Hello! Do you like soju? If you do, which do you prefer, high-proof soju or low-proof soju? These days, low-proof alcohol is trending, and the proof is getting lower and lower. Recently, I heard that the proof of Chamisul Fresh, which is the top-selling soju brand in Korea, has dropped from 16.5% to 16%. Some people might be happy about this news, while others might not. Today, we’re going to take a look at the reasons for the low-proof trend in the alcoholic beverage industry and the public opinion on it!

When you think of ‘soju’, you think of strong alcohol, right? Beer and wine have an image of being light and enjoyable drinks, while soju has an image of being a drink you drink to get drunk. Even in movies and dramas, when you see a protagonist stumbling around drunk or crying, they’re always drinking soju. However, when you think about recent soju advertisements, they use keywords like ‘smooth’, ‘light’, and ‘clean’. This means that the current trend in soju seems to be moving towards soju that is not strong, but smooth, easy to drink, and light. It’s no longer a strong alcohol that you drink to get drunk, but rather a drink that you can enjoy to a certain degree.

Chamisul was first launched in 1998 at 23% proof, and then in 2006, a lower-proof version called Fresh was released at 19.8% proof. This has been lowered to 16% now. Likewise, “Cheom-i-cheoreom” was also launched in 2006 at 20.1% proof, and has been lowered to 16.9% currently. If you look at the soju brands that have been recently selling well, such as “Jinro” and “Saero”, they are 16% low-proof soju. You could say that the entire soju industry is engaged in a race to lower the proof. So, what is the public opinion on this low-proof trend in soju?

Positive Public Opinion

Let’s first take a look at the positive public opinion. The first reason is that the public’s interest in health has increased. Lowering the alcohol content reduces the risk of health problems caused by excessive drinking, so it is seen positively. The second reason is that consumer preferences and trends are moving towards low proof. There are no objective indicators that consumers prefer low-proof alcohol, but in recent years, drinks like “Soju-tonic” and “Highball” have become popular, which suggests that young people in particular have begun to enjoy lighter drinks. The last reason is that it has captured the tastes of female consumers. In line with recent trends, soju with a lower proof and smoother taste is said to be particularly appealing to female consumers.

Negative Public Opinion

Of course, there are also negative opinions on the low-proof trend in soju. First, it can be off-putting. Especially for age groups who mainly consumed soju with over 20% proof, lowering the proof might not be welcome. Second, there are criticisms that it is not about increasing soju sales but rather about reducing costs. The soju we commonly drink, diluted soju, will inevitably have a lower cost of raw materials as the proof is lowered. Some say that this is “shrinkflation,” where the quantity of a product is reduced without raising the price, effectively raising the price.

While this change can be welcomed from a health perspective, it also raises questions about whether companies are only looking out for their own profits. Today, we’ve looked at the low-proof trend in soju. How did you feel about it? Don’t let your guard down just because the proof has gone down! Excessive drinking is a no-no! I hope you all have healthy drinking habits. I hope this was helpful for you today, thank you for reading:)