Coffee Industry in Korea 1 Coffee is relatively new to Korea given its long history and it is estimated to be first introduced to Korean peninsula back in the 1880s. During the Korean War in the 1950s, brewed and instant coffee was supplied to American troops here in Korea. However, the average Korean got to enjoy coffee only after coffeehouses emerged on the market throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Now it became one of the Koreans’ favorite drinks. For the last decade, South Korea has seen annual growth of 15.3 percent in the coffee market. In particular, its annual growth rate from 2007 to 2014 recorded a whopping 49 percent. As of last year, the size of coffee market amounted to 5.4 trillion won (4.8 billion US dollars). What about coffee captivated Korean people’s heart so much? The first Korean Q-grader and the CEO of Coffeelibre, Phil-hoon Seo explained, “During those days, in Korea, when tea was not as much popular as in China or Japan, the sweet instant coffee was quite entertaining and spread quickly among the many. Ever since, people’s taste towards coffee has become more and more sophisticated and even brewed coffee is now being widely consumed in Korea.” Now coffee has become one of the most consumed foods in Korea and cannot be missed not only in social gatherings but also business settings. According to a 2013 report by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, average people drink coffee 12.3 times per week, while they eat steamed rice and Kimchi, 6 times and 11.8 times respectively, which amounts to 484 cups of coffee a year per each person.