South Korean men fuelled by rice, pork and booze

SEOUL (Reuters) - The average South Korean salaryman is primarily powered by rice, greasy pork, instant noodles and cheap liquor, according a government-backed survey.

Rice accounted for about 35 percent of the calorie intake for the typical male worker. Pork products accounted for 5 percent and the local liquor called soju was at just over 2 percent, the survey from the Korea Health Industry Development Institute said.

The typical South Korean women had a similar breakdown for their main sources of nourishment, but they drank less soju than men and more sugar-laden instant coffee, the survey released this week said.

South Korea has been battling a problem of increasing obesity as people have shifted away from the traditional diet that is heavy in pickled vegetables to one with more processed and fast food.