[Interview] Jo Unho, CEO of HiteJinro Beverage: "Find the Kingpin Who Captures the Trend"

Black Barley and Hite Zero Renewed... Commitment and Effort Toward Healthy Beverages
Utilizing Korean Agricultural Products and Introducing Label-Free Packaging... Focus on Sustainable Development

Jo Un-ho, CEO of HiteJinro Beverage. / Photo by Kim Tae-yoon

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoung] "The most Korean thing can become the most global thing."

Jo Unho, CEO of HiteJinro Beverage, said he works with a sense of mission aiming to create premium products in the beverage industry. His determination to create beverages recognized worldwide from Korea while simultaneously considering people's health is exceptional.

CEO Jo Unho is the planner behind well-known products such as "Gaeul Daechu," "Achim Haetsal," "Chorok Maesil," and "Jayeoneun" at Woongjin Foods. Selected as CEO at the age of 38 after nine years with the company, he was also named an "Asian Young Leader" by the World Economic Forum (WEF). His challenges continued at HiteJinro Beverage. Having created "Haneul Barley" at Woongjin Foods, he pondered beverages made from domestically produced black barley and, after numerous studies, announced the birth of "Black Barley."

Jo Unho's philosophy, which considers not only beverage production using domestic agricultural products but also the environment, is firm. Recently, HiteJinro Beverage announced the launch of a label-free product for its bottled water brand, Seoksu. They conveyed an ambitious plan to reduce vinyl waste and increase PET bottle recycling rates for environmental reasons.

His passion for taking on challenges one by one never cools down. CEO Jo, who plans products from the consumer's perspective faster than anyone else, advises that to catch trends, one must find the "kingpin." By not settling for the status quo and thinking just a little differently, one can gain ideas others do not see. We met with CEO Jo Unho to hear about the process and thoughts on product planning and the direction the brand aims to take.

Black Barley Aims to Become a Global Representative Beverage Surpassing Coca-Cola

Having sold over 150 million bottles, Black Barley represents another challenge for CEO Jo Unho. He said, "There are global beverage brands like Coca-Cola, consumed over 40 trillion annually. However, I hesitate to call these products premium. This doubt sparked my mission to create beverages beneficial to humans."

When preparing the Black Barley product, he focused solely on what consumers wanted. The first Black Barley prepared at HiteJinro Beverage had to be the best in taste and health aspects. CEO Jo said, "I thought about making what consumers want. The most important considerations when making the beverage were that it should contain no caffeine or sugar and must have the properties of quenching thirst and replenishing hydration."

What does Black Barley signify in the global beverage market?

CEO Jo said the birth of caffeine-free Korean grain tea has significant implications in the global beverage market. He explained, "Green tea, black tea, and coffee have been very popular worldwide, but they contain caffeine, so they cannot be considered health beverages. Black Barley covers both taste and functional benefits, making it competitive as a representative Korean product."

Furthermore, CEO Jo Unho expressed, "It is encouraging that grain tea products are emerging recently in Korea. I believe that competing with a shared purpose leads to progressive evolution. I also propose that other brands join in the globalization of Korean beverages."

Jo Un-ho, CEO of HiteJinro Beverage. / Photo by Kim Tae-yoon

Hite Zero Relaunched... A Hit Product Targeting Carbonated Water, Soft Drinks, and Alcohol Markets

The response to "Hite Zero 0.00," newly relaunched by HiteJinro Beverage last February, has been hot. The groundbreaking plan to introduce an all-free, non-alcoholic beer declaring the "three no's" (no sugar, no caffeine, no calories) was prepared by CEO Jo Unho for over three years and is the product he has devoted the most effort to in 26 years.

The global beverage market, created over 230 years ago, has grown into a 760 trillion won market. Carbonated drinks account for about 33% of the beverage market. CEO Jo explained, "Due to improved quality of life and the well-being trend, demand for healthy beverages such as sugar-free, caffeine-free, and colorant-free soft drinks has started to rise. However, it was not easy to create taste without fructose, making challenges in the beverage market inevitable," describing the repeated research process.

The increasing demand for carbonated water is also linked to the popularity of Hite Zero. CEO Jo said, "As more people consider health, demand for carbonated water as a substitute for soft drinks has increased. Most people thought carbonation was not good for health, but carbonated water has established itself well as a replacement beverage."

Recognizing the rising demand for carbonated water, CEO Jo chose Hite Zero as a beverage that can realize no sugar, no caffeine, and zero calories at HiteJinro Beverage. He explained the background of product selection: "The taste of beer is universally known in both East and West. Barley has a cold nature, and the sparkling carbonation has been loved for a long time. If the issues of calories and alcohol are removed, it can become a very healthy beverage."

The market potential for Hite Zero 0.00 is limitless. CEO Jo estimates a market potential exceeding 200 billion won in Korea. He explained using Japan's example: "The Japanese market, which started non-alcoholic beer first, has reached 850 billion won, while Korea's market is only about 20 billion won. Major companies launched simultaneously and started advertising together, forming the market in a short time. A 700 billion won market was created in five years."

He continued, "With the launch of non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages, including the alcoholic beverage market, carbonated drinks that can be consumed without calorie concerns, and even the carbonated water market, I expect the market size to reach 400 billion won within five years," expressing confidence.

Introduction of Production Facilities and Label-Free PET Bottles... Efforts for Sustainable Development

CEO Jo Unho has continued developing beverages using domestic agricultural products. He said, "We make beverages using ingredients obtained from nature by expanding the use of organic and pesticide-free raw materials. It has become essential for companies to protect the environment. Considering health and the environment, we minimize the use of preservatives, fragrances, colorants, and other chemical additives as much as possible."

In particular, HiteJinro Beverage has achieved an annual reduction of 910 tons of plastic use through container lightweighting. Additionally, by reducing logistics vehicles, they suppress carbon emissions and actively participate in eco-friendly campaigns such as expanding eco-labels to facilitate container recycling.

CEO Jo emphasized, "From mid-March, we will switch the drinking water 'Seoksu' to an eco-friendly label-free product. Gradually, from the second quarter of this year, more than 50% of bottled water PET volume will be converted to label-free products, and eventually, this will be expanded to all bundled sales volumes," continuing environmentally friendly management.

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