[Gu Eun-mo's Sake Story] Park Yong-gu, CEO of Yeoju Myeongju: "We will make Ryeo synonymous with sweet potato soju"

<3> Gyeonggi Yeoju 'Kooksoondang Yeoju Myeongju'②

Strict Raw Material Management is the Top Priority in Quality Control
High Sweet Potato Content... Characterized by Rich Taste and Aroma
Continuous Expansion of Sales Channels Including Military Supply and Online... Encouraging Sales Growth
CEO Park: "We Aim to Create a Soju Recognized as the Representative Sweet Potato Soju"

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] “When I think about the effort put into selecting only the finest ingredients, the common phrase ‘strict ingredient management’ feels somewhat insufficient. However, if the final product is excellent, I believe consumers will recognize that it is a good liquor made through truly rigorous and thorough management.”

Good Liquor Comes from Good Ingredients... Focus on Raw Material Quality Control

Park Yong-gu, CEO of Kooksoondang Yeoju Myeongju, continuously emphasized the importance of quality control of the raw material, sweet potatoes, in an interview with Asia Economy on the 26th. ‘Distilled Soju Ryeo (驪)’ is made solely from sweet potatoes, so the taste and quality of the sweet potatoes are fully reflected in the liquor. CEO Park said, “Good liquor comes from good ingredients,” adding, “Since the quality of the sweet potatoes determines the overall quality of the liquor, it is a non-negotiable and untouchable aspect.”

Sweet potato soju is somewhat unfamiliar domestically but is already widely enjoyed in Japan, characterized by the sweet yet subtle aroma unique to sweet potatoes. CEO Park stated, “I am confident that Yeoju Myeongju’s sweet potato soju is by no means inferior in taste and aroma compared to famous Japanese regional sweet potato sojus like those from Kagoshima,” citing the ingredients as the reason.

Japanese sweet potato soju generally uses about 70% sweet potatoes and around 30% of a rice-based Japanese koji called ‘ikukoku.’ In contrast, Yeoju Myeongju uses less than 3% wheat-based koji for fermentation, with the remainder being sweet potatoes only. CEO Park explained, “Because of the difference in sweet potato content, our liquor contains and conveys a richer natural taste and aroma of sweet potatoes,” adding, “This is why we focus and obsess more on the raw materials.”

He further added, “It’s not just that a lot of sweet potatoes are used, but we also use only large, top-quality sweet potatoes without blemishes,” emphasizing, “There is also an undeniable sense of mission to showcase the delicious taste of Yeoju sweet potatoes without compromising it.”

Park Yong-gu, CEO of Kooksoondang Yeoju Myeongju

Military Supply Sales Expected to Exceed Half of Total Next Year... Online Sales Also on the Rise

Recently, it is encouraging that sales channels have been continuously expanding and diversifying. The most notable is the military channel. Yeoju Myeongju began supplying ‘Distilled Soju Ryeo 40’ to the Military Welfare Service’s duty-free liquor new product category in 2018. Following positive responses to the product, from this year, the non-duty-free version of ‘Distilled Soju Ryeo 25’ was additionally introduced, and next year, the non-duty-free version of Distilled Soju Ryeo 40 will also be sold at military marts.

CEO Park evaluated, “Among soldiers, there are relatively many consumers who enjoy high-proof liquor, and the fact that it is a unique product made from sweet potatoes rather than rice soju seems to have been received as fresh.” He explained, “It may have started with curiosity, but as consumers who tasted it spread the word and sales increased, the supply lineup has been continuously expanding.” Yeoju Myeongju expects that next year, sales through the military channel will grow to about half of total sales.

Online sales are also showing steady growth. CEO Park said, “The increasing scale and proportion of online sales in total revenue can be interpreted as a rise in purchases by younger consumers,” adding, “Recently, as market interest in distilled soju and traditional liquors has increased, young consumers’ interest and purchases at liquor expos and the like have also surged.”

Kooksoondang Yeoju Myeongju Atmospheric Distiller

No Complaints Due to Strict Quality Control... Aiming to Expand the Traditional Distilled Soju Market

The Yeoju Myeongju project was a new challenge for CEO Park. Having joined Kooksoondang in 1997 and serving as head of production at Kooksoondang Hoengseong Brewery since 2007, he was offered the position of the first head of the newly launched Yeoju Myeongju by Chairman Bae Jung-ho of Kooksoondang. He recalled, “If Kooksoondang was about managing an already established system, Yeoju Myeongju was about starting from scratch and producing results,” adding, “I thought it wouldn’t be easy, but I took on the CEO role seeing it as an opportunity to proactively create a good liquor recognized by everyone.”

The beginning was daunting. Above all, since distilled soju requires an aging period, it was not a business that could complete production, sell, and generate profits within a year or two. However, those involved in establishing the corporation shared a consensus that spreading awareness of traditional distilled soju and expanding the related market was more important than immediate profits. Step by step, they planned Yeoju Myeongju’s concept and product portfolio, developing the traditional Korean sweet potato distilled soju Ryeo based on the sweet potato soju recipe found in Imwonsipnyukji (林園十六誌), an agricultural encyclopedia published by Seo Yu-gu during the Joseon Dynasty’s King Heonjong era, and have now reached the point of sales.

CEO Park says that although the start was distant, hope is visible after 10 years. As of August this year, Yeoju Myeongju has surpassed last year’s sales, plans to expand online sales items, and is preparing to launch premium products using long-aged base liquor currently in maturation. He emphasized, “Strict quality control is an uncompromising personal principle and the principle of Yeoju Myeongju,” adding, “Because we have made liquor based on this principle, there has never been a single complaint about the taste or quality of the liquor after sales.” He concluded, “Without pride in quality, this work would be impossible. We will continue to steadfastly produce liquor so that Yeoju Myeongju comes to mind whenever sweet potato soju is mentioned.”