Ole Shot Boom Sends Korea Olive Oil Imports to Record High as Morning Routine Spreads

South Korea’s virgin olive oil imports surged in 2025 as the “Ole Shot” routine of drinking olive oil with lemon juice spread on social media. According to World Bank WITS data cited by hankyung.com, import value reached $186.16 million, up 95.2% from the previous year. Imports from Spain totaled $106.51 million, while those from Italy reached $67.57 million, both at record-high levels. However, import volume was about 16.94 million kg, lower than in 2022, suggesting the value increase reflected poor Mediterranean harvests and higher global olive oil prices. Retailers are expanding stick-type lemon juice and small-pack olive oil products for morning routines. Source: hankyung.com