While soju is the best known liquor, there are well over 100 different alcoholic beverages such as beers, rice and fruit wines, and liquors produced in South Korea. The top-selling domestic beers (the Korean term for beer being maekju) are lagers, similar to others found in Europe and Asia. The South Korean beer market is dominated by the three major brands: Cass, Hite, and OB. Taedonggang is a North Korean beer which is based in Pyongyang since 2002. Microbrewery beers and bars are growing in popularity after 2002.

Soju is a clear spirit which was originally made from grain especially rice, and is now also made from sweet potatoes or barley. Soju made from grain is considered superior (as is also the case with grain vs. potato vodka). Soju is around 22% ABV and is a favorite beverage of hard-up college students, hard-drinking businessmen, and blue-collar workers.

Yakju is a refined pure liquor fermented from rice, with the best known being cheongju. Takju is a thick unrefined liquor made with grains, with the best known being makgeolli , a white, milky rice wine traditionally drunk by farmers.

In addition to the rice wine, various fruit wines and herbal wines exist in Korean cuisine. Acacia, maesil plum, Chinese quince, cherry, pine fruits, and pomegranate are most popular. Majuang wine (a blended wine of Korean grapes with French or American wines) and ginseng-based wines are also available.

Samgyetang (Korean pronunciation:  is a variety of guk or Korean soup, whose main ingredients are a whole young chicken and Korean ginseng. The dish’s name literally means “ginseng chicken soup”, so sometimes is called as such in English. Samgyetang is traditionally served in the summer for its supposed nutrients, which replaces those lost through excessive sweating and physical exertion during the hot summers in Korea.

For making samgyetang, a whole young chicken is stuffed with glutinous rice and boiled in a broth of Korean ginseng, dried seeded jujube fruits, garlic, and ginger. Depending on the recipe, other medicinal herbs such as wolfberry (gugija), Codonopsis pilosula (dangsam), and Angelica sinensis (danggwi) may also be added.

Like chicken soup, which is thought to help common sicknesses in the West, samgyetang is held in Korea to be not only a cure for physical ailments but a preventer of sickness. Proteins, minerals, and hormones from the whole chicken mixed with the beneficial properties of the ingredients combined in the dish makes it a revered culinary item in South Korea. Only whole uncut ingredients are used for the dish, as they are believed to preserve the maximum amount of nutrients.

Many Koreans enjoy it on three specific days in summer: “Chobok,” “Jungbok,” and “Malbok,” which Koreans believe to be the hottest and most sultry of the year.

Specialty restaurants common in Korea serve nothing but samgyetang, having gained local popularity through their special recipe for the dish which are often kept secret. The dish is usually accompanied by side dishes and, in some restaurants, a small complimentary bottle of insamju (ginseng wine) is included.