SEJONG, April 2 (Korea Bizwire) — Domestic sales of soju, a distilled Korean liquor, rose slightly last year, while those of “makgeolli,” a traditional rice-based alcoholic beverage, contracted for the sixth year in a row, government data showed Sunday. A total of 1.31 million kiloliters of soju was sold last year, up 0.5 percent from [...]
SEOUL, March 21 (Korea Bizwire) — Hite Jinro Co., a major South Korean liquor maker, said Wednesday outbound shipments of its products nearly tripled over the past 20 years, as it moves to expand its presence in the global market. Exports of the company’s alcoholic beverages came to 94 billion won (US$87.8 million) last year, [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of teenagers suffering from alcoholism has been on the rise, with the total receiving treatment hitting 7,800 over the past five years, data showed Monday. According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service data submitted to the National Assembly, teens categorized as alcoholics increased from 2012 [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — Sales of Makgeolli, a Korean rice wine, have decreased for three consecutive years after experiencing a boom several years ago. According to a report from the Statistics Korea on October 4, the volume of Makgeolli consumed domestically in the second quarter was 8,8000 ㎘, 3.1 percent down from the [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 27 (Korea Bizwire) – According to British magazine Drinks International, Chamisul was the best selling liquor in the world for the 16th straight year. The South Korean drink has held the number one spot since 2001. Manufacturer Hite Jinro announced on September 26 that it will produce a special poster and ramp up [...]
SEJONG, Jan. 9 (Korea Bizwire) – The price of soju, a rice-based liquor most popular with local drinkers, leaped 11.7 percent in 2016 from the year before, the highest rate of increase since recordkeeping began in 2000, a statistical agency said Monday. Prior price hikes for soju were 8 percent in 2001-2002 and 3.7 percent [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 23 (Korea Bizwire) – Sales of alcoholic beverages have shown an unusual increase since October, a leading retailer said Wednesday, possibly from more people drinking at home after an anti-corruption law took effect. According to E-Mart, whiskey sales during the Oct. 1-Nov. 21 period rose 11.7 percent compared with the same period last [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 6 (Korea Bizwire) – Korea’s leading distiller, HiteJinro, has chosen a new marketing strategy for a fresh wave of TV commercials, with the new ads featuring some of the hottest K-pop stars drinking soju, seemingly tipsy, while casually singing their talents away – behavior that is perhaps appropriate given that the ads are [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 27 (Korea Bizwire) – Drinking can be fun, and when you’re young, the more the better. But a recent study conducted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) is sounding an alarm for young Koreans and their heavy drinking culture. The survey, conducted from July 18 to August 15 with the [...]
BUSAN, Aug. 11 (Korea Bizwire) – With the average legal-aged Korean consuming 90 bottles a year, soju is undoubtedly the most popular distilled alcoholic beverage in Korea. Virtually unknown abroad, the drink’s popularity has recently begun to pick up momentum overseas. Busan-based distiller Daesun is better known for its soju brand C1. According to Daesun, [...]