Korean soju, food find surging popularity in the Philippines

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Korean soju, food find surging popularity in the Philippines

Published: 30 May. 2025, 11:08

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Filipino consumers enjoy Korean food while drinking Jinro soju in Manila on May 19. [HITEJINRO]

It was a busy Monday afternoon, May 19, as a two-story Korean barbecue restaurant in Manila, the Philippines, was packed with customers.

Shouts of "tagay" — the Filipino word for “cheers” — rang out as diners enjoyed grilled pork belly and emptied green bottles bearing the Jinro label.

“I started drinking soju after seeing it so often in Korean dramas,” said Lally, aged 29.

The Philippines is the largest importer of Jinro soju in Southeast Asia. From 2022 through last year, sales of soju in the country rose by an average of 42 percent annually. Jinro now holds a 67 percent share of the Philippines' soju market.

“We’re not just selling alcohol — we’re promoting Korean drinking culture,” said Kim In-gyu, CEO of HiteJinro, who met with the reporter in Manila.

Exports of Korean food and beverages — collectively known as K-food — are booming, driven by the growing global popularity of the Korean Wave, or Hallyu. Korean content such as music, television dramas and films have established a foothold worldwide and are drawing international consumers toward Korean cuisine.

Filipino consumers enjoy Korean food while drinking Jinro soju in Manila on May 19. [HITEJINRO]

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on Wednesday, agricultural exports last year reached a record high of $9.98 billion, up 8.9 percent from the previous year. That figure marks a more than 54 percent increase compared to 2016

The growth trend is expected to continue this year. From January through April, agricultural exports hit $3.43 billion — the highest ever recorded for the same period.

The K-food export portfolio is also becoming more diversified. While products like instant noodles, processed rice foods and kimchi continue to lead the charge, exports now include items with higher market-entry barriers such as alcoholic beverages.

“When alcoholic drinks like soju gain traction abroad, they can also boost the export of complementary Korean foods,” said Kim Tae-wan, a senior researcher at the Korea Food Research Institute. “This lays the foundation for further acceleration in K-food’s growth.”

“The growing international interest in K-food is likely to translate into more foreign consumers visiting Korea,” said Ha Sang-do, a professor of food engineering at Chung-Ang University. “This could in turn help boost domestic consumption.”

The ministry has set a goal of reaching $23 billion in exports by 2027 when combining K-Food with related upstream and downstream sectors such as smart farming and agricultural equipment. Achieving that goal would help diversify Korea’s export portfolio, which currently leans heavily on semiconductors and automobiles.

Still, the global rise of protectionist trade policies poses a challenge to K-food’s momentum. In particular, the United States imposed a 10 percent base tariff on Korean food products starting May 5.

“So far, U.S. retailers have absorbed the cost, so the impact on K-Food exports has been limited,” said Joo Won-cheol, director of food industry policy at the Agriculture Ministry. “But we’re preparing for any changes in the situation and are responding with full force.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KIM MIN-JOONG [[email protected]]