Wine Drives South Korea’s Growing Night Economy

Wine is also becoming an increasingly important part of South Korea’s evening dining culture, prompting retailers to invest more heavily in after-hours food and beverage offerings.

To capture demand for evening wine consumption, the House of Shinsegae Wine Cellar remains open well after the department store itself has closed. At 8:30 p.m. on July 2, Maeil Business reported that although the shopping mall had already shut its doors, the wine cellar was still bustling with diners. Business dinners and gatherings among colleagues filled the restaurant, while customers queued outside waiting for tables.

A spokesperson for Shinsegae Department Store said the venue is designed to be more than simply a wine shop.

“The House of Shinsegae Wine Cellar is not just a place to buy wine. Through private dining, wine education programmes and tasting events, we offer customers a fully immersive wine experience.”

Lotte Department Store Jamsil Avenuel has likewise extended the opening hours of its sixth-floor dining zone until 10 p.m. Since June 2024, food and beverage sales there have risen 15%, while The Pairing, a restaurant focused on wine pairing, has recorded a 45% increase in sales.

A spokesperson for Lotte Department Store said the retailer offers more than 1,000 wines alongside professional sommelier-guided pairing services to attract business entertaining and evening diners. It has also begun hosting wine tasting events to draw new customers.

Hyundai Department Store has similarly extended restaurant operating hours until 10 p.m.

With the spread of the ‘primary culture’ of enjoying good food and wine together, the use of restaurants is steadily increasing,” a Hyundai Department Store official said. “We are strengthening our evening customer experience by expanding premium wines and various gourmet contents.” 

Importers See Momentum Building

The strengthening Korean wine market is also attracting the attention of importers.

Yu Hongjie, CEO of Sparkling World, the South Korean distributor for Italian wine brand Bolla, said market performance has exceeded expectations.

“South Korea has been incredibly strong – better than we imagined. We can clearly feel the vitality of the market,” Yu said.

“Young consumers today are drinking less soju and becoming increasingly interested in wine. A few years ago, red wine dominated, but more recently dry whites and sweet sparkling wines have gained significant momentum.”

He said the company’s best-selling product in South Korea is now Moscato sparkling wine.

However, Yu noted that despite the impressive performance of the fine wine segment, affordable wines still account for the largest sales volumes.

He believes changes in South Korea’s restaurant industry are also supporting wine consumption.

“Many small restaurants in Korea used to serve mainly beer and soju. To cater to younger consumers’ preferences, they have increasingly started offering wine,” he said. “The strong performance of the Korean stock market in recent years has supported consumer spending, while younger generations are drinking less soju, creating further opportunities for wine in the on-trade.”

Sparkling World, headquartered in China’s Shandong province, has accelerated its overseas expansion as growth in China’s wine market has slowed. In addition to successfully entering South Korea, the company is also expanding across Southeast Asia.

“In June, I attended a wine and spirits exhibition in Seoul that attracted a large number of distributors,” Yu said. “It made me even more confident about the future of the Korean market.”