[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] The Asahi Shimbun reported on the 8th that sales of Korean soju are rapidly increasing in Japan. Japanese youths who watched Korean dramas during the COVID-19 pandemic are seeking out soju.
In the report, Asahi cited a representative from Jinro Korea, stating that the strange phenomenon of Chamisul sales in Japan increasing 20-fold compared to 2018, before COVID-19, has continued for three years.
JK, a Japanese importer distributing the soju brand Good Day, mainly sold in the Busan and Gyeongnam regions, revealed that sales increased from 1.2 million bottles in 2019 to 1.5 million bottles in 2020, and up to 4 million bottles last year. A company official said, "Sales kept increasing even without active marketing," adding that after signing a contract with a large retailer in Okinawa for the first time in spring 2020, orders flooded in from supermarkets and convenience stores across Japan.
Asahi reported that representatives from Jinro and JK attribute the increase in soju sales to the popularity of Korean dramas. With the expansion of remote work after COVID-19, Korean dramas such as "Crash Landing on You" and "Itaewon Class" became popular on Netflix. Additionally, the famous Japanese film director Hirokazu Koreeda enjoyed watching the drama "My Mister," which even cast Korean singer IU in his film, where scenes of drinking soju appeared almost every episode.
Asahi stated, "Korean soju, in its small green glass bottle, plays a supporting role in drama scenes expressing the sorrows and bittersweet emotions of life," and that the popularity of these dramas has further increased interest in soju. This interest is especially prevalent among young people, and last year, mixing Chamisul with black tea became a trend on Japanese social networking services (SNS).
Korean cosmetics are also gaining attention in Japan. Asahi reported that at the end of last month, the AmorePacific brand Etude store in Fukuoka was continuously busy even on weekdays. When asked 20-something female visitors whether they would choose Korean or Japanese products if the price and quality were the same, they answered "Korea."
Regarding the popularity of Korean culture in Japan despite the worst-ever Korea-Japan relations, Kim Myungjoong, a researcher at the Nissei Basic Research Institute, explained that young people are less influenced by politics compared to other generations, and the proportion of youths in both Japan and Korea who like each other's cultures is high. Kim added that when asking university students about their image of Korean products, many responded with "stylish" and "cutting-edge products not found in Japan," suggesting that the high cost-effectiveness of Korean products also plays a role.
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