Hite Jinro Participates in U.S. 'Jinro Chimaek Fest' Attracting 30,000 Visitors

Held in California with participants such as Pelicana and Kyochon
Hite Jinro’s U.S. five-year average annual growth rate at about 25%

HiteJinro participated as the title sponsor of the 'Jinro Chimaek Fest,' held from August 14 to 16 at Great Park Live in Irvine, California, USA, where local visitors are seen visiting the event booth. Provided by HiteJinro.

Hite Jinro participated as the title sponsor at the 'JINRO Chimaek Fest' held in California, USA.

On the 19th, Hite Jinro announced that it has expanded its contact points with local consumers in the United States and increased brand awareness by participating for the second consecutive year as the only alcoholic beverage brand at the Jinro Chimaek Fest—a festival that connects Korean culture such as chicken, alcoholic beverages, K-food, and K-beauty with American consumers.

The Jinro Chimaek Fest took place from August 14 to 16 at Great Park Live in Irvine, California. About 30,000 people attended this year’s event, representing a 50% increase compared to last year. In addition to Jinro, companies such as Pelicana, Kyochon F&B, Nongshim, and Dongwon F&B participated, giving local visitors an opportunity to experience a variety of Korean foods and culture.

In line with the expanded scale of this year's festival, Hite Jinro increased the size of its booth and showcased key products including Chamisul Fresh, seven varieties of fruit soju, and Terra. The company operated a tasting and sales booth, and held a special event selling soju in toad-shaped figure glasses in a limited quantity of 200 servings per day, drawing significant attention from local customers. Notably, the “somaek” (soju-beer mix) product using the Somaek Tower received an especially enthusiastic response.

Hite Jinro explained that food pairing—enjoying Korean fried chicken together with fruit soju—elicited positive feedback from local visitors and created a festive atmosphere where attendees could experience both Korean food and beverage culture.

The export value of Hite Jinro’s fruit soju to the U.S. recorded a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 25% over the past five years from 2020 to 2025, continuing on a steady upward trajectory. In particular, fruit soju is increasingly reflecting the diverse preferences of local consumers, with the consumer base expanding from mainly the Korean diaspora to a broader segment of Americans.

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