Hitejinro's Chamisul Fresh received Best of 2026, the award given to this year's top soju at the Korea Wine & Spirits Awards 2026. Paju25, made by Mieumnet Distillery Agricultural Corporation, and Oak Valley, by IPARK Resort Co., were selected as this year's top distilled soju. A total of 16 soju products won the grand prize.
The Korea Wine & Spirits Awards is Korea's representative liquor evaluation event, now in its 13th year. With the goal of "discovering and widely promoting good domestic liquor and supporting the formation of a sound drinking culture," ChosunBiz has hosted it annually since 2014.
This year's event drew 260 companies, which submitted a total of 1,118 brands. It is the largest among domestic evaluations that cover comprehensive alcoholic beverages. Of these, 449 brands received the grand prize.
Chamisul is a soju that Hitejinro launched in 1998, and it dramatically changed the flow of the domestic soju market right after its debut. As of Feb. this year, cumulative sales of Chamisul reached 42.3 billion bottles (based on 360 mL). The British liquor magazine "Drinks International" tallied that since 2001, Chamisul has ranked No. 1 in global distilled spirits sales for 24 consecutive years, ahead of whiskey, vodka, rum, and others.
Paju25 is a distilled soju made using 100% rice grown in Paju. It features a local identity by using regional agricultural products and the region's name in its brand. Paju25 uses proprietary nuruk and carries out long-term fermentation at low temperatures below 15 degrees, yielding tropical fruit aromas. It is then refined through two or more rounds of atmospheric single distillation and aged for more than six months to enhance flavor completeness. Paju Soju currently consists of three products: Paju25 (25%, 375 mL), Paju (19%, 375 mL), and Paju25 Miyako Blue Edition (25%, 500 mL).
Oak Valley Prestige Soju, released by IPARK Resort, uses Totomi, a specialty of Wonju, as its main ingredient, and adds only natural bedrock water from a depth of 100 meters and domestic nuruk. It applies an original brewing technique that precisely adjusts the ratio of nuruk and the growth of yeast step by step, and also adopts the atmospheric method used in making top-tier whiskey to maximize the umami and aroma of rice. Despite its high 46% ABV, it is praised for a smooth throat feel rather than sharp alcohol bite.
In the soju category that day, Hitejinro's Chamisul Fresh and Lotte Chilsung Beverage's Saero were selected as the grand prize winners in the standard soju (under 17%) category. In the standard soju (17% to under 21%) category, Hitejinro's Chamisul Original won the grand prize.
In the premium soju category, 13 products, including Paju25 by Mieumnet Distillery Agricultural Corporation and Oak Valley by IPARK Resort, received the grand prize.