[Inside Chodong] The Identity Crisis of Korea's "National Liquor" Soju

Major manufacturers lower soju’s alcohol content to the 15% range

A nearly 20-percentage-point drop in 100 years since its debut in 1924

“Discouraging excessive drinking, reflecting changing drinking culture”

The idea that “lowering a

Soju, often called the "national drink" of Korea, continues to become milder. Earlier this year, Lotte Chilsung Beverage lowered the alcohol content of "Saero" from 16% to 15.7%, a reduction of 0.3%, about three years after its launch. HiteJinro also reduced the alcohol content of both "Jinro Is Back" and "Chamisul Fresh" by 0.3%, bringing them down to 15.7%. Following the reduction of Lotte Chilsung Beverage's flagship soju "Cheoeum Cheoreom" to 16% last year, products in the 15% range have become the mainstream trend in the market.

When Jincheon Brewing Hall (now HiteJinro) first introduced distilled soju in 1924, its alcohol content was 35%. In the 1960s, the production process shifted to the dilution method (blending spirit with water), which led to a gradual lowering of the alcohol content—falling by nearly 20 percentage points over about 100 years. Soju with 14% alcohol is now common, and there are even "light" soju options that cut calories and reduce the content to as low as 11.7%.

Major manufacturers explain that the lowering of soju's alcohol content is intended to reflect both the broader low-alcohol trend in the alcoholic beverage market and consumer demand for a cleaner taste. This strategy was especially effective until the COVID-19 pandemic, when large gatherings and late-night drinking were common. As the drink becomes smoother and consumers feel less intoxicated after a bottle, the amount consumed per person actually increased.

However, things have changed since the shift to an endemic phase. Younger generations now tend to prefer drinking alone ("honsul") or at home ("homesul") rather than participating in large drinking parties. Their attention has also shifted to various beverages such as highballs and wine, leading to a more dispersed demand. Even if soju becomes milder, this no longer directly results in increased sales as it did in the past.

According to the National Tax Statistics Portal, domestic shipment volume of diluted soju decreased by 13.4%, from 916,000 kiloliters in 2019—before the COVID-19 outbreak—to 793,000 kiloliters last year. After a brief rebound in 2022, when shipments rose to 862,000 kiloliters (a 4.3% increase year-on-year), shipments have continued to decline each year. Even following the trend toward lower alcohol, it has not been enough to prevent falling sales volumes.

Ultimately, the race to produce milder soju appears to be a survival strategy for manufacturers to reduce production costs. Since soju is highly sensitive to price changes and price increases are limited due to the government's focus on price stability, companies are trying to lower production costs by reducing the amount of spirit used. According to industry officials, for every 0.1% drop in alcohol content, producers save about 0.6 to 0.9 won per bottle on spirit costs. While this savings is negligible per bottle, with annual sales volumes of large manufacturers nearing 2 billion bottles, the impact on overall costs is significant.

Meanwhile, the position of soju in the market has become ambiguous. With the rise of "mixology" (the culture of mixing alcoholic beverages), the category for mixing drinks has been overtaken by high-proof liquors such as whiskey. The difference in alcohol content between soju and wine—which averages 13-15%—has also narrowed. Moreover, there is now an abundance of low-alcohol alternatives, including non-alcoholic beverages and fruit-flavored distilled spirits. As soju becomes more diluted, its identity grows more unclear, which may present challenges when attempting to raise prices in the future. Instead of testing the limits of low alcohol, manufacturers need to consider ways to recover soju's distinct identity.

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