This archive report was first published on 19 July 2019.
July 19, 2019
South Koreans are taking a stand against Japan in a brewing trade row, boycotting Japanese beer in a surge of patriotism.
The trade spat, which has been escalating for decades, is over Japan's use of forced labor during World War II. It has sparked ire in South Korea, where almost seven in 10 people still report negative feelings towards Japan.
According to E-Mart, the country's largest hypermarket chain, sales of Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo, and Suntory beer fell nearly 25% in the first two weeks of July compared to the second half of June. In contrast, sales of Korean beer brands were up around 7% in the same period.
"This is a sudden drop we haven't seen for a long time," an E-Mart official told AFP.
Even beauty bloggers have come under scrutiny, with Risabae, a popular beauty blogger with over two million subscribers, apologizing for demonstrating a Japanese make-up product earlier this month.
South Korea's left-leaning President Moon Jae-in is pushing for engagement with North Korea and has stressed that the independence struggle against Japan is at the heart of national identity in both Koreas.
However, not all South Koreans support the boycott of Japanese goods. Jeong Deok-rye, a 52-year-old restaurant owner in Seoul, said customer complaints had forced her to remove Asahi beer from the menu.
