[Korea Agricultural News Reporter Kwon Soon-chang] The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Agro-Fisheries Food Trade Corporation (aT) are joining forces with the Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) to revitalize the consumption of traditional Korean alcoholic beverages. Railway stations serve as vital lifestyle platforms used daily by countless citizens and foreign tourists. Through a business agreement signed on the 7th, the three organizations decided to develop railway stations nationwide into hubs for the promotion and sales of traditional alcohol. First, a pilot "Breweries Visiting by Train" pop-up store will be operated at Daejeon Station during the second half of this year (July to December). Centered around the "Visiting Breweries" of the Chungcheong region, breweries from neighboring areas will participate on a monthly rotational basis to directly sell unique regional traditional alcohols. The results of this operation will be evaluated...

Nonghyup (Chairman Kang Ho-dong) is accepting applications for the '2026 Korean Rice & Korean Liquor K-Rice Festa' from the 1st to the 7th of next month.

‘Ssalssarirang Saeng Makgeolli (9% alcohol content)’ by Juro, an agricultural corporation producing traditional liquor in Yesan, Chungnam, has been selected in the Takju category of the ‘2026 Chungnam Liquor TOP 10’ (Photo).

Bae Sang Myun Brewery, a company specializing in Korean alcoholic beverages, has launched a new fresh makgeolli product called ‘Wonbyeol’ with an alcohol content of 4.5% brewed with Korean rice (photo). Targeting young consumers who prefer low-alcohol beverages, the product was developed with the goal of expanding the consumer base for makgeolli.

Just over a decade ago, the domestic wine market often faced high barriers characterized by low brand recognition and distrust regarding quality. However, recently, domestic wineries are proving their value through the production of high-quality, multi-variety wines. I witnessed the vivid evolution of Korean wine at the ‘15th Korea Wine Festival,’ held in Yeongdong, North Chungcheong Province, from the 11th to the 14th.

Smart Brewery (CEO Oh Se-yong), located in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, has launched a strategy to globalize Korean alcohol by introducing a new premium distilled spirit made from domestic agricultural products.

The ‘2026 Rising Spirit Korea,’ a domestic spirits competition that tests the individuality of ingredients and the perfection of distillation technology, announced the final winners on the 7th.

Red Monkey, Cat in a Tuxedo, Daejeon Starlight, Spore, Han River, Unexpected Bluebird, Fox Forest, Mountain Where Stars Fall, Loose Heart, Drunk on This Night, Hard Potion, Life Is Worth Living, Wind, Damun, Youth 7 Degrees… These are all makgeolli brands that are right beside us. The 2026 Korea Makgeolli Expo (MAXPO 2026), a specialized exhibition for ‘makgeolli,’ our traditional liquor crafted from Korean grains, pure water, and the hands of artisans, will be held for three days from May 15 (Fri) to 17 (Sun) in Yangjae-dong, Seoul…

The National Institute of Food Science and Technology of the Rural Development Administration announced on April 29 that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Hite Jinro (CEO Jang In-seop) on April 28 at Hite Jinro’s Icheon factory in Gyeonggi Province for the "development and industrialization of premium distilled spirits using domestic rice varieties for processing."

A premium regional specialty liquor made from Jeju tangerines is garnering attention as an example of creating added value for our agricultural products and is set to be launched soon.

The National Institute of Food Science and Technology under the Rural Development Administration (Administrator Lee Seung-don) signed a business agreement with Hite Jinro Co., Ltd. (CEO Jang In-seop) on April 28 at the Hite Jinro Icheon Plant for the ‘development and industrialization of premium distilled spirits using domestic rice varieties for processing.’

The ‘2026 Korea Home-Brewed Liquor Competition’ was held on the 18th at the ‘DRINK SEOUL’ event hall in COEX, Seoul. Marking its 15th anniversary this year, the competition was organized to restore the fading culture of royal court liquor and home-brewed liquor, and to widely promote the luxurious value of our traditional liquor.

Our rice beer, ‘MimiSour,’ won a gold medal at an international beer competition, proving the competitiveness of our agricultural product-based brewing technology.

The ‘Korean Craft Collective (KCC)’, an overseas promotional event centered on Korean traditional alcoholic beverages and fermented foods, will be held in Singapore on the 24th and 25th.

This article is from the March issue of the monthly magazine ‘Jeonwonsaengwhal’, a lifestyle information magazine that cultivates the dream of country living.

This article is from the January issue of the monthly magazine ‘Jeonwonsaengwhal’, a lifestyle information magazine that cultivates the dream of country living.

It's no longer uncommon to see young people in their 20s in major American cities enjoying Korean strawberry soju as a cocktail instead of whiskey or champagne at parties. Among Generation Z (20-somethings) in the US, who eschew strong alcohol and seek out delicious drinks, Korean fruit soju has become a new mainstream beverage.

The university student project team Juchaekbagaji has partnered with Hoegok Brewery in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, to launch a "Limited Edition Baekbokju Set." Juchaekbagaji is part of "Workstation," a student-led social problem-solving project team operated by Yonsei University's Center for Higher Education Innovation. The team name "Juchaek" (酒冊) is a compound word of "alcohol" (酒) and "book" (冊), and the team is actively discovering related online and offline content, including YouTube videos and web magazines. They personally conceived the pairings of alcohol and books, as well as the label design.

The Rural Development Administration (Administrator Lee Seung-don) announced that it has developed a fermentation and distillation technology that can produce high-alcohol fruit spirits using domestic grapes with only one distillation.

The ‘2025 Our Rice & Our Liquor K-Rice Festa,’ organized by Nonghyup (Chairman Kang Ho-dong) to promote rice consumption and develop the processing industry, concluded successfully after three days starting November 28, recording a cumulative total of approximately 22,800 visitors.