First ice-cream hangover cure catches media eye

By Choi Sung-jin

The recent release of the nation’s - probably the world’s - first ice-cream bar to fight a hangover is drawing foreign media attention.

CNBC, a U.S. economic news channel, reported Monday that in South Korea, one of the heaviest-drinking countries in the world, an ice-cream bar to combat the aftereffects of alcohol consumption began to be marketed last week.

Named the “Gyeondyeo Bar,” roughly translated as “hang in there,” the ice-cream contains 0.7 percent concentrate of Hutgae Tree (Oriental raisin tree) fruit juice, a traditional hangover remedy cited in a Korean medicine book from the 17th century, the broadcaster said, quoting a Reuters report.

“The ice-cream bar’s name expresses the hardships of employees who have to suffer a working day after heavy drinking, as well as to provide comfort to those who have come to work early after frequent nights of drinking,” it said.

Convenience store chain With Me FS, a unit of Shinsegae Group, released it, targeting the large domestic market for hangover remedies, which include pills, beverages and cosmetics for women who want to keep their skin soft after a boozy night.

Explaining the background of the product, CNBC said: “Drinking in Korea is a big business, and so are hangover cures, which generate roughly 150 billion won ($126 million) in annual sales.”

Touching on the nation’s excessive drinking, the news channel said South Koreans consume 12.3 liters of alcohol a year, the most in the Asia-Pacific region, according to a 2014 World Health Organization report.

“A study by Korea’s National Health Insurance Policy Institute estimated that the social cost of drinking, including lost production, hospitalization and early deaths, was about 9.45 trillion won in 2013,” it reported.