After almost a year of boycotts, Japanese Beer imports rising again in Korea

New data from the Korea Customs Service and the liquor industry showed South Korea’s imports of Japanese beer spiked in October from a year earlier due to stepped-up marketing activities amid a weaker local boycott of goods from Japan.

According to the data, Seoul brought in US$370,000 worth of Japanese beer in October, up a whopping 873.7 percent from the same month last year when the boycott was in full swing.

Imports of Japanese beer had been on the upswing in recent months. Imports soared 38.1 percent on-year to $308,000 in August and shot up 57.8 times to $347,000.

An industry source said importers, convenience stores, and large discounters have been ramping up promotions as the boycott of Japanese consumer goods shows signs of losing momentum.