Soju Raises Spirits Beyond South Korea

Soju, the national drink of South Korea, is growing in popularity outside of its home country, including in North America, as key brands gain wider distribution and the product becomes available more broadly at liquor stores and restaurants around the world. 

A light, refreshing, somewhat sweet, fermented and distilled spirit, soju ranges from about 10% to 40% alcohol content. The traditional drink, made from rice, has a neutral flavor, but many versions are infused with ingredients such as fruit or pine needles, resulting in a wide range of flavors. From the 1950s to 1990s the use of rice for soju was banned, initially because of rice shortages during the Korean War, which led to varieties made from all kinds of ingredients including barley, tapioca, wheat, or sweet potato (sometimes in combination with rice these days). These so-called green-bottle varieties now account for about 90% of the market, with the remainder being the traditional rice type. Soju, whether classic or green-bottle, can be enjoyed neat, combined with beer, or used in cocktails, especially with subtly flavored ingredients like pears or jasmine. 

The leading soju brands are active collaboration partners, both in their home territory and, increasingly, in other markets as well. Tie-in partners are often from the realm of Korean pop culture—especially K-pop artists, who have even launched their own brands in some cases—but the alliances go beyond that. Pairings can take a variety of forms, encompassing branded special-edition sojus, soju-branded merchandise, and promotional elements. 

One leader in partnering with licensed IP, both at home and especially globally, is HiteJinro, marketer of the classic Jinro and flavored Chamisul brands and the largest player in the soju space. In South Korea, it renewed its brand ambassadorship in March 2024 with K-pop singer IU, who first started working with Chamisul in 2014, with collaborative merchandise being part of the mix. It also paired with K-pop group SHINee back in 2021 for a special-edition Jinro x SHINee soju. The company celebrated its 100th anniversary last year by working with fashion brand KITH, creating a special-edition KITH soju as well as a collaborative merchandise collection consisting of soju and somaek glasses (the latter a drink combining soju and beer), t-shirts, hoodies, hats, and wool jackets sold in KITH’s new Seoul store. As for outbound licensing in Korea, Jinro announced in late May 2025 that it would be offering a Jinro-branded summer cosmetics collection, including cooling pads, patches, and suntan lotions, with Hae-bit Research Institute’s skincare brand Cell Fusion C. 

On the global market, meanwhile, Jinro announced a collaboration with Netflix last month to mark the debut of Season 3 of the South Korean TV series Squid Game. A limited-edition Chamisul soju features characters and symbols from the series, while a range of products, including a gaming machine and collectibles—such as figurines of Jinro’s blue toad mascot, Dukkeop, dressed in a Squid Game contestant uniform—are available in 18 countries. The partners had paired for Season 2 as well. Separately, Jinro worked with London chain Yard Sale Pizza in August 2023 on a limited-edition pizza featuring Korean ingredients, called Seoul Mate, that was designed to pair well with Chamisul’s peach soju. Jinro also became the official soju partner of a Major League Soccer club, the New York Red Bulls, in 2023, with a branded bar located in Red Bull Arena (now Sports Illustrated Stadium).

Other brands are also involved in various sorts of collaboration: 

• Won is a South Korean-headquartered soju brand founded by Korean-American hip-hop artist Jay Park, who is based in South Korea. In the Korean market, Won created a special-edition soju with Helinox, a South Korean marketer of ultralight camping gear, as well as Won-branded camping chairs, patches, campfire pans, soju cups, and storage kits, in 2024. In 2023 it partnered with fashion brand Diesel on a co-branded gift box consisting of two bottles of special-edition Diesel x Won soju and a Diesel belt; the bottles of Diesel-branded traditional soju were also sold individually. Won partnered with NCSoft and its Lineage W interactive game in 2022 for several initiatives, including limited-edition soju bottles and gift sets (such as a chess set packaged with two bottles of the product), as well as integration into the game. Outside of Korea, Won partnered with streetwear brand VandythePink in 2023 for a collection of apparel, including t-shirts, varsity jackets, sneakers, and trucker caps, that combined Vandy’s flower and eye motifs with Won’s branding, to celebrate the latter’s entry into the U.S. market. And in 2024 Won partnered with Casetify for a wide range of branded device accessories available globally. 

• Brewguru partnered with K-pop singer and actress Chuu in 2024 for a new line of spirits called Chuu-HI that is a mix of diluted soju, carbonated water, and fruit juice. The product, which comes in two flavors, lychee and peach, is sold across South Korea, with each flavor having three different bottle designs featuring Chuu. The product debuted at the CU convenience store chain, with plans to expand to supermarkets and liquor stores. 

• Sunyang, the low-calorie, low-alcohol soju brand of the Mackiss Company, paired with MiYeon of the K-pop group (G)I-DLE in a promotional partnership in 2023. Mackiss also has had deals with other endorsers, including K-pop singer, actor, and model Cha Eun Woo, who promoted its Now We Are Soju brand. 

• Soonhari, the flavored soju brand of Lotte Chilsung, forged a partnership with Jennie of Blackpink in 2022 that involved several elements, including limited-edition Soonhari x Jennie soju varieties and gift sets featuring the drink as well as photocards, mini stickers, soju glasses, and a bluetooth microphone. The alliance was meant to appeal both to the Korean and international markets, where Lotte Chilsung was starting to expand. The company has also partnered with actor Han So-hee. 

• Yobu, an American soju brand founded by Carolyn Kim, paired with Korean-American chef, author, TV co-host, and Top Chef winner Kristen Kish in 2021 to launch a line of flavored sojus. A soju-based aperitif line called Yobo Kish debuted the next year. The collection, which is still available, includes Shine (kumquat, rose, and ginger), Bliss (sour cherry, pink peppercorn, and licorice), Seoul (hibiscus, lemon balm, and raw honey), and Earth (smoked mushroom umami). 

Partnerships involving soju, while increasing in frequency, are not a new phenomenon. Back in 2003, for example, to mark the FIFA World Cup being held in South Korea and Japan, Sunyang paired with Kikkoman for a blended product that combined Sunyang soju and Kikkoman’s Triangle soju brand and was sold in both countries under the Triangle Ujeong name. 

Soju is a best-seller in the global spirits market. In fact, two of the top-selling spirits brands globally in 2024, by volume, were soju brands, according to The Spirits Business, which calculates its list using Euromonitor data. Jinro ranked in the top spot overall and Lotte Chilsung’s Chum Churum/Soonhari placed sixth. 

Total exports of soju from South Korea increased 3.9% in dollar value in 2024, topping $200 million for the first time, and 4.2% in volume, according to the Korean Customs Service. In January and February 2025, dollar sales grew another 0.5% over the same period last year. The increases were attributed to two factors: increased demand for lower-alcohol-content beverages worldwide and the global spread of Korean pop culture (known as hallyu, or “Korean wave”). Exports go to 95 different markets, with the top three being the U.S. with a 24.3% share, China with 19.9%, and Japan with 19.2%.