Asia Defies the Global Wine Slump: 9 Markets Ranked by Import Growth - Page 7 of 10

No. 4: South Korea

Import volume: 27,070,455 kilograms, down 3.18%
Import value: US$214.78 million, up 1.71%
Imports per capita: US$4.16

South Korea is another relatively mature wine market that continues to demonstrate resilience. What distinguishes it from markets such as Japan and Taiwan is the extraordinary expansion of wine consumption during the pandemic, followed by a period of correction and stabilization.

During the pandemic, increased drinking at home pushed wine beyond restaurants and bars and deeper into household consumption, driving a rapid increase in imports.

As consumption patterns normalized, imports retreated from their highs. The market has since shown signs of stabilizing.

In the first half of 2026, South Korean wine import volume declined modestly again, while import value still grew 1.71%, indicating that spending on imported wine remained resilient even as physical volumes softened.

The stabilization of South Korea’s wine market is closely tied to changing drinking habits.

Compared with soju and beer, which are more closely associated with the country’s traditional group drinking culture, wine has increasingly found a place in home consumption, gatherings with friends and more individual, experience-driven drinking occasions.

As members of the MZ generation have entered the workforce, younger consumers have placed greater emphasis on their personal lives and consumption experiences. Traditional after-work drinking culture has consequently lost some of its influence, contributing to changes in demand for categories such as soju and beer that were closely tied to those occasions.

Wine, by contrast, has established a broader mainstream consumer base. Major retail groups including Lotte and Shinsegae have increasingly introduced value-oriented wines aimed at mass-market consumers while expanding availability through supermarkets and convenience stores.

This shift from traditional group drinking toward everyday consumption, and from restaurants toward retail channels, has helped South Korea’s wine market remain relatively stable following its period of explosive growth.

For full analysis of South Korea’s wine market, click here.