[Gu Eun-mo's Sujeori] Geumpung Brewery, a Space Built and Growing with a Century of Time

<12> Incheon Ganghwa 'Geumpung Yangjo'①

Opened in 1931... Continuing family business for 3 generations
Aiming to be a modern cultural space as a regional representative brewery
'Geumpung Makgeolli · Geumhak Takju'... Pursuing premium Makgeolli

Ganghwa was originally called Haegu (海口) or Hyeolgu (穴口) because it is located at the estuaries of the Han River, Imjin River, and Yesong River. The name Ganghwa first appeared in history in the 23rd year of King Taejo of Goryeo (940 AD). It was initially called Gangha (江下), meaning "the lower town surrounded by several rivers," and later renamed Ganghwa (江華), meaning "the beautiful town below the river."

The history of the name Ganghwa is also the history of land reclamation in Korea. Ganghwa's surrounding rivers transported a massive amount of sediment, which naturally accumulated in nearby waters, leading to the development of tidal flats. These tidal flats remained largely uncultivated wetlands until the mid-Goryeo period, but land reclamation began after the Mongol invasions and the relocation of the capital to Ganghwa. Although the reclamation projects were temporarily halted, they resumed during the Japanese invasions of Korea (Imjin War) and the Manchu invasions (Byeongjahoran), transforming vast tidal flats into farmland. Over the course of Goryeo and Joseon dynasties, the reclaimed land now accounts for about one-third of Ganghwa's territory.

Through centuries of reclamation, Ganghwa has taken its present form. Although Ganghwa of the past and Ganghwa of today exist in different times and appearances, it remains Ganghwa nonetheless. On this land shaped by time and reclamation, there is a brewery that has accumulated a century of history. This place, 'Geumpung Brewery,' is preparing to build the next 100 years in a space that has stacked 100 years of time.

Reviving a Name Almost Buried by Time

Geumpung Brewery first opened its doors in 1931. The founder, the late Kim Hak-je, established the brewery in Onsu-ri, Gilsang-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon City. He named it 'Geumpung (金豊),' combining 'Geum (金),' meaning wealth, and 'Pung (豊),' meaning a bountiful harvest, and began operating the brewery. In 1969, Yang Hwan-tak, the grandfather of the current CEO Yang Tae-seok, took over the brewery. It has since been run by three generations: Yang Hwan-tak, his son Yang Jae-hyung, and grandson Yang Tae-seok.

Yang Hwan-tak, the grandfather of CEO Yang Tae-seok, was a versatile entrepreneur who operated various businesses ranging from rice milling to transportation. To him, acquiring a brewery, which was a sizable business at the time, was a natural move. The actual operation of the brewery was carried out by his son, Yang Jae-hyung, who brewed Makgeolli at the same location for nearly 50 years, overseeing more than half of the brewery's nearly 100-year history.

Although he devoted his life to brewing Makgeolli, the industry was entering a decline. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the popularity of competing alcoholic beverages such as soju and beer rose steadily, while the rural population, the main consumer base for Makgeolli, continued to shrink. Consequently, from 2011 to 2020, Geumpung Brewery was leased to another operator and operated under the name 'Ganghwa Onsu Brewery.'

An empty bottle of 'Geumhak Yakju' previously sold by Geumpung Brewery.

The name Geumpung Brewery, which was almost lost to time, was revived by the current CEO, Yang Tae-seok. From a young age, Yang had a vague desire to work in a brewery. He was also interested in cooking and majored in food engineering at university. Although it seemed natural that he would follow the path of a brewer, he shifted his focus to marketing around the time of his graduation. He spent over a decade working in marketing, handling various corporate and brand launches and exhibitions.

Despite living a life far from brewing, Yang's interest in the brewery was rekindled around 2018. By then, he was running a marketing agency and was looking for a specialized field to enhance the company's competitiveness. The brewery caught his attention. Yang said, "Having worked on launching liquor brands and related programs, I thought it would be great to become a marketing agency specializing in alcoholic beverages. I started with the idea that applying my marketing experience to our brewery could create a meaningful space with a compelling story."

Although he turned his attention to the brewery, Yang initially did not intend to engage directly in brewing. He planned to leave brewing to the operators leasing the existing brewery and focus on branding and marketing. However, due to differing directions, they agreed to part ways, and Yang decided to become an 'all-round player' handling brewing as well. He recalled, "At the time, I anticipated that the traditional liquor industry, including Makgeolli, would improve. Especially with regional specialties being available for online sales, I believed it was possible to compete even from the provinces." Thus, Geumpung Brewery reopened in February 2020.

In fact, Geumpung Brewery was an unfamiliar name even to Yang. Although it started as Geumpung Brewery, government policies led to the consolidation of two breweries in the Ganghwa region through his grandfather and father’s generations. During this process, Geumpung Brewery operated under the dry name 'Ganghwa No. 2 Joint Brewery,' responsible for southern Ganghwa. The name Geumpung Brewery was suggested by Yang’s father. Yang said, "At first, I thought it was outdated and didn't fit the direction or atmosphere I envisioned, but I was moved by my father's intention to restore the brewery's original name. Now, I really like it."

The second floor of Geumpung Brewery, where the appearance of the past is preserved.

"Makgeolli in the Era of Premiumization"… Takju Brewed with Pesticide-Free Eco-Friendly Rice

Although they ambitiously reopened under the Geumpung Brewery banner, there was no liquor in the brewery at first. To inherit the nearly 100-year tradition and legacy of the brewery and transform it into a new cultural space, new liquor was essential. Yang decided to start anew from the beginning. His father had long retired, and he had no intention of reproducing the old liquor as it was.

Yang explained, "I had brewed Makgeolli as a hobby since university, but commercial brewing was a completely different story. I received basic training at the Korea Traditional Liquor Research Institute and created new liquor based on help from seniors and juniors in the liquor industry, various consultations, and advice from industry experts."

Geumpung Brewery 'Geumpung Makgeolli'

The resulting liquor was 'Geumpung Makgeolli.' First introduced in May 2021, Geumpung Makgeolli is a two-stage brewed liquor made with eco-friendly pesticide-free rice from Ganghwa Island and groundwater from Onsu-ri. It is characterized by its smooth and clean taste without carbonation, and it is not sweet because no sweeteners are added. The alcohol content is set at 6.9%, commemorating the year 1969 when Yang’s grandfather took over the brewery.

Yang emphasized, "As times change, I judged that Makgeolli also needs premiumization, so we use the highest quality ingredients like pesticide-free eco-friendly rice and do not use any sweeteners. We also pursue premium packaging for bottles and labels. Geumpung Makgeolli will be the first and last Makgeolli to use PET bottles." In fact, last year, they introduced the premium Makgeolli 'Geumhak Takju.' Available in three types?'Black' with 9.6% alcohol, 'Green' with 9.6% alcohol infused with Ganghwa’s specialty ginseng, and 'Gold' with 13% alcohol?Geumhak Takju emphasizes luxury with black glass bottles and gold labels inspired by the Dangun myth.

Inside the fermentation room of Geumpung Brewery

However, Yang is not yet actively pursuing distribution, so Geumpung Brewery’s liquors are relatively hard to find. Most are sold only at the brewery site, with some available online and at specialty traditional liquor stores. Yang believes that without proper branding, it is difficult to be competitive in distribution channels amid the flood of new liquors every day. He said, "As the brewery becomes famous, more consumers will seek out the liquors made there. We are looking for a slow but sustainable way."

He stresses that he did not enter the brewing business to win quickly. Yang said, "If more visitors to the brewery hear about its history and the stories behind the liquor and experience the brewery as a cultural space, the revisit and repurchase rates will naturally increase. If we proceed slowly with our planned tasks without rushing, I believe we can achieve our goals without being swayed by others."