"Shall We Try Drafting Beer and Soju?"... CU Starts Operating Unmanned Alcohol Vending Machines

Alcohol vending machine commercialized at CU R Seorak Sun Valley Resort branch.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chunhan] CU announced on the 12th that it will commercialize the unmanned alcohol vending machine for the first time in the industry at CU R Seorak Sun Valley Resort store in Goseong, Gangwon-do.

Until now, alcohol sales were only allowed face-to-face with adult verification at licensed locations, but recently, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy approved a regulatory sandbox for this business, making it possible to sell alcohol unmanned at general retail channels such as convenience stores.

Adult verification for the alcohol vending machine uses the mobile driver's license of PASS, operated by all three mobile carriers. This service is an identity verification service that allows easier and faster identity confirmation by scanning a QR code or barcode stored on a mobile device when age or identity verification is required. It is currently available at all CU stores nationwide. Since the PASS app verifies the authenticity of the license and the identity of the applicant through fingerprint or PIN number before registration, identity theft and personal information leakage are fundamentally blocked. The information is stored in a secure area within the phone, making forgery and theft impossible.

The introduced alcohol vending machines can sell a total of 45 products, including soju, beer, traditional liquor, and wine. After adult verification, customers select a product and pay by credit card (cash not accepted, simple payment available), then receive the product through the dispensing slot. CU plans to selectively introduce alcohol vending machines in hotels and resorts among hybrid convenience stores that operate manned during the day and unmanned at night. Currently, about 290 hybrid convenience stores are operating in special locations such as schools, offices, and factories.

There are two models of alcohol vending machines: general vending machines and smart refrigerators. In the case of the smart refrigerator, after adult verification and credit card insertion, customers can take items directly from inside the refrigerator without a separate product selection process outside. The system automatically processes payment using artificial intelligence (AI) vision and machine learning technology. The second store, scheduled to open this month, will be installed with a smart refrigerator.

A BGF Retail official said, “The commercialization of CU’s alcohol vending machine is a model case that realizes consumption activation and industrial development through government regulatory innovation and the company’s swift execution,” adding, “It is especially meaningful in that companies with the best technology and capabilities in each field are joining forces to lead new distribution trends.”