HiteJinro is lowering the alcohol content of its flagship soju brand Chamisul Fresh to 15.7 percent. The company has carried out a quality renewal for the first time in about two years and four months, reflecting the recently spreading preference for low-alcohol beverages.
According to HiteJinro on Tuesday, the alcohol content of Chamisul Fresh will be adjusted from the previous 16 percent to 15.7 percent. The company explained that it improved the product's quality through consumer surveys, research and development, and repeated quality testing.
In the recent alcoholic beverage market, the preference for low-alcohol drinks has become pronounced as more consumers enjoy alcohol lightly according to their tolerance rather than drinking excessively. HiteJinro reorganized the quality of Chamisul Fresh to reflect this market trend.
Since its launch in 1998, Chamisul has established itself as Korea's leading soju brand. As of last month, cumulative sales surpassed 41.3 billion bottles (based on 360 ml). Converted into time, this translates to approximately 47 bottles sold per second.
HiteJinro has been continuing changes in recent years to strengthen brand competitiveness. In 2024, the company completely overhauled its brand design, and last year it carried out a package renewal for its PET products, continuing improvement work in line with changing consumer needs.
The newly changed Chamisul Fresh will be supplied sequentially through nationwide distribution networks from the middle of this month. "We pursued this renewal considering that demand for low-alcohol beverages has been steadily expanding recently," a HiteJinro official said. "We plan to continue enhancing the competitiveness of the Chamisul brand by actively reflecting consumer preferences and market changes."
