‘New Republic of Korea Red Ginseng Map’… Seoul is Hongsamjeong, Jeju is Ppurisam, Daejeon is Hongsamton

5-Year Regional and Product Sales Analysis of Top 11 Best-Selling Products
Jung Kwan Jang's Flagship Product 'Hongsamjeong' Tops Nationwide Sales for 5 Consecutive Years
Premium 'Ppurisam' Popular in Airport Areas like Jeju and Incheon with Many Duty-Free Shops

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] This Chuseok, more people are paying attention to the health of their loved ones and preparing Chuseok gifts related to health. Moreover, amid record-breaking heavy rains causing sharp price increases in agricultural and livestock products, consumers are turning their attention to processed foods like red ginseng, which have relatively stable prices and quality.

Red ginseng, Korea’s representative health functional food, has been used as a traditional food and medicinal herb for centuries and has established itself as a soul food for the health of Koreans. It is perfect for gifting ‘health’ to oneself or family and relatives, maintaining its position as the number one health functional food sold in Korea for several years.

In particular, KGC Ginseng Corporation’s CheongKwanJang red ginseng, made only from 6-year-old ginseng harvested through 100% contract farming at the world’s largest state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, the Korea Ginseng Center, holds about 70% of the entire red ginseng market as Korea’s top red ginseng brand.

On the 16th, KGC Ginseng Corporation introduced the ‘New Korea Red Ginseng Map,’ which analyzed CheongKwanJang red ginseng sales by product and region over the past five years from 2015 to 2019 to select bestsellers.

Original Red Ginseng ‘Hongsamjeong’ and New Trend ‘Everytime’ Both Rank First in Seoul

The most sold product in Seoul, Korea’s representative city and capital, was none other than CheongKwanJang’s flagship product ‘Hongsamjeong.’ With continuous research and development, ‘Hongsamjeong,’ which has over 100 years of history and tradition, is a bestseller generating over 300 billion KRW in annual sales as a single item. Its sales volume in Seoul was more than twice that of other regions, clearly demonstrating its popularity. Moreover, it never lost the number one spot during the five years from 2015 to 2019 and ranked first in cumulative sales in 14 out of 17 administrative districts nationwide, including Seoul, receiving unwavering love from the Korean people.

The region with the second highest sales of ‘Hongsamjeong’ after Seoul was Ulsan. Ulsan has the second lowest proportion of single-person households nationwide after Sejong, reflecting the characteristics of ‘Hongsamjeong’ as a family-friendly product favored by all ages and genders.

Recently, the government temporarily raised the gift limit for agricultural, livestock, and fishery products during this Chuseok holiday from 100,000 KRW to 200,000 KRW. Accordingly, the gift value range that public officials can receive until the end of the Chuseok holiday on the 4th has expanded from 100,000 KRW to 200,000 KRW. Due to this decision, the ‘CheongKwanJang Hongsamjeong,’ priced at 198,000 KRW and the best-selling product in the CheongKwanJang Home Sam line, which previously exceeded the gift limit, is now included. This is expected to increase sales compared to previous holidays.

Meanwhile, Seoul also showed the highest sales rate for ‘Hongsamjeong Everytime.’ ‘Hongsamjeong Everytime,’ made by adding only purified water to red ginseng concentrate for easy portability and consumption, is the first stick-type red ginseng product. Since its launch in 2012, it has surpassed 200 million cumulative sales units by last year, sparking red ginseng love among the 20s and 30s generation. Initially popular among young people, demand has now expanded to all age groups, ranking second in the five-year nationwide cumulative sales ranking following ‘Hongsamjeong.’

Matching the product’s characteristics, it was most popular in Seoul, where many companies and office workers are located. Particularly in Sejong City, ‘Everytime’ was the top-selling product among all products in the regional individual product sales ranking. With an average resident age of 37.2, the youngest among the 17 cities and provinces, the product’s style favored by young people seems to have resonated well.

High-End Premium Products like ‘Ppurisam’ and ‘Hwangjindan’ Popular in Airport Areas such as Jeju and Incheon with Concentrated Duty-Free Shops

Among red ginseng products, ‘Ppurisam,’ which has the highest commercial value and is traditionally favored by Youke (Chinese tourists), remained popular in airport areas such as Jeju and Incheon and in Seoul, where duty-free shops are concentrated.

Jeju and Incheon are the locations of Jeju Airport and Incheon Airport, respectively, which Youke use first when visiting Korea. Seoul, with large duty-free shops in the city, is also one of the top three sales regions for ‘Ppurisam,’ favored by Chinese tourists.

Additionally, the premium product ‘Hwangjindan,’ popular as a gift among foreign tourists and named ‘precious pills offered to the emperor,’ was most sold in Jeju and Seoul, where many duty-free shops are located.

Traditional Herbal Mixture Pouch-Type Product ‘Hongsamton’ Ranks First in Daejeon

CheongKwanJang’s representative liquid pouch-type products, ‘Hongsamton’ and ‘Hongsamton Gold,’ ranked first and second in Daejeon. The ‘Hongsamton’ series, a pouch form health food familiar to Koreans that can be torn open and consumed, is made by mixing traditional herbal medicines as secondary ingredients along with red ginseng. It is excellent for restoring energy and has a mild taste.

In 2015, Gwangju ranked first and Daejeon second in sales of ‘Hongsamton,’ but by 2020, the rankings reversed, with Daejeon first and Gwangju second, showing fierce competition.

Moreover, the ‘Hongsamton’ series showed high sales rates in Jeonnam, Chungbuk, and Chungnam, indicating that regions with older populations, more accustomed to the culture of herbal tonics, prefer the traditional liquid form brewed like a tonic rather than new forms.

Sales Differences in Male-Only and Female-Only Products Reflect Regional Gender Ratios

As of last year, Seoul, which has the highest female population ratio nationwide with a sex ratio of 95.2 and over 200,000 more women than men, also showed the highest sales rate for the female-only product series ‘Hwaerak.’

The ‘Hwaerak’ series, which has expanded its product range from menopausal women to younger generations according to women’s life cycle lifestyles, has seen a significant increase in demand recently due to active female economic participation and growing health interest. Especially since 2017, sales have risen sharply, ranking fourth in the five-year nationwide cumulative sales ranking.

Meanwhile, the male-only product ‘Hongcheonwoong’ for middle-aged men showed high sales rates in Ulsan, Chungbuk, and Incheon, regions with higher male population ratios. Ulsan, known as a representative heavy industry city and the region with the highest Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) index nationwide, showed the highest sales rates for ‘Hongcheonwoong’ as well as ‘Cheonnok,’ a product combining deer antler velvet and red ginseng favored by middle-aged men, second only to Seoul.

Red Ginseng Gifts for Grandchildren on Elderly Travelers’ Jeju Trips

The children-only product ‘Hongijanggun’ recorded the highest sales in Jeju, a popular travel destination. Jeju ranked first nationwide for ‘Hongijanggun’ sales in both 2015 and 2020. This indicates that elderly travelers passing through duty-free shops purchase ‘Hongijanggun’ as gifts for their grandchildren on their way home. Additionally, the youth-only product ‘Ipass’ ranked second nationwide in Jeju sales, further showing the elderly’s love for their grandchildren.

Furthermore, ‘Hongijanggun’ and ‘Ipass’ ranked second and first in sales, respectively, in Seoul, reflecting sales results fitting for the capital, which has the second-largest school-age population nationwide and is known for its high educational enthusiasm.

A KGC Ginseng Corporation official said, “Through the red ginseng map redrawn after five years, we were able to confirm once again the Korean people’s love for red ginseng,” adding, “We are grateful for the timeless and regional love for red ginseng and will continue to strive to give back the love we have received from the public through diverse marketing tailored to generations and regions based on these results.”

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