Koreans Drinking More Wine and Soju Than Ever

Koreans Drinking More Wine and Soju Than Ever (Chosun Ilbo)

Korea's alcohol consumption increased for yet another year. But while consumption of soju, beer, and wine was up last year, consumption of whiskey was down.
The National Tax Service announced on Monday that the volume of alcoholic beverages produced last year amounted to 3.16 billion liters, an increase of 2.4 percent from 2005. Alcohol production in 2005 had decreased slightly from the year before.

Korean adults over 19 consumed an average of 79.79 bottles (640§¢) of beer in 2006, up slightly from 79.28 in 2005. Soju consumption increased from 71.26 bottles (360§¢) to 72.42 bottles. Consumption of whiskey decreased from 1.81 bottles (500§¢) per adult to 1.71 bottles.

The National Tax Service said beer and soju consumption were up due to an increase in women drinkers and new soju products with low alcohol content, and the consumption of whiskey, which is considered an expensive drink, decreased due to the economic slowdown.

Wine imports rose sharply thanks to a free trade agreement with Chile and a growing taste for the product among office workers. Wine consumption hit 27 million liters in 2006, up 8 percent from 25 million liters in 2005. It's more than 1.6 times the amount of wine consumed in 2002, which was 17.4 million liters.

(englishnews@chosun.com )


I supose that this breaking story from today's Chosun Ilbo comes as no real surprise to those of us who live here. As one dances through the streets in the early morning in an effort to avoid stepping in one of the many piles of vomit (stretching as far as the eye can see), you can't help but feel as if you're waltzing through a techni-coloured mine field!


Heave Ho (It's Rice-liftin Time!)
Housewives compete to lift 60 kilograms of rice at Lotte Mart’s Seoul Station store, yesterday. The winner lifting the heaviest load was set to take home 180 kilograms of rice. [YONHAP]

I saw this on the Joong-ang Daily web site tonight and had a laugh.