The lowered entry barrier for whisky is also cited as a cause of the ongoing craze for the distilled alcohol beverage.
Koreans like mixing drinks together such as "somaek," which is portmanteau of soju and beer ("maekju" in Korean).
Highball, a mixed drink of whisky and soda, started to become popular among the young generation, so they became familiar with the whisky taste.
"Not only are expensive whiskies selling well, but also comparatively cheaper ones are selling as well.
Many young consumers are looking for whiskies in large discount stores to make themselves highballs at home," a local retail firm official said.
The country's largest discount store, Emart, held a whisky sales promotion for two days from Jan. 6 to Jan. 7,
offering popular brands such as Balvenie, Macallan, Hibiki and Yamazaki.
It only took just 20 minutes from the store's opening for all of the whisky to sell out.
Emart said it held the event as the company recognized the explosive growth in the popularity of whisky.
In 2022, its revenue generated by whisky jumped 30 percent year-on-year.
"We prepared 10,000 bottles of popular whiskies to attract customers.
As we see whisky sales showing a sharp increase in the total proportion of all hard liquors,
we will expand the lineup and hold more promotional events," an Emart official said.
Convenience stores are also considering offering a greater variety of whiskies at their stores.
CU, GS25, Emart24 and Seven Eleven have started to add new whisky products to their display stands.
"Before, most of our customers only looked for common brand whiskies like Windsor or Ballantine's.
However, they have recently been asking for other brands, especially single malt types.
We are gradually increasing the number of whisky types to meet the needs of our customers," a BGF Retail official said.