CHUNGJU, North Chungcheong Province — Korea is a tough market for ciders. Over 80 percent of the country’s liquor market is soju and beer, while the rest is mostly driven by makgeolli (Korean traditional rice alcohol), wine and whisky. In this competitive environment, ciders are a niche market. Lee Dae-ro, CEO of Dancing Cider, a craft cider brewery started in 2018 in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province, keeps his chin up despite difficulties in surviving a market where he's one of only a handful of cider-makers. It's hard to stand out in the industry, which is dominated by large-size firms like HiteJinro, Oriental Brewery and Lotte Chilsung. “The liquor market here is really a playground for the big boys, not just for their own brands but also the major global brands they import. It’s easy for them to expand their business by acquiring small breweries, sometimes even by ignoring legally binding contracts,” said Lee in his interview with The Korea Times. “There's a simple reason why ciders are not popular in Korea. Large firms don’t invest in them.” The global gastronomic