With Chinese Malatang, a humble version of hotpot named after its signature numbing and spicy sauce, having become trendy in South Korea, Chinese beers have gained concurrent popularity.

According to a JoongAng Ilbo report on June 21, data shows that among all the beer products sold in South Korea's largest convenience store chain CU, Japanese beers, which have long been at the top of the sales list, have seen a decline in sales volume over the past five years, while Chinese beers have achieved a substantial sales growth.

Some analysis attributes the Chinese beer demand in the country to malatang’s wide acceptance. The Malatang restaurants, which originally gathered in Seoul’s Daerim-dong neighborhood and around Konkuk University, have spread to areas like Gwanghwamun, Yeouido, Gangnam-gu and even some community lanes.

Moreover, statistics from the country’s e-commerce platforms indicate that sales of Chinese ingredients for Malatang have risen more than 96 times as against last year. Additionally, sales of food materials for spicy incense pot have also increased by more than 41 times as compared with last year.