Domestic sales of soju, a distilled Korean liquor, rose slightly last year, while those of “makgeolli,” a traditional rice-based alcoholic beverage, contracted for the sixth year in a row, government data showed Sunday. (Image: Yonhap)
SEJONG, April 2 (Korea Bizwire) — Domestic sales of soju, a distilled Korean liquor, rose slightly last year, while those of “makgeolli,” a traditional rice-based alcoholic beverage, contracted for the sixth year in a row, government data showed Sunday.
A total of 1.31 million kiloliters of soju was sold last year, up 0.5 percent from a year ago, according to the data by Statistics Korea.
It equates to 3.64 billion bottles of soju, which is known for its iconic 360-milliliter green bottle.
The consumption of soju in South Korea has been on the rise for years, from 1.16 million kl in 2011 to 1.21 million kl and to 1.26 million kl in 2014.
In contrast, South Korean people bought an overall 320,000 kl of makgeolli last year, down 2.7 percent from a year earlier.
Sales of the milky rice wine have been downbeat for the recent six years, after peaking at 410,000 kl in 2011.
(Yonhap)
