Spirit of the People: Traditional Alcohol on the Korean Peninsula

Korean traditional alcoholic drinks, known as sul (?), form an integral part of Korean cuisine and are central to cultural identity, featuring in foundation myths and documentation of hundreds of varieties dating back over a thousand years. Koreans imbibe these beverages at all levels of society. Governments in North and South Korea continue to subsidize their production and consumption. Traditional drinks survived the impact of beer and foreign spirits, with soju (hard liquor) being one of the world’s most consumed beverages and in recent years high-end artisan sul experiencing something of a renaissance. This chapter examines the past, present, and future importance of sul to the political economy and societies of the Peninsula.