'Maek Doenjang' 25 Years in Department Stores... 'Luxury Jang Flavor' Now Conquering Online Too

[Beautiful Journey] Relay Interview
④ Seong Myeongrye, Co-CEO of Hanguk Maekkurum

Entered Hyundai Department Store through Women's Association Word of Mouth
25 Years of Department Store Relationship, Pioneering the 'Luxury Jang' Market
Strong Response from Young Generation after Market Kurly Entry
Exports to Over 10 Countries Including the US and Japan

Seong Myeong-rye, Co-CEO of Hanguk Maekkurum (Korea Food Master No. 45)

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] There is a food company that pioneered the market for "luxury jang" under the value of continuing the tradition. Starting with about 20 jangdokdae (fermentation crocks), Korean Maekkurum has grown into a traditional jang manufacturer with around 3,000 jangdok. The traditional values pursued by Korean Maekkurum have spread by word of mouth and are now supplied to major department stores nationwide and e-commerce platforms.

On the 8th, Asia Economy met with Myungrye Sung, co-CEO of Korean Maekkurum, who is the 45th Korean Food Artisan and the second-generation successor of the Andong Kwon family’s great jang master and traditional jang varieties. She inherited secret recipes from her mother-in-law and founded Korean Maekkurum in 1989, starting with about 20 jangdokdae owned by her mother-in-law. The name Maekkurum means a bundle that continues the tradition.

25 Years in Department Stores through Women’s Association Word of Mouth

In the early days of the business, CEO Sung targeted apartment women’s associations in the Gangnam area of Seoul to sell jang products, including the representative product "Maek Doenjang." In the early 1990s, unlike today, most people made jang at home themselves. Therefore, consumers’ tastes for jang were very particular, making it difficult to sell jang. However, the master’s jang flavor quickly spread by word of mouth, and customers flooded with requests to be able to purchase jang whenever needed rather than through group purchases by the women’s associations. Accordingly, in the mid-1990s, CEO Sung decided to enter department stores, departing from the existing sales method.

Despite the excellent jang flavor, department stores were initially negative about stocking the product. CEO Sung said, "At the time of entry, department store officials said, ‘Jang fermented in crocks is something made and eaten at home, not sold,’ showing a negative view of its business potential." However, this evaluation changed immediately after the product was stocked.

The main customers for Maek Doenjang were the core customers of department stores at the time, and the product sold like hotcakes as soon as it was stocked. Although Maek Doenjang was expensive, it was recognized as a "luxury doenjang" with excellent taste and quality, and more department stores began to want to stock it, expanding to over 40 department stores nationwide.

Currently, Korean Maekkurum’s jang products, including Maek Doenjang, are stocked in all major department stores such as Lotte, Shinsegae, Hyundai, and Galleria Department Stores. In particular, Hyundai Department Store has maintained a 25-year relationship with Korean Maekkurum and accounts for the largest share of total department store sales. Department store entry played a significant role in building a premium image and led to the creation of Chuseok gift sets in collaboration with Hotel Shilla, earning recognition for pioneering the luxury jang market.

From Offline to Online Market

Korean Maekkurum, which pioneered the luxury jang market in offline venues such as department stores, has rapidly grown by expanding into major home shopping and e-commerce markets. Sales in the first half of this year reached 2 billion KRW, a 19% increase compared to the first half of last year. At this pace, this year’s sales are expected to surpass last year’s 3.1 billion KRW.

Among these, entry into Market Kurly provided an opportunity to grow sales and gain trust from younger customers. Market Kurly’s main customer base is people in their 20s to 40s, making it a great chance to introduce traditional jang to younger consumers. Since this generation prioritizes "well-being," the healthy taste of jang received strong positive responses. Korean Maekkurum earns about 15% of its total sales through Market Kurly.

In particular, real-time customer reviews have positively influenced product development. Most of the dozen or so products sold on Market Kurly have hundreds to as many as 4,000 reviews. CEO Sung explained, "Through tens of thousands of customer responses obtained via e-commerce supply, we were able to further improve the taste and create a popular brand image."

CEO Sung’s future goal is to promote traditional food culture and introduce jang culture not only in Korea but worldwide. Korean Maekkurum’s jang products are already being exported to about 10 countries including the United States, Japan, and Canada. Last year, Korean Maekkurum exported products worth 350 million KRW and plans to increase this amount annually.

CEO Sung stated, "Our goal is to make Korean Maekkurum not just a product seller but a place for cultural tourism experiences," adding, "We will contribute to revitalizing the local economy while continuing the tradition."

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