Low-Calorie Beers Gain Popularity in Korea Amidst Health-Conscious Trend

As the late summer heat continues, the summer beer peak season is also getting longer. With the trend of enjoying health food spreading, especially among the younger generation, beers that taste the same but are lower in calories are gaining attention.

This is reporter Han Ji-i.

“I wish I could eat delicious food without getting fat.” The ‘healthy pleasure’ trend, which pursues both health and pleasure, started with low-calorie drinks and has now deeply penetrated the mainstream.

The ‘zero’ craze, which reduces calories and removes sugar, seems to have spread from soju to beer. The types have also become more diverse.

The two giants of the domestic liquor industry, OB Beer and Hite Jinro, also entered the competition this year by introducing new light beers. HiteJinro first introduced a light beer product with 34% fewer calories than the existing Terra product in July, and is rapidly increasing its market share, selling 10 million bottles in just two weeks since its launch.

OB Beer also strengthened its light beer lineup by introducing a new packaging for Cass Light and launching a low-calorie premium beer from the United States in May. “It’s not simply a matter of wanting to enjoy a lower-calorie product, but rather positioning it as a beer that can be enjoyed without burden in more active and energetic situations…’

Light beer has not been in the spotlight among domestic consumers, but in the United States, a major beer consumer, the light beer market has already become a trend, accounting for over 50% of the total beer market share. In Korea, it still accounts for less than 6%, but the industry has high expectations that light beer will serve as a new growth engine.

As the mainstream product line diversifies, consumers’ selection criteria are also becoming more demanding.

This is Han Ji-i of Yonhap News TV.

Related Topics:

• Low-Calorie Beer
• Light Beer
• Beer Trends
• Health-Conscious Drinking