"One Sip Has Koreans Lining Up for Four Hours... The Remarkable Turnaround of the 1993-Born Chairman [Interview]"

100 Days Since Charge, the Chinese Milk Tea Brand, Opened Its First Store in Korea
Interview with Kim Joahyun, CEO of Charge Korea
Soon to Reach 8 Stores in Seoul: "Korea’s Global Influence Is Strong"
"Sensing Potential in the Korean Tea Marke

Group IVE member Jang Wonyoung looks surprised after drinking the Chinese milk tea "ChaZi." Jang Wonyoung Instagram

"I hope that ChaZi is not just a passing trend, but becomes a brand that naturally integrates into the daily lives of customers more deeply than now."

Kim Joahyun, CEO of Charge Korea, said this during an interview with The Asia Business Daily on July 26, just before the company's 100th day in the Korean market.

Kim Joahyun, CEO of Charge Korea, is posing for the photo. Photo by Dongju Yoon

ChaZi, known in Korea as the so-called "Jang Wonyoung Milk Tea," is a global modern tea brand that launched its first store in Yunnan, China, in 2017 and expanded rapidly afterwards. During a period when low-priced milk tea brands were flooding the Chinese market, it achieved rapid growth with a premium strategy targeting health-conscious young consumers by brewing original tea leaves in-store and adding fresh milk. Modernized store interiors and premium branding also contributed to its success. According to founder Chairman Zhang Junjie, his vision was to expand the brand globally as a modern tea brand, inspired by leading international coffee chains such as Starbucks.

As of May this year, ChaZi operates around 7,500 stores in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and other Chinese-speaking regions, as well as Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and the United States. In April of last year, it was listed on the Nasdaq and recognized with a corporate value of USD 6.2 billion (about KRW 9.1 trillion).

In Korea, ChaZi opened its first three stores on April 30 in key commercial hubs such as Gangnam, Yongsan, and Sinchon, introducing its products to local consumers. In just three months, the brand had expanded to seven stores in Seoul alone, with the eighth store opening soon in Jongno. On the first day the initial store opened, there was so much interest that people lined up for up to four hours, and even now, some stores require a wait of up to one hour to purchase a drink, according to posts on social media. CEO Kim commented, "The response has been better than expected," adding, "We are continuously seeking ways to encourage repeat visits through the in-store experience."

Kim Joahyun, CEO of Charge Korea, is posing. Photo by Dongju Yoon

This level of success by Charge Korea has drawn significant attention from ChaZi's global headquarters. It is said that Chairman Zhang personally visited Korea discreetly to observe the atmosphere when the first store was opened in April. While it was impossible for him to visit every new country as ChaZi rapidly expanded into five countries last year, this year he paid particular attention to the Korean market and even watched the opening day rush firsthand. Born in 1993, Chairman Zhang has a remarkable backstory—he lost both parents at the age of 10, was homeless for seven years, and seized an opportunity while working at a milk tea chain in Taiwan at age 17, ultimately starting his own business and achieving success.

CEO Kim explained, "Both the founder and global headquarters are very interested in Korea. The Korean tea market itself is important, and at the same time, Korean culture has a major influence on other countries. Even when our Gangnam flagship store (one of the first to open) launched, it became a hot topic, especially in China and the US." He added, "Not only the founder, but also global executives frequently visit Korea. They see Korea as a key market, are focused on expanding the brand here, and have many discussions on how to enhance the brand experience for Korean consumers." According to Kim, Chairman Zhang's primary role is to remind the team of the values and vision that ChaZi should pursue, rather than prescribing specific business methods.

Kim Jawhyun, CEO of Charge Korea, is giving an interview with The Asia Business Daily. Photo by Dongju Yoon

Entering its ninth year as a brand, ChaZi has been accelerating its international expansion since last year. It prioritizes consistency of taste to deliver a premium tea experience. All of ChaZi's 7,000-plus global stores use the same ingredients, such as tea leaves produced in China, and adhere to standardized manufacturing processes. For this reason, the Korean stores will continue to be operated directly for the time being. CEO Kim stated, "It is critical to establish consistent service and quality," emphasizing, "Especially as we are in the early phase of our business, we need to pay extra attention to maintaining quality." He also noted that the company is making efforts to localize by developing menu items tailored specifically for the Korean market.

CEO Kim sees significant potential for the tea market, even in Korea's coffee-centric landscape, often referred to as the "coffee republic." He said, "If you analyze product sales patterns in the data, there are time segments—especially after lunch and in the late afternoon—when customer visits continue steadily." He explained, "We see potential in these patterns, and our long-term goal is to ensure ChaZi becomes more naturally integrated into customers' daily routines." He also suggested, rather than focusing on competing with other tea companies, it is more important to work together to grow the entire tea market in Korea.

Meanwhile, ChaZi Holdings, the brand's global headquarters, posted sales of CNY 12.91 billion (about KRW 2.8 trillion) last year, a 4.1% increase from the previous year. In the first quarter of this year, revenue was CNY 3.546 billion, up 4.5% year-on-year. In a recent earnings report, Chairman Zhang stated, "ChaZi has now entered a phase of mature, stable, and sustainable high-quality growth. This year, our goal is to perfect every point of contact with consumers."

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