Hey! Taesung here. (In Korea, guys call an older guy they’re close to ‘Hyung’. From now on, I’m your Hyung.)
Today, I’m going to teach you properly about Korean soju.
You see, Hyung is your typical Korean ‘sul-gorae‘ (a heavy-drinking old guy).
Everyone on YouTube is doing the Buldak Challenge, but a Korean’s real ‘soul food’ isn’t spicy ramen; it’s this ‘green bottle,’ soju.
But if you’ve only watched K-dramas and think, “Aren’t all sojus the same green bottle?” then you’re still an amateur.
Even among those green bottles, there’s an invisible ‘class system’ and ‘ranking’.
Hyung will tell you the history of that war.
The Soju Wars: An Insider’s Guide to the Green Bottle Battlefield
Rank 1. Chamisul & Jinro: The Emperors of the Soju Empire
Chamisul is simply the ‘national rule’.
It’s the undisputed No. 1 that every citizen of the Republic of Korea acknowledges.
The taste? Well, soju tastes like soju. The ad copy “clean” is probably the most accurate description.
Jinro (is Back) is made by the same company as Chamisul, ‘HiteJinro’.
Zero sugar is a big deal these days. Soju is also in the middle of a zero-sugar war.
Jinro is the brand that led that trend.
It’s famous for its toad character, and younger people these days often prefer Jinro over Chamisul.
Original Soju glasses by Jinro
Rank 2. Chum Churum & Saero: The Rebels Aiming for the Throne
Chum Churum (Like the First Time) is Chamisul’s eternal rival.
Personally, I don’t like it much because it tastes a bit watered down.
But people who drink this tend to not drink anything else. Its characteristic is a smooth feel.
Saero (Newly) is the zero-sugar soju that Chum Churum’s company, Lotte, made to counter Jinro.
It features a unique transparent bottle. It was a huge hit, and now the Korean soju market has become a zero-sugar battlefield of ‘Jinro vs. Saero’.
The Regional Warlords
Korea doesn’t only have those two brands. There are soju brands that represent each region.
- Daejeon/Chungcheong: O2 Rin
- Jeju Island: Hallasan
- Busan/Gyeongnam: Joeun Day, C1
- Gwangju/Jeolla: Ipsaeju
These are mainly sold only in their respective regions, so they’re not easy to find in Seoul.
It’s more of a “try it when you visit a different region” kind of thing.
Side Story. Fruit Soju: The Savior for Lightweights
If you see a fruit picture on a soju bottle, it’s fruit soju. The alcohol content is low at 12-13%, and it’s sweet, so even ‘al-ssu’ (alcohol trash – people who can’t handle alcohol) can drink it easily.
When it first came out, it was so popular you couldn’t find it anywhere. The trend has died down a bit, so now it’s everywhere. Just pick the bottle with your favorite fruit on it.
So What’s the Real Ranking? (Fact Check)
It was a long story, but here’s the bottom line. The current South Korean soju market share as of 2025.
- 1st Place (The Empire): HiteJinro (Chamisul+Jinro) – Approx. 65%
- 2nd Place (The Rebels): Lotte (Chum Churum+Saero) – Approx. 20%
- All The Rest: Around 15%
It’s easier to just think of it as the ‘Chamisul Empire’.
#KoreanSoju #Soju #Chamisul #Jinro #Saero #KoreanAlcohol #KDrink #SojuGuide #AfterVenice
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