The Korea Herald

피터빈트

[Graphic News] Binge drinking rife among Koreans

By Korea Herald

Published : Dec. 23, 2014 - 21:52

    • Link copied

The number of South Koreans who indulge in excessive alcohol consumption has gone up by 14 percent on-year,the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said Tuesday.

According to the survey conducted by the ministry on 2,000 adults across the nation in July, men consumed an average of 1.3 liters of beer per session while women consumed 940 ml.

The World Health Organization recommends an average of 1.1 liters of beer on one occasion for men and 560 ml for women.

By age, 86.7 percent of those in their 20s have experienced binge drinking while the figure for those in their 30s was similarly high at 86.5 percent.

Korean drinkers who prefer mixed drinks, such as “somaek” (a combination of soju and beer) or fruit soju, accounted for 55.8 percent of drinkers, up from 32.2 percent in 2012.