Korea's soju exports topped $200 million last year, hitting an all-time high. The K-wave fueled by K-pop and Korean drama played a role, but the hidden efforts of those who actively promoted the unique appeal of Korean alcohol on the world stage early on were also crucial. ChosunBiz captured the voices of those leading the globalization of Korean alcohol as "K-liquor evangelists." [Editor's note]
When people think of "soju," not only foreigners but even Koreans often picture diluted soju in a green bottle. In Korea's liquor market, distilled soju accounts for only a little over 1% of shipment value. But it was not always that way. In 1965, during a time of food shortages, the Grain Management Act, which banned brewing alcohol with rice, cost distilled soju its standing, and diluted soju made by mixing neutral spirits with water became the mainstream.
Distilled soju made a comeback after the traditional liquor licensing system was introduced in the 1990s. Distilled soju brewed in the traditional way carries distinctive and diverse aromas—such as fruity and oaky notes—depending on the rice variety used and the aging method. Drawn by this appeal, some people distribute traditional liquor to Europe even though the market for traditional liquor is small in Korea. Hur Young-sam, head of the German traditional liquor import firm Soju Halle, is a prime example. We interviewed Hur in writing 4th, who calls our traditional liquor "rice wine."
◇A medical device CEO who jumped into traditional liquor distribution
Soju Halle is a Korean traditional liquor distribution company that Hur, who spent 25 years in the medical device industry, founded in Germany in 2023. While working as a professional manager at a medical device startup in Hamburg at the time, Hur was captivated the moment he tasted traditional liquor that his son's friends had brought from Korea. "In the past in Korea, people mainly drank to get drunk, but after coming to Europe, I began to savor and enjoy the taste of alcohol," Heo said. "After tasting traditional liquor again for the first time in a while, I found its flavor so excellent that it could rival wine, and I thought it would pair well with Europe's drinking culture."
Based on this experience, Hur became convinced of traditional liquor's potential and founded Soju Halle with like-minded partners—a architect, a logistics expert, and an IT specialist. The name Soju Halle combines traditional liquor (soju) with the German word Halle, meaning exhibition hall, reflecting an ambition to spread a culture of enjoying Korean traditional liquor in households and various spaces across Germany and Europe. The products Soju Halle distributes are traditional liquor as defined in Article 2, Paragraph 8 of Korea's tax law, including alcohol brewed by holders of national intangible cultural heritage and liquor made by Korea's master food artisans.
Soju Halle's lineup falls into two broad categories: yakju, a clear liquor fermented from grains such as rice, and distilled soju made by distilling yakju. Well-known Korean traditional liquors such as Igangju, Songiju, and Solsongju are being distributed across Europe through Soju Halle. Hur proposed positioning for Korean traditional liquor tailored to local food culture. He introduces Songiju and Ureongi-ssal cheongju as dessert wines, and Igangju and Damsol as K-cocktail bases or digestifs. He also presents Omyrose Yeon sparkling wine, made from Mungyeong omija, as an aperitif or dinner wine to locals familiar with wine culture.
In the case of Korean rice wine, to prevent spoilage during distribution, they supply products brewed locally using Korean rice and nuruk brought in directly. "Traditional liquor brewed from rice may feel somewhat distant from the local food culture here, where potatoes are a staple," Hur said, "but as rice consumption and awareness of Korean cuisine have grown recently, the savory taste of rice and the subtle sweetness that arises during fermentation are emerging as a new appeal for Europeans."
Flavor matters, but Soju Halle's top criterion for selecting traditional liquor is compliance with EU food regulations. "Food-related regulations in Europe are very strict and exacting, but fortunately the basic principles of food regulations were similar to those for medical devices," Hur said. "Thanks to my experience in the medical device field, preparing to import traditional liquor was considerably easier." He explained that he personally visits traditional distilleries to select products that meet EU standards and produces and affixes each product's labels in compliance with regulations before distribution.
◇"May people be able to drink traditional liquor anywhere in Europe"
He was confident in the taste of traditional liquor, but establishing it in the European market was anything but easy. Europe has a deeply rooted wine culture, and awareness of Korean traditional liquor was very low. "To introduce our traditional liquor to European customers, you need sommeliers or food experts with a deep understanding of it, but it was hard to find such professionals in Germany," Hur said. "On top of that, there was a strong perception that Korean traditional liquor is expensive because it is hard to mass-produce while maintaining good flavor."
His breakthrough was to "pound the pavement." From the early days of founding Soju Halle, Hur personally carried traditional liquor and visited natural wine bars around Berlin one by one. At the time, natural wine fermented without any additives was trending in Berlin, and he judged that natural wine and traditional liquor share similar characteristics. Through these efforts, Soju Halle has built a network of around 100 clients across Europe, including not only Germany but also France, Belgium, and Austria.
They also pursued diverse collaborations and active marketing. Hur worked with a German-born Japanese sake expert and, with support from the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) Paris and Frankfurt offices, has been promoting traditional liquor by participating in professional wine fairs, traditional liquor pop-up stores, and K-pop events. Hur added that, to address price—long seen as a high entry barrier for traditional liquor—they are also striving to cut logistics costs through cooperation with each brewery and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA).
Thanks to Hur's steady efforts, major German dailies have carried articles introducing Korean traditional liquor. In Aug. last year, Soju Halle set up a booth at a festival held along the Main River in Frankfurt and introduced Korea's drinking culture with makgeolli, Korean rice wine, soju, and more. During the event, after a reporter from the major German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) visited the booth, the paper introduced makgeolli, a Korean traditional liquor, in an article titled "Von Medusas Farben und milchigem Wein (The colors of Medusa and milky wine)."
Soju Halle's challenge is not over. "Our goal at Soju Halle is to promote Korea's drinking culture across Germany and Europe through Korean traditional liquor," Hur said. "We plan to expand our lineup of traditional liquors crafted with artisanship by Korea's master food artisans and supply them to the European market." He emphasized, "We will make a day when people who love traditional liquor can easily find our traditional liquor anywhere in Europe."