Sales of imported beer at South Korean discount stores have sharply risen as more consumers prefer various flavors, also helped by a growing number of people who drink at home, industry officials said Sunday.

E-Mart, the nation's largest discount chain, said sales of foreign beer brands from Jan. 1 to Oct. 13 accounted for 44.5 percent of the total. The figure has steadily increased from 17.4 percent in 2011, 32.2 percent in 2013 and 38.3 percent in 2015. 

If the current trend continues, the discount store expected foreign brands' market share will surpass 45 percent this year and take up more than half next year.  

Local discount stores have also offered aggressive price promotions for foreign beers to meet strong demand for various flavors beyond the lager-dominated domestic brands.

Industry officials say the rise of single-person households also boosted the trend of enjoying light liquor at home, boosting imported beer sales at discount chains and convenience stores. 

"Consumers more preferred imported lager beer in the past, but now they are trying a wide variety of ale and craft beer, which pushed up overall sales of foreign brands," said Shin Geun-jung, a liquor sales director at E-Mart. "While those in their 20s and 30s were the main customers, middle-aged customers also have grown in numbers lately."

Beer imports reached a record 170,919 tons worth US$142 million in 2015 and also rose to the highest level in the first half, according to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp. (Yonhap)