Koreans Embrace Japanese Beer, Boosting Record Imports

Driven by younger consumers and a post-boycott thaw, South Korea's imports of Japanese beer reached a record 119.2 billion won ($78.94 million) last year. The rebound follows a plunge to about 8.5 billion won in 2020 after the 2019 'No Japan' boycott, renewal of summit diplomacy in 2023, and rising tourism—with 1.08 million Koreans visiting Japan last month, up 28.2%.