According to the NTS, Koreans consumed some 37,655 kl of wine and 34,741 kl whiskey in 2007. That works out to an average of 2.03 500-ml bottles of wine for each adult, up from 1.48 bottles in 2006.

Much of the imported wine came from Chile, which enjoys a free trade agreement with Korea. France, Italy, the U.S. and Australia were the other most popular foreign sources.

The market share of imported wine has increased sharply, from 50.5 percent in 2000 to 80.4 percent in 2006 to 85.4 percent in 2007.

Meanwhile, some 1,982,697 kl of beer was consumed in Korea last year, up 5.5 percent from 2006. Each adult consumed an average of 107 500-ml bottles of beer, an increase from 101 bottles in 2005.

Altogether the nation put away a whopping 3,290,770 kl of alcoholic beverages last year, up 3.8 percent from 2006.

Beer claimed the lion's share of the market at 60.3 percent, followed by soju (29.3 percent), traditional rice wine (5.2 percent), wine (1.9 percent) and whiskey (1.1 percent).

(englishnews@chosun.com )