Abstract
During the Japanese colonial period, Japanese brewing companies established 2 breweries in Korea, and brought in malting barley seeds, began trial cultivation in near Daejeon area and Jeju Island, and cultivated hops in Hyesan, Hamgyeong-do. In 1933, Chosun Brewery Co. Ltd. and Showa-Kirin Brewery Co. were established in Yeongdeungpo by Japan and these 2 breweries became the birthplace of today's Hite Brewery and Oriental Brewery. Oriental Brewery tried to cultivate hops and malting barley in Korea, and once self-sufficient but now hops depend on imports, and production of domestic malting barley is about 5% of demand. Beer was only about 5% of domestic alcohol consumption in the early 1970s, but now occupies more than 50% and became the most popular alcoholic drink in Korea. Recently various beers are imported from the world, and many craft breweries serving variety of beers to consumers, thus Korean enjoy heyday of the beer culture.