The boycott calls in South Korea cost Japanese breweries dearly. Imports from Japan collapsed in July by 45 percent to the previous month to 4.3 million dollars. This is clear from preliminary data of the customs authority, as the news agency Reuters learned from the deputy Kim Jung Woo. In 2018, South Korea imported $ 73 million worth of beer from Japan, representing 61 percent of beer imports.
Many South Korean supermarket chains have now banned Japanese beer from their shelves and stopped new orders. The reason for this is the persistent quarrel between the two countries, which led to boycott calls for Japanese products. This was already felt by the automakers: Toyota and Honda each sold about a third less vehicles in July.
Dispute over compensation payments
In October 2018, the Supreme Court of South Korea ruled that Japanese companies must pay compensation to South Koreans who had to do forced labor during the occupation of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945.
Japan reacted outraged and stated that an agreement had already been reached in 1965. The dispute had rocketed when Japan limited the supply of building materials for cell phones and semiconductors to South Korean technology companies. The reason given were safety concerns.
