Location: Seoul

Date: 12-14 june 2024

Type of event: Walk around tasting

Link: Borsa dei Vini Sud Corea

The event spans three days at High Street Italia, the Made in Italy showroom managed by the ICE Agency in Seoul, and is aimed at a select number of Korean trade operators (agents, importers, restaurateurs, specialized journalists, etc.).

Italy remained the third largest wine supplier to South Korea in 2023, with a 13.5% share of the total Korean wine import market (France 40.2%, USA 16.2%, Chile 9.4%), despite a decline in Italian wine exports of -20.92% compared to 2022, totaling -18.2 million USD. This trend aligns with the overall decrease in Korean wine imports from the rest of the world, which fell by -12.96%.

The recent decline should not alter the long-term perspective on the sector, as wine exports from Italy to South Korea more than tripled in value over the decade from 2012 to 2022. Today, wine in South Korea is not only part of the gastronomic culture but is also a significant social phenomenon and an integral part of daily life. This is confirmed by the growing number of wines imported from various countries around the world into the Korean market. South Korea's wine imports are more than double those of beer, which, until 2019, was the leading imported alcoholic beverage.