Exports of S. Korea's traditional liquor soju up 13.2 pct in 2022

SEOUL, Jan. 24 (Yonhap) -- Exports of soju, South Korea's traditional distilled liquor, increased 13.2 percent in 2022 from a year earlier, data showed Tuesday, rebounding for the first time in three years.

Outbound shipments of soju reached US$93.3 million in 2022, rising sharply from $82.4 million tallied a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Korea Customs Service.

In terms of volume, exports advanced 12.7 percent to reach 67,104 tons, the data showed. Soju is a clear, distilled liquor made with grain.

Exports of soju had been decreasing since reaching the peak of $97.5 million in 2018, with the COVID-19 pandemic also dealing a harsh blow on the consumption of alcoholic beverages around the globe.

Overseas sales of other types of Korean liquors, including fruit-flavored soju, reached a record high of $88.9 million in 2022, up 9.9 percent from a year earlier, the customs data added.

colin@yna.co.kr
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