Hitejinro said on the 29th that it signed a business agreement with the Rural Development Administration National Institute of Crop Science to develop and commercialize premium distilled soju using Korean processing rice varieties.
At the signing ceremony held on the 28th at Hitejinro's Icheon plant, attendees included Hitejinro CEO Jang In-seop and National Institute of Crop Science Director Kim Byung-seok, along with officials from both sides.
Through this agreement, Hitejinro and the National Institute of Crop Science plan to raise the added value of Korean agricultural products and lead the premiumization of the distilled soju market based on domestic ingredients.
Going forward, the two sides will build a close cooperation system to create new demand for Korean rice to boost consumption and to strengthen the quality competitiveness of Korea's distilled soju. To that end, the National Institute of Crop Science will develop customized processing rice varieties optimized for distilled soju and establish a stable production base, while Hitejinro will develop technologies to optimize fermentation and distillation processes and take charge of productization and distribution expansion.
Since 2024, Hitejinro and the National Institute of Crop Science have worked together to develop and cultivate Juhyangmi, a rice variety specialized for distilled soju production. Hitejinro created dedicated Juhyangmi cultivation complexes in Hongcheon County, Gangwon Province, last year and in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, this year.
CEO Jang said, "We expect to further enhance the quality competitiveness of raw materials for distilled soju through cooperation with the National Institute of Crop Science," adding, "We will promote the value of our rice and practice mutually beneficial management that grows together with farming households."