The competition in the bottled water market, led by Jeju Samdasoo, is intensifying. With the entry of the first drinking spring water from Ulleungdo, Wulim Water, there are forecasts that market share may change. If Wulim Water secures a 1% market share in its first year, it could potentially disrupt the stronghold that Jeju Samdasoo has built over the years.
According to the distribution industry on the 27th, attention is shifting to the achievements of Wulim Water, the first drinking spring water from Ulleungdo, as more than 100 days have passed since its launch. Wulim Water is produced and distributed by Coca-Cola Beverage, a subsidiary of LG H&H.
This water is made from a surface spring water source. The rain and snow that fell on Ulleungdo have naturally purified the water for 31 years after passing through the primeval forest of Seonginbong, a natural monument No. 189, before springing up from volcanic bedrock. This is similar to the image of Jeju Samdasoo, which is also spring water.
The pricing strategy is also similar to that of the early Jeju Samdasoo. Shortly after its launch in 1998, Jeju Samdasoo was sold at about twice the price of other bottled waters to establish itself as a premium brand. While other bottled waters were priced around 400 to 500 won, Jeju Samdasoo priced itself around 1,000 won and solidified its position as a premium bottled water. Although bottled water prices have become similar now, Samdasoo led the premium bottled water market for a while.
However, it seems that Wulim Water is rewriting this strategy. The price for a 450 ml bottle of Wulim Water is 2,000 won. This is why tasting events have been held at five-star hotels and department store VIP lounges even before its launch. It also emphasizes that it is delicious spring water. Wulim Water announced that it won a grand gold at the 2025 9th Drinking Spring Water and Water Purifier Taste Evaluation.
An industry source noted, "As competition intensified, the market changed so that there is not a significant price difference among branded bottled waters, excluding private brand waters, and only imported bottled waters like Evian remain in the premium bottled water market." They added, "We are observing whether Wulim Water will impact the domestic premium bottled water market."
The competition among bottled waters with the name Jeju is also intensifying, with Jeju Hallasan being a representative example. Jeju Hallasan is expanding its distribution channels, focusing on convenience stores. This means that the latecomer Jeju Hallasan might capture market share from Samdasoo using the name of the clean region Jeju.
There is also Jeju Lava Water. ORION has been focusing on the bottled water business since acquiring Jeju Lava Water for 2.1 billion won in 2016. In 2019, it completed a production facility measuring 4,533 pyeong in the Seogwipo, Jeju, investing a total of 120 billion won.
The domestic bottled water market is already saturated. The competition is so fierce that it has reached a structure where it is difficult to generate revenue. While the overall market size has grown at an average rate of 10% over the past five years, more latecomers have entered the market. Currently, around 70 bottled water manufacturers are noted to be in the market. Among them, Jeju Samdasoo, Lotte Chilsung Isiseu, and Nongshim Baiksan account for 75% of the total market. It is not easy for latecomers to achieve results in the domestic market.
Jeju Samdasoo is actively turning its eyes to overseas market development for the future. While it has focused on overseas communities until now, it is planning to collaborate with overseas food and beverage companies for distribution.
Baek Kyung-hoon, the president of Jeju Development Corporation, which manufactures and sells Samdasoo, said, "We will strengthen collaboration with local distributors in China and Southeast Asia," adding, "We can abandon everything except Jeju to export bottled water."