Last year, the export value of Korean soju reached $200 million for the first time in history. In terms of bottles, 340 million bottles were sold to a total of 95 countries.
The tariff office noted on the 14th that last year's soju export value was $200 million, a 3.9% increase compared to the previous year ($193 million), setting a record high.
Soju export value has continued to rise this year, with a 0.5% increase in January and February compared to the previous year. A tariff office official explained that, "The growth trend is continuing this year, so we expect to see record-breaking export results."
In addition to the Korean Wave, lower alcohol content fruit soju is gaining popularity, as it is selling like hotcakes abroad. The export proportions of regular soju and fruit soju are 51.9% and 48.1%, respectively, still showing a higher percentage for regular soju. However, it has been analyzed that fruit soju exports have surged recently.
The export weight was 124,000 tons, the highest ever. In terms of soju bottles (360㎖), this amounts to about 340 million bottles, which if laid down end to end, would stretch more than one and a half times around the Earth.
The countries where our soju was most exported are the United States (24.3%), China (19.9%), and Japan (19.2%). Including these, soju was exported to a total of 95 countries, including major countries in North America and Europe such as Canada, Mexico, Germany, and France. In the United States, regular and fruit soju are selling evenly, whereas in Japan and Vietnam, fruit soju is more popular, and in China and Malaysia, regular soju is more favored.