HiteJinro tops global distilled liquor sales for 22nd consecutive year

South Korea’s leading soju maker HiteJinro Co. announced on Wednesday that it dominated the global distilled liquor market for the 22nd year in 2022.

Relying on data from the UK-based alcohol industry publication, Drink International, HiteJinro highlighted its impressive sales record, stating, "We sold over 100 million boxes (9L per box) of soju products, like Chamisul, around the world last year, firmly securing the top spot."

Despite a 1% drop in worldwide distilled liquor sales compared to the previous year, HiteJinro's sales soared by 7%, achieving a new company high.

The company attributed the boost in Jinro's sales to a surge in the popularity of fruit soju in the United States and Chinese-speaking regions and the successful expansion into overseas home channels.

HiteJinro also pointed to its international online promotional campaigns and domestically-hosted festivals as contributing factors to the spike in sales.

"We plan to expand the opportunities for enjoying K-Soju and implement a variety of localized marketing strategies," the executive overseeing HiteJinro's overseas operations Hwang Jung-ho stated. 

Write to Kyeong-je Han at hankyung@hankyung.com