S. Korea’s coffee imports top $1 bln for 2 yrs in row

South Korea's imports of coffee topped US$1 billion for two straight years on its growing popularity here, customs data showed Sunday.The combined value of imported green and roasted coffee beans reached $1.11 billion in 2023, compared with $1.3 billion a year ago, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service.Last year, the country imported 193,000 tons of coffee, down from 205,000 tons a year ago.South Korea's coffee imports had been on a steady rise since 2018 as an increasing number of Koreans enjoy the drink.It imported 158,000 tons of coffee worth $637.3 million in 2018 and reached the peak in 2022.The 2023 data showed that more than one-fourth of imported coffee was from Brazil last year, with more than 50,000 tons valued at $200 million.Vietnamese coffee came in second with 40,000 tons, followed by Colombia, Ethiopia and Guatemala.Source: Yonhap News Agency