Kim In-gyu, CEO of HiteJinro, "Expanding Soju Overseas Sales, Growth as a Global Liquor Company"

Regular Shareholders' Meeting Held on the 21st
Vietnam Export Factory as a Foothold
Realizing Jinro's Popularization Strategy

Kim In-gyu, CEO of HiteJinro, said on the 21st, "We will realize Jinro's popularization strategy beyond the globalization of soju."

On the morning of the same day, Kim In-gyu shared this during the 73rd regular shareholders' meeting held at the Maehun Yun Bong-gil Memorial Hall in Seocho-gu, Seoul, outlining this year's management plan to the shareholders.

Kim said, "We will actively explore new growth opportunities not only in the domestic market but also in overseas markets," adding, "We will strengthen our competitiveness in the global liquor market by leveraging the export factory being built in Vietnam as a foothold." Through this, the plan is to grow into a global liquor company that is part of people's daily lives worldwide.

CEO Kim In-gyu is delivering a greeting at the 73rd Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held this morning at the Maehun Yun Bong-gil Memorial Hall in Seocho-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by HiteJinro]

Research and development (R&D) capabilities will also be enhanced. Kim emphasized, "We will strengthen R&D capabilities through the opening of an integrated research center," and "We will focus on developing new products and securing growth engines for the future to flexibly respond to the changing market environment."

Additionally, HiteJinro is designating this year as a year to prepare for its 100th anniversary and will strengthen its internal foundation through organizational improvement. Kim said, "We will maximize efficiency across management and secure financial soundness to further solidify our management foundation."

Last year, the year of HiteJinro's 100th anniversary, sales reached 2.5991 trillion won, a 3.1% increase from the previous year (2.5201 trillion won). During this period, operating profit was 123.9 billion won, increasing by 67.9% from 208.1 billion won. Kim said, "Over the past year, we focused on laying the foundation for sustainable growth," adding, "Despite the difficult market environment and uncertain social and economic conditions, all employees actively and boldly pursued innovation to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and strengthen profitability."

At the shareholders' meeting, Choi Kyung-taek, Vice President of HiteJinro, was reappointed as an inside director. Former Central Regional Tax Office Commissioner Yoo Je-cheol was newly appointed as an outside director, and former Dongyeon Industry Vice President Lee Eun-kyung was reappointed as an audit committee member. The agenda to approve the director remuneration limit and application amount of 4 billion won each for last year was also approved as originally proposed.