Korea imported a record amount of coffee this year, hitting the US$500 million mark. According to the Korea International Trade Association on Sunday, the nation's coffee imports stood at $508 million for the first ten months of this year, far exceeding the previous record of $307 million for the whole year of 2010.
Korea imported $140 million worth of coffee in 2005, but the figure has skyrocketed in subsequent years, surpassing $200 million in 2007 and $300 million last year. The global market for coffee amounts to $20 billion, while the nation stands as the 11th-largest market with annual per-capita consumption of 350 to 400 cups of coffee.
[Via] Chosun Ilbo