Hite Jinro to start exporting Jinro is Back soju

Home > Business > Industry

Hite Jinro to start exporting Jinro is Back soju

Published: 10 Jun. 2020, 17:42 Updated: 10 Jun. 2020, 18:17

Jinro is Back soju. Hite Jinro is exporting the alcohol drink to seven countries starting this month. [HITE JINRO]

Hite Jinro will start exporting its popular Jinro is Back soju to seven countries starting this month to mark the drink's first anniversary.

Hite Jinro, manufacturer of Chamisul soju and Terra beer, sold more than 300 million bottles of Jinro is Back soju as of May since it was introduced in April last year.

Hite Jinro said Wednesday that it will initially export 1.3 million bottles.

Jinro is Back is a reinterpretation of soju sold between 1975 and 1983. The retro blue bottle is especially popular with consumers and has led to the creation of a range of new products, including Jinro is Back branded clothing. Jinro soju was first introduced in 1924.

Starting Wednesday, it will export the soju to Japan and expand to countries where demand from Korean residents living abroad is high, according to Hite Jinro. The initial focus will be on Korean shops overseas, followed by Korean restaurants.

The soju will initially be exported to the United States, China, Britain, Japan, Canada, New Zealand and Singapore. The company plans to gradually roll out exports to more destinations.

In 2016, Hite Jinro vowed to globalize soju. The alcohol manufacturer exports soju to 80 countries worldwide. The growth of its international soju sales last year were 33 percent higher than in 2016, according to the company.

Its goal is to raise the recognition of Jinro is Back by promoting its pairing with Korean dishes.

“We’ve decided to export [Jinro is Back] to celebrate the first anniversary of its release, following the continuous demand from Korean residents living abroad,” said a spokesperson for the company in a statement. “Hite Jinro will lead the liquor market by diversifying product portfolios to target both Korean and overseas markets.”

BY JIN MIN-JI [jin.minji@joongang.co.kr]