When you invite someone to your home, you often serve fruit as a way to welcome them. We named the product "Hwanyeong 30" to carry both the meaning of hospitality and the 30% alcohol by volume. We want 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 at the Korea Wine & Spirits Awards 2026 ceremony held at the Westin Josun Seoul in Jung-gu on the 24th. The macerated liqueur "Hwanyeong 30," made by steeping pear in distilled soju base, won the top prize in the traditional liquor liqueur category that day. Hwanyeong 30 sold out its initial stock about two and a half months after launch.
Park said, I am originally a rapper (Jay Park) and singer, but today I'm here as the head of One Spirits, adding, Hwanyeong 30 is a product developed and produced solely by One Spirits, not through original equipment manufacturing (OEM). 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 it is rare for someone to set up a company directly as Park did.
One Spirits launched the distilled soju "Wonsoju" in 2022 and achieved 50 billion won in sales, among other successes. It then rolled out Wonsoju Spirit and Wonsoju Classic, followed by a series of highball products using Wonsoju base. Hwanyeong 30 is a new product introduced a year and a half after the highball products. Hwanyeong 30 is made using fresh Chiaksan pears from Gangwon-do with Wonsoju base. They said they steeped pears in the distilled soju base aged in earthenware without any other additives.
Kim Jin-uk, Head of Team for product development at One Spirits, who joined the interview, said, There is a product called "Igangju," known as one of the three great liquors of Joseon. Using that method, we tested one liquor with pears macerated and another with different medicinal ingredients macerated, and Park suggested we only commercialize the one with pears.
Park said, Regarding new product development, we were analyzing recent trends and considering various directions, adding, I personally like pears very much, so we examined the real-world producibility and business potential of a pear macerated liquor, and it took about a year for the team to research and commercialize it.
Each bottle of Hwanyeong 30 contains four pears. Because the proportion of raw ingredients is high, it is not a mass-consumption product. Although there has been a flood of interest from overseas, production volume is limited because only high-quality raw fruit is used, so for now it is being exported in small quantities only to Hong Kong. One Spirits' strategy is to introduce Hwanyeong 30 to domestic consumers first.
Park said, It would be great if overseas consumers notice that we used Korean pears, adding, Because it is a precious and painstakingly made liquor, I hope Hwanyeong 30 becomes a good gift for meaningful moments.
Park recommended yukhoe as a dish that pairs well with Hwanyeong 30. Park also suggested drinking it on the rocks with ice or making it into a highball. Pears are best enjoyed cold, and when Hwanyeong 30 is drunk chilled, you can sense the subtle sweetness of the raw fruit itself and the texture becomes richer.
Park's recent concern 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 working in the United States, people didn't know soju well, and I started the business wanting to spread the word about it, and as I kept studying and learning and even hired employees, I've been approaching it with greater responsibility. Park added, All our team members have dreams, ambition, and passion. There are really many fields we want to take on. We want to do it with authenticity and style, and do it well.
Park debuted "Longshot," the first boy group produced by his agency More Vision, in January. A One Spirits official said, Longshot and the liquor business are the company's biggest tasks this year. Park said, For now, in the liquor market, even if it's really small, I hope we can survive and secure a place as a company. I would be truly grateful if we can one day become a brand that represents Korea. 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 become a good option.