Story thread · 3 reports / 3 sources

Korea's alcoholic beverage output falls to 27-year low in 2025 amid shifting drinking trends

koreatimes.co.kr · 1hShare

Korea's alcoholic beverage production plunged to below 3 million kiloliters (kl) for the first time in 27 years in 2025, data showed Sunday, signaling a structural decline in the industry with more Koreans turning to healthy lifestyles. Shipments of beer and soju have fallen for three consecutive years since 2022, while those of takju, or traditional Korean rice liquor, have dropped for five consecutive years as of 2025, according to the data from the National Tax Service. The total output of alcoholic beverages stood at slightly below 2.99 million kl last year, marking the first time since 1998 that it hovered below 3 million kl. By type of drinks, shipments of beers stood at about 1.52 million kl last year, down 7.2 percent from a year earlier. Shipments of soju and takju also showed consistent declines, recording 793,000 kl and 318,000 kl last year, respectively. The prolonged decline in shipments of the three popular alcoholic beverages appears to signal a structural shift in drink

First report: US Alcoholic Beverage Consumption Stabilizes at a Historic Low — bloomberg.com, 2d