The winners of the '2025 Korea Liquor Awards,' recognizing the best liquors in the country, were announced on the 7th.
The Korea Liquor Awards is Korea's representative liquor tasting competition, now in its 12th year. It has been held annually by ChosunBiz since 2014 with the goal of 'discovering good domestic liquors, promoting them widely, and supporting the establishment of a healthy drinking culture.'
This year's event will take place from the 7th to the 9th at the SETEC convention center near Hangnyeoul station in Seoul. More than 200 booths across three exhibition halls will participate, with over 10,000 attendees, including general visitors and liquor industry professionals, registered.
On the 7th, 25 winners in the Best of Best (BoB) category were announced. On the 9th, an award ceremony for the Daesang in various categories, including soju, sake, traditional liquors, Korean wine, beer, whiskey, spirits, baekju, and wine, will be held.
This year, 1,008 brands from 236 companies participated. Of these, 25 brands were selected for the Best of Best (Best of Best 2025) award, which corresponds to the top prize in each institutional sector. In total, 431 brands received Daesang awards across all categories.
Attending the award ceremony on the 7th were Kim Young-soo, CEO of ChosunBiz; Song Eon-seok, Chairperson of the National Assembly Planning and Finance Committee; Seo Hyo-won, Vice Administrator of the Rural Development Administration; Kim Jeong-joo, Director of the Environment and Energy Tax Division at the Ministry of Strategy and Finance; and Nam Woo-seok, Director of Export Field Support at Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA).
Kim Young-soo, CEO of ChosunBiz, stated in his opening remarks, "The Korea Liquor Awards, now in its 12th year, has contributed to the development and globalization of the domestic liquor industry. We will continue to do our best to discover and promote excellent domestic liquors."
This event will also feature various accompanying events. Following the award ceremony on the 7th, lectures related to the liquor industry, such as 'Strategies for Attracting Investment and Global Expansion' and 'Liquor Brand Marketing Strategies,' are planned.
On the 8th and 9th, consumer participation programs such as whiskey introductory classes, wine talks, and cocktail classes, along with colorful events like stand-up comedy, auction shows, and prize drawings, will be held.
In particular, this year's event aims to actively encourage visitor participation by enhancing visitor events such as blind tastings and liquor quizzes. Various souvenirs, including eco bags, bottled water, and carbonated water, will be provided to attendees.
The Korea Liquor Awards is strictly judged through blind tastings involving over 100 judges each year, determining the award winners. This contributes to improving the quality and competitiveness of the domestic liquor industry.
Song Eon-seok, Chairperson of the National Assembly Planning and Finance Committee, noted in his speech that "The domestic liquor industry, which has developed in harmony between tradition and innovation, is now recognized for its competitiveness in the global market," adding, "The National Assembly will spare no policy support to ensure that the Korean liquor industry can enhance its competitiveness in the global market."