Soju Consumption by Locals Overseas Doubles... HiteJinro Leads "Globalization of Soju"

Customers are purchasing fruit liqueurs such as Chamisul and Green Grape Eiseul at Fairprice, Singapore's largest retail chain. (Photo by HiteJinro)

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] The overseas sales of soju are shifting from primarily serving Korean expatriates to focusing on local consumers.

HiteJinro announced on the 14th that the proportion of local consumers drinking soju in major export countries nearly doubled from 30.6% in 2016 to 68.8% in 2020. This is the result of continuous efforts to expand the local market overseas since the declaration of "Soju Globalization" in 2016. The company plans to continue soju globalization by moving beyond the expatriate-centered market.

Recognizing the importance of localization to become a global liquor company, HiteJinro has been tracking and managing the method and criteria for calculating the local consumer drinking ratio since 2018. The ratio of local consumers among total sales was calculated based on the nationality of the clients, brands, and distribution channels. By increasing brand exposure frequency, the goal is to establish brands such as Chamisul, Jinro, and the Aseul series (including Green Grape Aseul) as part of locals' daily lives, leading to purchases.

Over the past four years, the countries with the largest increase in local soju consumption rates were Hong Kong at number one and Indonesia at number two, each increasing by more than 60 percentage points over four years. Notably, six of the top ten countries were Southeast Asian nations such as Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore. The United States ranked eighth with a 22.9 percentage point increase, and China ranked ninth with a 22.3 percentage point increase. The diverse portfolio of Chamisul and fruit liqueurs, along with actively developing local distribution channels such as convenience stores with good accessibility, effectively targeted the younger local demographic.

HiteJinro aims to raise the local consumer drinking ratio to about 90% in strategic countries by 2024.

Hwang Jeong-ho, Executive Director of HiteJinro's Overseas Business Division, stated, “We will focus on creating a soju category worldwide, promoting soju as Korea’s representative liquor to become a global distilled spirit, and gaining recognition from local consumers for its quality and value.”

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