared to the same period last year. Even when comparing to the first half of last year, the year-on-year growth rate reached 59%.
An industry insider stated, "Recently, an increase in Japanese tourists due to the weak yen phenomenon and a rise in consumers who experienced Japanese beer locally and then returned to Korea seeking it again have contributed. It appears that familiarity with Japanese beer brands, their premium image, and consumer preference have collectively influenced this trend."
Meanwhile, whiskey imports totaled 8,860 tons in the first half of this year, a 30.0% decrease compared to the first half of 2024 (12,663 tons), but the unit price jumped from $9.30 per kg to $11.34 per kg. Other fermented beverages including sake saw volumes drop from 11,003 tons to 9,299 tons, a 15.5% decrease, while the unit price rose from $2.34 to $3.07, an increase of 31.2%. The interpretation is that while beer remains a relatively affordable product, demand for whiskey and sake has concentrated on higher-priced items despite lower consumption volumes.
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