Exports of South Korea’s traditional alcoholic beverage “makgeolli” to Japan dropped sharply during the first nine months of this year, apparently affected by chilled relations between the two countries, customs data showed Sunday.

South Korea exported a total of 21,743 tons of makgeolli during the January-September period, down 28.6 percent from the same time a year earlier, showed the data by the Korea Customs Service. The exports were estimated at $27.36 million, which also marked a 28 percent decline from a year earlier.

The decline comes amid chilled relations between South Korea and Japan after President Lee Myung-bak visited the country’s easternmost islets of Dokdo in August, touching off a diplomatic conflict with Japan. (Yonhap News)