Declaration of 'Global Vision 2030' in Hanoi, Vietnam
Achieving 'Popularization of Soju' Beyond 'Globalization of Soju'
Overseas Soju Sales Expanded from 180 Million to 510 Million Bottles
"Jinro Aims for 500 Billion KRW in Overseas Sales"
"Beyond the successful globalization of soju, 'Jinro (JINRO)' embarks on a greater voyage as the pride of Korea's number one brand in the main alcoholic beverage market."
HiteJinro, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, is moving beyond the globalization of soju to popularize it worldwide. Just as soju has always been part of the daily life of Koreans, the company aims to grow soju into a beverage that accompanies people’s everyday lives around the world. While HiteJinro has focused on promoting soju, it now intends to achieve a second leap forward by becoming a central player in the global alcoholic beverage market, centered on key brands such as Jinro.
On the 9th, at a press conference held in Hanoi, Vietnam, HiteJinro announced its 'Global Vision 2030' to leap forward as a global comprehensive alcoholic beverage company.
Hwang Jeong-ho, Executive Director of HiteJinro Overseas Business Division, is presenting the '2030 Global Vision' at a press conference held in Hanoi, Vietnam on the 9th.
Achieving 'Popularization of Soju' Beyond 'Globalization of Soju'
HiteJinro presented a new goal to achieve the 'popularization of Jinro' based on the recognition of soju and Jinro in the global market, which was built through its previous soju globalization strategy. The strategy aims to establish Jinro’s unique brand competitiveness in the global alcoholic beverage market by 2030 and secure new growth opportunities for the next 100 years.
The new vision of popularizing Jinro means growing Jinro into a beverage that is part of the daily lives of people worldwide, based on the successful globalization of soju. To this end, HiteJinro has adopted the new global slogan 'EASY TO DRINK, DRINK TO LINK' to convey Jinro’s accessibility and approach global consumers as a means of communication and connection beyond just alcohol.
Hwang Jeong-ho, Executive Director of HiteJinro’s Overseas Business Division, emphasized, "With the pride of Korea’s number one brand, Jinro is starting a greater voyage into the main alcoholic beverage market." He added, "This means challenging the main alcoholic beverage market categories beyond soju and distilled spirits, including beer, whiskey, and wine." He further stated, "Going forward, HiteJinro will reach out to consumers through more products, wider distribution channels, and more diverse communication so that more consumers can connect through the name Jinro."
Previously, in 2016, HiteJinro declared its 'Global Vision 2024' and pursued a soju globalization strategy to develop soju into a global alcoholic beverage category. Unlike the domestic market, which centers on regular soju brands like 'Chamisul' and 'Jinro,' HiteJinro adopted a two-track strategy for the global market by adding fruit soju to attract new consumers. The company accelerated localization by offering products tailored to the trends and characteristics of each country. As a result, the number of priority target countries expanded from 8 in 2017 to 17 this year, and exports now reach a total of 86 countries.
Following HiteJinro’s soju globalization strategy, global interest in soju has increased. According to the global market research firm Euromonitor, as of 2022, awareness of soju in major countries such as the United States and Japan reached approximately 88.6%. In the same year, global soju sales volume expanded about 2.5 times compared to 2017, and soju exports surpassed 100 million USD as a single product category. Based on these achievements, 'soju (SOJU)' was registered as a product category by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), gaining recognition as an international product name.
Targeting 500 Billion KRW in Overseas Soju Sales by 2030
Through this global vision announcement, HiteJinro also revealed its mid- to long-term future strategy for overseas business. The company plans to strengthen products, expand distribution, and broaden communication to establish Jinro as a popular brand among global consumers. It set a concrete goal to increase overseas soju sales volume from an estimated 186 million bottles this year to 510 million bottles by 2030, aiming to achieve 500 billion KRW in overseas soju sales by 2030.
First, in line with the continuous growth of fruit soju, HiteJinro plans to promote new consumer inflow by strengthening products through the development of new fruit flavors and various alcohol content options. Based on this, the company intends to encourage consumers to settle on regular soju brands such as Chamisul.
Since soju is relatively unfamiliar to overseas consumers, using fruit-flavored soju, which is more predictable in taste, is considered an effective initial strategy. If the company succeeds in expanding experience and awareness of soju and the Jinro brand through fruit soju, it plans to actively use various promotions to ultimately lead consumers to drink regular soju.
Along with product enhancement, HiteJinro will also implement a distribution expansion strategy by extending its sales scope from the existing home market to the entertainment market. Specifically, it plans aggressive sales activities such as signing contracts with local franchises, targeting key commercial districts first, and operating flagship stores and pop-up stores. Executive Director Hwang said, "Since declaring the globalization of soju, we have focused on local home channels such as convenience stores and large supermarkets, and have almost completed product placement in major channels of strategic countries." He added, "Now, we will focus on targeting the entertainment channels, which were less active during the COVID-19 period." He explained, "By expanding product promotion and experience opportunities through entertainment channels, we expect that increased consumption in the entertainment market will also boost the turnover rate of products placed in home channels."
Additionally, HiteJinro plans to enhance Jinro’s global image through various overseas communication activities. The company will conduct large-scale marketing activities such as sponsoring major sports events suitable for a global brand, participating in country-specific festivals and expos, and collaborating on diverse content, aiming to establish Jinro as a global alcoholic beverage brand that can stand shoulder to shoulder with world-class brands.
A bird's-eye view of the HiteJinro production plant to be established in Thai Binh Province, Vietnam.
Meanwhile, to meet the growing overseas market demand, HiteJinro will build its first overseas production plant in the Green I-Park Industrial Complex in Thai Binh Province, Vietnam. The HiteJinro Vietnam plant, to be established on approximately 25,000 pyeong (about 82,645 square meters), is scheduled for completion in 2026, with an initial production target of 1 million cases per year. HiteJinro expects the new production plant to serve as a hub for the Southeast Asian market.
Executive Director Hwang stated, "As Korea’s representative comprehensive alcoholic beverage company, HiteJinro has taken the lead in the globalization of soju and contributed to making soju a global alcoholic beverage category." He added, "Through this vision declaration, we are preparing a stepping stone to leap forward as a global comprehensive alcoholic beverage company. With the responsibility of being the national representative soju, we will design the next 100 years to always be with people worldwide, sharing the joy of life through the popularization of Jinro."
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