South Korea's makgeolli industry promotes collaboration and new business ventures to keep up with changing trends in alcoholic beverages

Seoul Jangsu, a makgeolli maker, announced that craft beer manufacturer Seven Broi Beer has launched two new products, Jangsu Beer and Jangsu Beer Mild.
This is the first time the two companies have collaborated. Meanwhile, Kojimdo, a makgeolli manufacturer that has been importing and distributing wine since 2003, has also begun to import and distribute tequila since the beginning of this year.
Jipyong Brewery, which produces "Jipyeong Raw Makgeolli," is also aiming to enter the distilled soju market.
The Korean alcohol market is currently centered on young drinkers. We are trying to make the makgeolli brand image more youthful, and part of that effort is the product rebranding.
The diversification of product lineups is expected to lead to improved performance in the alcohol industry.
Kojido's operating profit is expected to increase from 8.3 billion won (about 943.63 million yen) in 2021 to 2.2 billion won (about 1.2 billion yen) in 2022.
In 2020, it fell sharply to 4.7 billion won (about 534.13 million yen). Since the COVID-19 virus, low-alcohol beverages have become popular and have performed well in 2021, but the trend in alcoholic beverages has not changed.
It appears that the company has not been able to launch new core products as its beverage market has shifted to wine, whiskey, and highballs.