Hite Jinro, South Korea’s No. 1 soju maker, posted $8.8 million in soju exports to the region last year, up from $6 million in 2016 and $4.9 million in 2015. (Image credit: Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Aug. 5 (Korea Bizwire) – Shipments of soju, a distilled Korean liquor, to Southeast Asian countries rose sharply in the first half of this year thanks to the expansion of the Korean wave in the region, a liquor maker said Sunday.
Overseas sales of soju products made by Hite Jinro Co. in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries reached US$5 million in the first six months of the year, up 51.5 percent from $3.3 million a year earlier, according to the company.
Hite Jinro, South Korea’s No. 1 soju maker, posted $8.8 million in soju exports to the region last year, up from $6 million in 2016 and $4.9 million in 2015.
“In Southeast Asia, young people are interested in Korean drinks and food as the Korean Wave of dramas and movies have been gaining popularity among them,” said a representative from Hite Jinro, whose flagship soju brand Chamisul is known for its iconic 360-milliliter green glass bottle. “We expect our soju exports to Southeast Asia to touch $10 million by the end of this year.”
(Yonhap)
