Imported beer dominates local market

/ Courtesy od Home plus

By Rachel Lee

Imported beer continues to grow in popularity in Korea, figures show.

According to retailer Home plus, foreign beers accounted for 40.2 percent of the market from January to May this year. The proportion has tripled over six years _ 12.1 percent in 2009 and 22.9 percent in 2012.

The company says this growing popularity is a result of the “well-being” trend and competitive prices after the EU-Korea Free Trade Agreement took effect in 2011.

“We’ve introduced about 360 foreign beers since 2010 and are planning to offer more variety at reasonable prices,” said Homeplus executive Kim Hong-suk.

Beer makes up 52.6 percent of all alcohol categories this year, up 2.8 percent from last year. Soju accounts for 16.3 percent.