À̹ÌÁö È®´ë South Koreans are fan of rarity and their latest obsession is craft beer. The number of brewers doubled in just five years since the kind was introduced here.
Fashion house LF Corp. became the latest to join the bandwagon and opened the country¡¯s 100th licensed micro brewery in Sokcho, Gangwon Province.
The number of craft beer makers in Korea was 55 in 2013 when such data started to be compiled for the first time, but it nearly doubled in five years as Koreans developed taste for unique flavor beyond the mass-produced brew from three local beer names.
To meet the growing demand for craft beers, the Korean government in April eased regulations to allow micro craft beer breweries to distribute their beers to other retail stores from April.
At current pace, the number of craft breweries licensed in Korea is expected to reach 120, according to the Korea Craft Brewers Association.
LF Corp. hopes the country¡¯s craft beer frenzy could help it successfully transform into a living and culture company that engages restaurant, media and retail businesses from a fashion retailer amid a protracted slump in the domestic fashion industry. The company early this year acquired Indulge, which distributes various imported alcoholic drinks under foreign brands including Scottish top craft beer maker BrewDog.
Its first craft beer brewery in Sokcho that will be run by Indulge is expected to start supply its first batch of beers to the market in the second half of this year.
By Kim Byung-ho and Lee Ha-yeon
[¨Ï Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]