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And now onto a slightly nostalgic item... If you grew up in Korea in the ′80s or ′90s... or even in the 2000s, you have no doubt heard of Banana Flavored Milk, made by a company called Binggrae. Well... the beverage is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Our Connie Lee tells us... the secret behind its long-running popularity. It was in 1974 when Banana Flavored Milk first appeared in stores around Korea... in its unique jug-shaped bottle. It came out at a time when the Korean government was urging its citizens to drink more milk. To encourage people, food and beverage manufacturer, Binggrae [had the bright idea to "flavor" the milk... with banana a fruit once considered a luxury. "Bananas were expensive during that time, and not easily available. People appreciated just getting a taste of this fruit through this drink. It was a big hit then, and it′s still a big hit now,... enjoyed by people of all ages. "I like it because it′s sweet. My friends like it, too, and drinking it makes us happy." Over 800-thousand bottles are produced each day.... as the company′s factories strive to meet the demand. In Korea alone, about 250-million bottles of banana milk are sold each year. That means, in Korea... an average person drinks about five a year. Sales also back up the drink′s increasing popularity. From 92 billion won... or about 90 million dollars in 2005, sales surpassed 148-million U.S. dollars in 2013. "Overall, we believe the drink′s unchanging nature makes it a success. The taste and look of the drink hasn′t changed much over the past 40 years.// And in the next 40 years, we want to be a recognized global brand... like Coca-Cola." It′s already being recognized in China. Exports were a mere 500 million won in 2009...but they reached 15- billion won... or about 14-point-8 million U.S. dollars last year. Officials credit the popularity of the Korean Wave and the increased number of Chinese tourists to Korea for the explosive growth. Connie Lee, Arirang News.