Chamisul Fresh gets milder···Alcohol content ‘16% → 15.7%’ - 경향신문

This article was translated by an AI tool. Feedback Here.

Chamisul Fresh. Courtesy of HiteJinro

The soju brand ‘Chamisul Fresh’ from HiteJinro will lower its alcohol content from 16% to 15.7%.

On the 2nd, HiteJinro said, “We reflected the industry-wide trend toward lower alcohol and consumer preferences for a clean drinking feel,” adding that, based on consumer survey results, it conducted research and testing and determined that 15.7% is the optimal alcohol level. The new Chamisul Fresh is scheduled to be sold nationwide through distribution channels in stages starting mid-month.

Since its 1998 launch, Chamisul has sold about 41.3 billion bottles based on 360㎖ through last month. That works out to about 47 bottles per second.

At launch, Chamisul Fresh had an alcohol content of 23%. In 2006 it broke the 20% barrier by dropping to 19.8%, and in February and November 2014 it fell further to 18.5% and 17.8%, respectively. In 2020 it became 16.9%, and two years and four months later, in February 2024, it came down to 16%.

In the soju market, 16% ABV or lower is emerging as the new standard. HiteJinro earlier lowered ‘Jinro Is Back’ to 15.7%, and the ‘Chum-Churum’ (16%) and ‘Saero’ (15.7%) brands from Lotte Chilsung Beverage are also at or below 16%.

Alcohol makers are rolling out low-proof soju one after another as a strategy to respond to fewer drinking occasions than in the past and a social mood of avoiding binge drinking even when people do drink. In 2024, domestic alcohol shipments were 3,151,000㎘, down 17.3% from ten years earlier (3,808,000㎘). According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics National Statistical Portal (KOSIS) and household trend data, the real average monthly alcohol consumption expenditure per household in the first quarter of this year was 13,000 KRW, down 9.0% from the same period last year. This was the steepest decline since quarterly statistics were recomputed back to 2019, and marked ten consecutive quarters of decrease since the fourth quarter of 2023.