In addition to kimchi, Korean shochu, Korean beer may also become a term spoken by Chinese people.

KOREAN SOJU

In Korea, soju is a must for gatherings of friends, joyous occasions or daily drinking. Being attractive in both quality and price, soju, which typically has an alcohol content between 18% and 22%, is made from rice, wheat, barley or sweet potato.

In Korea, soju is a must for gatherings of friends, joyous occasions or daily drinking. Being attractive in both quality and price, soju, which typically has an alcohol content between 18% and 22%, is made from rice, wheat, barley or sweet potato.

Bottled soju is typically round with a volume of 360ml, which is frequently seen in Korean TV series. In China, the price of soju ranges from RMB 16 to 18. Featuring refreshing taste and mildness, soju goes well with barbecue, seafood and raw foods. 

It has been about 10 years since Korean soju entered China market, only a few Korean soju brands made their way into the China market and they are making efforts to promote themselves.

KOREA BEER

The Asia Pacific is the world's largest region for beer consumption. And while Japanese beers are famous in much of the world, another Asian country is pushing ahead with exports. A couple of months ago, South Korea's exports saw their sharpest fall in six years - tumbling by nearly 15% from a year earlier.

But it's an entirely different story when it comes to beer. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Korea exported 89,488 tons of beer to some 50 countries from January to September, up 14.9 percent compared to the same period last year. The top three markets are Hong Kong, China and Iraq.

The increased demand stems from efforts by breweries to increase or decrease alcohol content according to local tastes, a rise in popularity of Korean products in China thanks to Korean pop culture, and a preference for low-alcohol beer in Muslim countries.

The Korea Times reports some young people in China prefer Korean beer because it has a lower alcohol content than Chinese beer. In 2014, the huge popularity of "My Love from the Star," in China, which features a female character who's crazy about fried chicken and beer, has led to a 200 percent spike in Korean brew exports.

Korean breweries have begun aggressively targeting the Chinese market. Popular local beer maker Hite Jinro recently introduced a low-calorie beer there with 3.5 percent alcohol content, adding to its 2.8 percent beer brewed with European hops. Competitor OB Beer, meanwhile, is selling its somewhat stronger 4.5-percent beer in China.

Korean beer is most popular in Hong Kong, whose annual imports totaled 55,483 tons in 2014. The next biggest importers are China, Iraq, Singapore and the U.S. Some countries actually prefer the weak flavor of Korean beer. Iraq imported US$5.4 million worth of Korean beer this year, up 116 percent compared to last year.

As for domestic sales, Korea has seen an influx of craft beers in recent years. The market is still dominated by two giant local brewers: Hite-Jinro and Oriental Brewers.