When you invite someone to your home, you often serve fruit as a gesture of welcome. We named the product "Hwan-yeong 30" to carry both the meaning of hospitality and the 30% alcohol by volume. We hope to have a positive influence on the liquor market going forward.
Chief Executive Park Jae-beom of One Spirits Co., Ltd., an agricultural corporation (hereafter One Spirits), said this in an interview with ChosunBiz on the 24th at the Westin Josun Seoul in Jung-gu, Seoul, during the 2026 Korea Wine & Spirits Awards ceremony. The macerated liquor "Hwan-yeong 30," which steeps pear in distilled soju base spirit, received the grand prize in the our traditional liquor liqueur institutional sector that day. Hwan-yeong 30 sold out its initial stock in about two and a half months after launch.
Park said, I am originally a rapper (Jay Park) and singer, but today I came as the head of One Spirits, adding, Hwan-yeong 30 is not an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) product; it was developed and produced solely by One Spirits. The initial 3,000 bottles sold out, which is meaningful and gratifying.
Park is earnest about Korean liquor. In 2018, Park even released a song titled SOJU. In 2021, Park founded One Spirits. Many liquors are sold under celebrity names, but cases like Park's, where the person directly established a company, are rare.
One Spirits launched the distilled soju Wonsoju in 2022 and achieved 50 billion won in sales, marking success. It then rolled out Wonsoju Spirit and Wonsoju Classic, followed by a series of highball products using Wonsoju base spirit. Hwan-yeong 30 is a new product introduced a year and a half after the highball lineup. Hwan-yeong 30 is made using fresh pears from Chiaksan in Gangwon-do and Wonsoju base spirit. They say pear was steeped in the earthenware-aged distilled soju base without any other additives.
Kim Jin-uk, head of product development at One Spirits, who joined the interview, said, There is a product called "Igangju," known as one of the three famous liquors of the Joseon era. Using that method, we tested one liquor with pear maceration and another with different medicinal ingredients, and Park said to commercialize only the pear-macerated one.
Park said, In developing the new product, we were analyzing recent trends and considering various directions, adding, I personally love pears, so we examined the actual production feasibility and business potential of a pear-macerated liquor, and it took about a year for the team to research and bring it to market.
One bottle of Hwan-yeong 30 contains four pears. Given the high proportion of raw ingredients, it is not a mass-consumption product. Although love calls are pouring in from overseas, production is limited because only high-quality raw materials are used, so at present it is being exported in small quantities only to Hong Kong. One Spirits' strategy is to introduce Hwan-yeong 30 to domestic consumers first.
Park said, I hope the use of Korean pears stands out to overseas consumers, adding, Because it is a precious, painstakingly made liquor, I hope Hwan-yeong 30 becomes a good gift for meaningful moments.
Park recommended yukhoe as a good pairing with Hwan-yeong 30. Park also suggested enjoying it on the rocks with ice or as a highball. Pears are best when served cold, and similarly, Hwan-yeong 30, when chilled, brings out the subtle natural sweetness of the raw fruit and a richer texture.
Park's recent focus is how to produce a Korean liquor that represents the global market in a sustainable way. Park emphasized that everyone at One Spirits pours passion and sincerity into product development and production.
Park said, When I was active in the United States, people did not know soju well, so I started the business wanting to spread the word; as I keep studying and learning and as employees have joined, I am taking on the role with greater responsibility. Park added, All team members have dreams, ambition, and passion, and there are so many areas we want to challenge. We want to do it sincerely and make it cool.
Park debuted Long Shot, the first boy band produced by Park's agency More Vision, in January. A One Spirits official said, Long Shot and the liquor business are the biggest tasks for the company this year. Park said, For now, in the liquor market, I hope we can survive and become a company that secures even a very small foothold. If we can become a brand that represents Korea someday, I would be truly grateful. Kim, the Head of Team, also said, As Korea's standing has risen overseas and interest in Korean culture has grown, One Spirits' products could be a good option.