In November 2023, the National Tax Service (NTS) commissioned the Korea Institute of Public Finance to conduct research on online liquor sales and related regulations in foreign countries. The research report has since been submitted to NTS (please refer to December 2023 CGR PG Newsletter).
The report highlights Korea's relatively lax alcohol regulations compared to other OECD countries, potentially leading to heightened alcohol accessibility. Contrary to the initial expectations, the report suggested that alcohol regulations should not just consider the promotion of sales or consumer convenience, and concluded that online and mail-order sales of alcoholic beverages are not suitable for Korea.
NTS has not made any official statement to date. However, due to the conclusion drawn in the report, the prospects for online and mail-order sales of alcoholic beverages in Korea remain bleak for the foreseeable future.
