MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines is completely captivated by soju, especially Hitejinro's "Chamisul" green bottle. With the convergence of the Korean Wave and economic growth in the Philippines, soju is rapidly expanding its market share, being perceived as a "premium" alcoholic beverage locally. Once only found in Korean restaurants and supermarkets in major cities like Manila, soju is now dominating major distribution channels throughout the Philippines, becoming a part of daily life.
Soju Conquers Philippine Distribution Channels
On May 18, in the liquor section of Puregold, a large supermarket in Paranaque City, southern Manila, familiar green bottles stood out. In this store, frequented primarily by local commoners, Hitejinro's integrated soju brand, "JINRO," was fully stocked, from fruit-flavored soju like Plum Jinsu to Chamisul Fresh and Original. Andrea, a 21-year-old Filipina examining the soju, stated, "I often saw scenes of people drinking soju in Korean dramas and got into it," adding that she buys "one or two bottles a week." Chamisul Fresh is her favorite, and she cited its smoothness and less severe hangovers compared to the strong local rum or brandy as advantages.
The following day, Jinro soju confidently held its place at S&R, a warehouse-style discount store in Makati City, known as a wealthy district in the Philippines. Amidst hundreds of expensive alcoholic beverages like whiskey and wine, Nico (25), an S&R buyer, explained, "We decided to carry it because there was definite demand for soju due to the growing interest in K-pop and K-dramas." S&R operates 31 stores across the Philippines and ranks among the top in liquor sales and distribution. It's known that B2B (business-to-business) members, including wholesalers, supermarkets, and restaurateurs, are purchasing soju in large quantities.
After establishing a local subsidiary in the Philippines in 2019, Hitejinro has successfully entered all distribution channels in the Philippines, including convenience stores, supermarkets, shopping malls, and warehouse-style discount stores, through years of effort. Soju, which was once limited to certain regions, is now easily accessible throughout the Philippines. Hitejinro's goal doesn't stop there; they aim to make soju a natural part of Filipinos' daily lives through extensive localization marketing.
Explosive Growth: Synergy of the Korean Wave and Economic Growth
According to Hitejinro, soju exports to the Philippines in 2023 increased by 3.5 times compared to 2013. The fact that export volumes increased despite a 61.2% decrease in the number of Korean expatriates in the Philippines during the same period demonstrates a surge in local demand. The average annual growth rate of soju exports to the Philippines over the past three years (2022-2024) reached a staggering 41.7%. A Hitejinro official estimates that Jinro soju holds an overwhelming 67% share of the Philippine soju market, making it the undisputed leader.
Indeed, K&L, a distributor supplying Jinro soju to local restaurants and convenience stores, handles over 600 containers of soju annually, equivalent to more than 15 million bottles. This volume is separate from the Jinro soju distributed by Philippine liquor distributors like PWS. Kang Jeong-hee (51), CEO of K&L, stated, "As soju has gained popularity, it has grown by more than 15% every year since 2018," adding that Jinro soju can even be found on Mindanao Island, the southernmost part of the Philippines.
Several complex factors contribute to soju's rapid "territorial" expansion in the Philippine market. The most decisive factor is undoubtedly the Korean Wave (K-Wave). Lali (29), whom we met at "Samgyupsalalamat," a restaurant in Manila's Malate Korean-dense area on May 19, said, "I got curious and tried soju because it appeared so often in Korean dramas." She particularly enjoys the combination of soju with tteokbokki and samgyupsal. In October 2024, a video of Rosé, a member of the girl group Blackpink, making somaek (soju + beer) with Chamisul Original went viral, significantly boosting Jinro soju's recognition in the Philippines.
Furthermore, the Philippines' economy is growing by 5-6% annually, leading to increased demand for premium alcoholic beverages, which also underpins soju's growth. Mr. Kim, a Korean resident in the Philippines for over 20 years, analyzed, "The 'low-priced' rum with over 40% alcohol consumed by local commoners is not good quality," and "that's why they welcome soju with its lower alcohol content and clean taste." This clearly differentiates soju from local Philippine alcoholic beverages.
The Challenge of Popularization: Price and Cultural Barriers
Despite its explosive growth, soju's market share in the Philippine alcoholic beverage market is still relatively small. According to PWS, local brands like San Miguel and other beers hold an overwhelming 71.0% market share, while distilled spirits, which include soju, only account for 23.8%. Among distilled spirits, brandy, gin, and rum are still the best-selling beverages.
The relatively high price of soju is cited as a major obstacle to its popularization. At SM Mall of Asia, the largest shopping mall in Asia located in Pasay City, Manila, a bottle of Chamisul Original (360ml) was sold for 120 pesos (approximately 3,000 won). In contrast, a 1-liter bottle of "Emperador" brandy, known as the national liquor of the Philippines, costs only 197 pesos (approximately 5,000 won), indicating a disadvantage in price competitiveness. Moreover, a similar soju, "So Nice," launched by Emperador to capitalize on the K-soju popularity, costs only 70 pesos (approximately 1,700 won) for a 360ml bottle, which is 58% of Chamisul's price.
Regarding this, Kook Dong-gyun, head of Hitejinro's Philippine subsidiary, stated, "The price issue of soju is one of the hurdles we need to overcome." However, he added, "I believe soju has a competitive edge over brandy in terms of distribution channel accessibility and alcohol content." While acknowledging that the Philippine liquor market is dominated by beer and brandy, he expressed his aspiration to rapidly advance localization marketing to make soju familiar to the younger generation of Filipinos.
Hitejinro is accelerating soju's popularization based on the powerful drivers of Philippine economic growth and the Korean Wave. It remains to be seen how they will overcome the challenges of local liquor culture and price competitiveness to integrate soju more deeply into the daily lives of Filipinos.
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