[Anchor]

A culture of enjoying life healthily without alcohol is taking hold, particularly among people in their 20s and 30s. Alcohol-free clubs and specialty stores for non-alcoholic beverages are now emerging.

Reporter Hong Yeongjae visited the scene.

[Reporter]

A performance venue in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, is packed with people dancing.

The atmosphere is one where you might expect to have a beer, but all the drinks sold are alcohol-free teas or fruit juices.

The so-called "sober curious" culture, which stems from curiosity about what a life without alcohol might be like, is spreading among those in their 20s and 30s. This culture of reducing or completely abstaining from alcohol has even led to the hosting of alcohol-free club events.

[Moon Si-won/Office Worker: There are many situations where things can take a turn for the worse when you drink alcohol. In that sense, I think this is a great place to come when you want to dance and have fun in a healthy way.]

Stores specializing in wine and beer that are alcohol-free or contain less than 1% alcohol have also appeared.

[Lee Jae-bum/CEO of Artist Bottle Club: I think there comes a moment in everyone's life when they need this, depending on the situation. Sales have been on an upward trend again recently.]

In the first quarter of this year, the average monthly real expenditure on alcohol per household was 13,000 won, a 9% decrease from a year ago.

This marks the largest decline since quarterly statistics were first compiled in 2019, and real expenditure on alcohol has now fallen for 10 consecutive quarters.

[Lee Ok-hee/Restaurant Owner: People don't really mix beer and soju like they used to in the past. Since drinking culture has changed so much, they look for non-alcoholic options rather than strong liquor.]

Alcohol companies are also entering the market by launching a series of non-alcoholic and low-alcohol products for home and commercial use.

[Park Jae-hyun/HiteJinro Brand Manager: There was a growing chorus of complaints from consumers saying, 'We want to find non-alcoholic beer at restaurants, but we can't find any.']

As drinking and company dinner cultures change and the number of consumers seeking alcohol decreases, the domestic non-alcoholic beer market is projected to grow by nearly 20% annually.

Reported by Seol Chi-hwan | Video by Lee So-young | Graphics by Seo Seung-hyun | Produced by SBS Digital News