In the Fierce Ice Bar Market, Achim Hetsal Smiles Brightly... After Taiwan, Vietnam "Korean Wave Brand Stands Tall"

Sold 1.4 Million Achimhaetsal Ice Bars, Successfully Expanding Bestseller Brand Category
Following Achimhaetsal Beverages, Ice Bars Exported to Taiwan and Vietnam, Establishing K-Wave Brand Presence

Woongjin Foods' Achim Hetsal post uploaded on Taiwan Seven Eleven's Instagram.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] Korea's representative rice beverage, Achim Haetsal, has demonstrated its brand power in the ice bar market as well.

According to Woongjin Foods on the 3rd, since its launch in April, the sales volume of Achim Haetsal ice bars has reached approximately 1.4 million units. It is being evaluated as having successfully established itself in the fiercely competitive ice bar market. The Green Plum ice bar, launched together, is also gaining popularity alongside the Achim Haetsal ice bar with its unique refreshing taste and crunchy plum ice granules.

The Achim Haetsal ice bar is attracting attention from young consumers with the savory taste of the Achim Haetsal beverage and the unique texture provided by chewy glutinous rice cake. In particular, the fact that a nostalgic drink has been reborn in a new form as ice cream has received high consumer approval. Voluntary reviews are being generated on various social network services (SNS) such as Instagram and YouTube, and positive responses are accumulating, increasing its popularity.

Achim Haetsal is also establishing itself as a Hallyu brand. Woongjin Foods is exporting Achim Haetsal ice bars to Taiwan, where there is a high preference for Korean food due to the Korean drama craze. Since May, Achim Haetsal and Green Plum ice bars have been sold at Taiwan's 7-Eleven stores, with exports totaling more than 700,000 units to date. A Woongjin Foods official explained, “Taiwanese consumers are paying attention not only to the new flavors of Achim Haetsal ice cream with chewy glutinous rice cake and the refreshing Green Plum ice bar with crunchy ice, but also to the fun element of Korean beverages transforming into ice cream.” He added, “Posts continue to be uploaded on various consumer SNS accounts, including the official Instagram of Taiwan 7-Eleven.”

Building on its success in the Taiwan market, Woongjin Foods plans to start trial sales of ice bars in Vietnam this month and proceed with full-scale exports in the second half of the year. Depending on sales trends in Taiwan and Vietnam, the company intends to further expand overseas sales channels.

The successful overseas expansion of Achim Haetsal ice bars was greatly influenced by the active export of the existing beverage. According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Achim Haetsal exports reached about $13.16 million last year, more than doubling from $5.83 million in 2015. Achim Haetsal is especially popular in Vietnam. Accounting for over 80% of Woongjin Foods' total exports to Vietnam, Achim Haetsal showed about a 20% export growth compared to the previous year as of October last year, and recorded an average annual growth rate exceeding 100% over three years until 2018.

In the Vietnamese market, where per capita GDP is in the mid-$2,000 range?about one-thirteenth the size of Korea's market?the reasons Achim Haetsal succeeded include the rising favorability toward Korean products due to the spread of Hallyu, changes in Vietnamese consumers' health awareness and dietary habits, and the advantage of using rice, familiar to locals, as the main ingredient in a sweetened beverage.

Park Ae-ri, head of Woongjin Foods' frozen desserts team, said, “From the early stages of the ice cream launch, it gained popularity by attracting the interest of fun consumers who voluntarily posted and shared product reviews, sharing enjoyment and fun.” She added, “With the rise of Hallyu popularity, it is expected to establish itself as a global brand not only domestically but also overseas.”

Meanwhile, Achim Haetsal is a rice beverage first introduced domestically by Woongjin Foods in 1999. Achim Haetsal pioneered the rice beverage category in Korea and has been the undisputed market leader, receiving much love for over 20 years. In its first year of launch, it recorded sales of 40 billion KRW, and over 100 billion KRW the following year, enjoying phenomenal popularity. Recently, it has also attracted attention from younger generations, fueled by the retro trend.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.