According to the Korea Customs Service, South Korea’s exports of beverages, excluding alcohol and mineral water, totaled US$529 million during the first nine months of 2023, a 6.3 percent increase from the same period in the previous year. This is the highest value ever recorded in a nine-month period.
In 2023, the country achieved record global sales of beverages, amounting to $630 million, and it is expected to surpass that number by the end of the year. The volume of beverage exports rose 1.3 percent year-on-year to 425,000 tons, also a record high, due to the rising demand for rice drinks and traditional products, such as persimmon punch, as well as a 23.4 percent increase in non-alcohol beer sales.
China was the biggest market for South Korean beverages, with exports totaling $151 million, or 28.5 percent of the total, followed by the United States with $70 million and Vietnam with $48 million. Beverage exports from South Korea were sold in 142 countries in 2023.
Imports of beverages increased 5.2 percent year-on-year to $108 million, and the country achieved a record trade surplus of $421 million.
This file photo taken Oct. 8, 2023, shows drinks on display at a convenience store in Seoul. (Yonhap)
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