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Jinro soju named world’s best-selling spirit for 24th consecutive year

Published: 09 Jun. 2025, 11:39

Bottles of soju are displayed at a major supermarket in Seoul on Dec. 21, 2023. [NEWS1]

Hitejinro said Monday its flagship soju brand Jinro has been named the world's best-selling spirit for the 24th consecutive year by the British drinks industry publication, Drinks International.

In 2024, Hitejinro sold 96.8 million cases (9 liters per case) of soju products worldwide, the company said in a press release.

If laid end-to-end, the bottles sold would circle the Earth approximately 13 times, or reach the equivalent height of 57,000 Mount Everests, it said.

Despite shifting consumer preferences and a global market slowdown, Jinro's sales volume last year was over twice that of tequila, one of the world's leading distilled spirits categories.

"Jinro's unprecedented achievement of being the world's top-selling spirit brand for 24 consecutive years cements our status as a global soju leader," said Hwang Jung-ho, managing director of Hitejinro's overseas business division. "We will continue to strengthen our localization strategies to grow Jinro into a widely accessible brand that fits into the daily lives of consumers worldwide."

Hitejinro currently exports soju and other beverage products to 80 countries, selling soju internationally under the Jinro brand.

The company earns about 10 percent of its total sales from overseas sales of soju, beer and other alcoholic beverages. Soju accounts for 85 percent of its exports.

It aims to achieve 500 billion won ($365 million) in overseas soju sales by 2030, up from 153 billion won in 2024.

Yonhap