"Enhancing the Value of Domestic Rice"... HiteJinro to Develop 'Premium Distilled Soju'

HiteJinro announced on April 29 that it has signed a business agreement with the National Institute of Crop Science under the Rural Development Administration for the "Development and Industrialization of Premium Distilled Soju Using Domestic Processed Rice Varieties."

The signing ceremony for the agreement took place on April 28 at HiteJinro's Icheon Factory and was attended by Jinsup Jang, CEO of HiteJinro, Byungseok Kim, Director of the National Institute of Crop Science, and officials from both sides.

Jinsub Jang, CEO of HiteJinro (right), and Byungseok Kim, Director of the National Institute of Crop Science (left), are posing for a commemorative photo after signing a business agreement on the 28th at the HiteJinro Icheon Factory for the "Development and Industrialization of Premium Distilled Soju Using Domestic Processing Rice Varieties." Provided by HiteJinro.

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Through this agreement, HiteJinro and the National Institute of Crop Science aim to enhance the added value of domestic agricultural products and lead the premiumization of the distilled soju market based on domestic raw materials.

The two organizations plan to establish a cooperative system to create new demand for domestic rice, contribute to boosting consumption, and strengthen the quality competitiveness of distilled soju made in Korea. To achieve this, the National Institute of Crop Science will develop customized processed rice varieties optimized for distilled soju and establish a stable production base, while HiteJinro will focus on developing technologies to optimize the fermentation and distillation processes, as well as product commercialization and distribution expansion.

Since 2024, HiteJinro and the National Institute of Crop Science have collaborated on developing "Juhyangmi," a rice variety specialized for distilled soju production. Last year, HiteJinro established a dedicated Juhyangmi cultivation complex in Hongcheon County, Gangwon Province, and this year expanded to Icheon City, Gyeonggi Province. Going forward, the company plans to propose a high value-added utilization model for domestic rice by applying Juhyangmi to fermentation, distillation, aging, and commercialization processes.

Jinsup Jang, CEO of HiteJinro, stated, "Through cooperation with the National Institute of Crop Science, we expect to further enhance the competitiveness of distilled soju raw material quality," adding, "We will promote the value of Korean rice and practice a win-win management strategy that grows together with local farmers."

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