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Heaviest drinkers in the world: South Koreans

February 3, 2014

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The heaviest alcoholic drinkers in the world were found to be South Koreans and by far.

They drink so much that they outpace vodka lovers in Russia by a margin of 2:1, according to a survey by Euromonitor.

They survey shows an average South Korean consumes 13.7 shots of alcoholic liquor on a weekly basis, putting it atop the list of 44 countries.

The report from Quartz revealed that Russia and the Philippines came in second and third respectively but their consumptions remained at only 6.3 and 5.4 shots per week.

On the heels of the top three came Japan in fifth place with 4.4 shots and the United States in 10th spot with 3.3, Quartz said.

Among the main reasons for the huge intake of alcohol by South Korea is the existence of soju which accounted for some 97 percent of the world’s distilled drinks.

Converted into soju, South Koreans drink an average of two bottles (360 milliliters) per week.

Quartz said heavy drinking has become a social problem in South Korea, giving rise to alcohol-related crimes, and the government is taking the initiative to discourage irresponsible drinking.

In a related finding, the Guardian of Britain ran a major article in December, depicting soju as one of the most popular spirits in the world, selling twice as much as any other distilled liquor in the global market.