Up to October this year alone, €374 million worth of wine has been imported into South Korea. The local market is so far dominated mainly by products from France, Italy and the US, with a market share of up to 70%. The strong growth of the Korean alcohol market in recent years, driven mainly by covid closures and home consumption, has now been replaced by a decline, with a 23% drop in total sales volume and a 12% drop in the value of wine sold compared to 2022. However, current trends show a change in the way Koreans view wine consumption, especially the more expensive ones. The market is beginning to shift towards quality rather than quantity. The interest of Korean consumers is currently strongly dominated by sparkling (champagne) wine and white wine. This is followed by red wines, fortified wines, wine spirits, etc. In order for Czech products to have the best chances on the Korean market, they should pay particular attention to the following aspects. Recently, Korean consumers have become tired of the wines they have already experienced and wish to try something new. Good marketing, which is always necessary, should therefore focus on presenting products as something new and 'untried'. Local importers are now particularly looking for products with a reasonable quality/price ratio. The vignette should ideally always be in English, which in turn facilitates acceptance of the product by both importers and consumers. Korea's rules for importing food and beverages are strict, and Czech producers should familiarise themselves with them thoroughly in good time to avoid potential problems during customs clearance.

Fourteen wineries from South Moravia arrived in Seoul at the beginning of December to present the best of their production. More than 140 representatives from Korean importers, restaurateurs, sommeliers and influencers were joined by 12 tourism companies. The economic diplomacy project, organized in cooperation with the local representation of the CzechTourism agency and financed by the Ministry of Regional Development, the Central Tourism Office - South Moravia, the National Wine Centre of the Czech Republic - Wine Salon and the Regional Office of the South Moravian Region, uniquely linked the presentation of our winemakers and at the same time presented in a new light the possibilities of tourism to the locality of South Moravia, which would focus specifically on getting to know this great craft and its associated traditions. Korean tourists, who represent one of the largest groups heading to the Czech Republic, will thus have an incentive to visit other regions that are not so common for them. The day-long presentation was dominated by a masterclass for experts organised by the National Wine Centre. It was complemented by tasting opportunities and a presentation of South Moravia as an attractive tourist destination. The event was held in the interest of the local media and was preceded by an online marketing campaign to promote the project. "Seeing the interest today, it is certain that our winemakers definitely have something to offer. Personally, I am convinced that the Koreans will experience their first encounter with our wine in Seoul, but the next ones will follow in Moravia," said Deputy Ambassador Jana Cimbolincová, who also came to support the producers at the event.

Further important information on this sector of the Korean market can be obtained from the links below:
1. Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs: https://www.mafra.go.kr/english/index.do
2. Ministry of Food and Drug Safety: https://www.mfds.go.kr/eng/index.do
3. Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy: https://english.motie.go.kr/www/main.do

If interested, Czech companies can contact the Commercial Department of the Czech Embassy in Seoul at: commerce_seoul@mzv.cz.

Jakub Kopecký, economic head of the commercial department of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Seoul

Masterclass for professionals organized by the National Wine Centre

Presentation of South Moravia as an attractive tourist destination