South Korea: Low- and non-alcoholic beverages segments experiencing standalone growth in South Korea

The "health pleasure" trend prioritizing wellness is reshaping South Korea's alcoholic beverage market. As drinking less becomes more common, liquor makers are targeting consumers with low-alcohol and non-alcoholic products. While domestic alcohol consumption has declined markedly over the past decade, low-alcohol and non-alcoholic segments are experiencing standalone growth, the Seoul Economic Daily reported on March 9.

Light and low-alcohol beers are attracting more consumers, according to industry sources on the 9th. Emart reported that sales of "light" beers with reduced calories and sugars jumped 32% year-on-year in 2024. Non-alcoholic and alcohol-free beer sales also rose 21% during the same period. This contrasts sharply with overall beer sales, including domestic and imported brands, which fell 6.4%.

Light beers are defined as those containing 30 kcal or less per 100ml. Cass Light dominates the domestic light beer market. Since its 2010 launch, the product has maintained its market leadership through marketing aligned with the health-conscious trend. Cass Light contains approximately 33% fewer calories than Cass Fresh. Hite Jinro launched Terra Light, also with 33% fewer calories, to compete directly with Cass.

Companies are also accelerating competition in low-alcohol and non-alcoholic categories. Lotte Chilsung Beverage lowered the alcohol content of "Chum Churum" from 16.5% to 16% in July last year, then reduced its zero-sugar soju "Saero" from 16% to 15.7% last month. Hite Jinro's "Jinro" also recently cut its alcohol content to 15.7%.

Non-alcoholic beer launches are expanding. OB Beer recently introduced "Cass All Zero," while Hite Jinro offers "Hite Zero 0.00." Hite Zero 0.00 sold approximately 9.4 billion won in the first half of last year alone, capturing the top market share of 37.5% in the non-alcoholic beer segment. Cass All Zero features a "quadruple-free" concept, eliminating alcohol, sugar, calories, and gluten. The product replicates the refreshing carbonation characteristic of lager beers. Distribution will expand to major hypermarkets and convenience stores nationwide starting this month.

Global alcohol consumption is declining significantly. According to the National Tax Statistics Portal, domestic liquor shipments fell from 4.015 million kiloliters in 2015 to 3.215 million kiloliters during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, then further decreased to 3.151 million kiloliters in 2024—a roughly 21% decline over a decade. Global trends are similar. The International Wine and Spirits Research (IWSR) reports that worldwide alcohol consumption dropped 1% year-on-year in 2024.

The non-alcoholic market outlook remains bright. According to Euromonitor, South Korea's non-alcoholic market, valued at 64.4 billion won in 2023, is projected to reach 94.6 billion won next year. Global forecasts are equally optimistic. Market research firm Statista predicts the worldwide non-alcoholic market will grow from $23 billion in 2020 to $50 billion by 2029.

09 March, 2026