{
  "id": 2717797,
  "title": "Korea's alcoholic beverage output falls to 27-year low in 2025 amid shifting drinking trends",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/koreas-alcoholic-beverage-output-falls-to-27-year-low-in-2025-amid",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-23T04:52:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/society/20260823/koreas-alcoholic-beverage-output-falls-to-27-year-low-in-2025-amid-shifting-drinking-trends"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In 2025, South Korea's alcoholic beverage production plummeted to its lowest level in 27 years, according to recent data. For the first time since 1998, the total output of alcoholic beverages remained below 3 million kiloliters. The decline in the industry is attributed to a shift in drinking trends, which are influenced by a growing focus on health, a decline in population, an aging demographic, and changing attitudes towards alcohol consumption. Shipments of beer and soju have experienced a decline for three consecutive years since 2022, while shipments of takju, or traditional Korean rice liquor, have decreased for five consecutive years. In 2025, the total output of alcoholic beverages was slightly below 2.99 million kiloliters. Beer shipments amounted to approximately 1.52 million kiloliters, representing a 7.2% decrease from the previous year. Soju and takju shipments also exhibited consistent declines, totaling 793,000 kiloliters and 318,000 kiloliters, respectively. The persistent decline in sales of these popular alcoholic beverages indicates a structural shift in Korean drinking habits, driven by a combination of health consciousness, population decline, and the aging population.",
  "summary": "Korea's alcoholic beverage production plunged to below 3 million kiloliters (kl) for the first time in 27 years in 2025, data showed Sunday, signaling a structural decline in the industry with more Koreans turning to healthy lifestyles. Shipments of beer and soju have fallen for three consecutive years since 2022, while those of takju, or traditional Korean rice liquor, have dropped for five…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "S. Korea's alcoholic beverage output falls to 27-year low in 2025 amid shifting drinking trends",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/s-koreas-alcoholic-beverage-output-falls-to-27-year-low-in-2025-amid",
        "published": "2026-08-23T04:20:57.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Korea's alcoholic beverage output falls to 27-year low in 2025 amid shifting drinking trends",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/koreas-alcoholic-beverage-output-falls-to-27-year-low-in-2025-amid-2719190",
        "published": "2026-08-23T05:02:04.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}