Lotte Chilsung Beverage announced on July 10 that it will release a new version of its Chum-Churum soju with a reduced alcohol content, lowering it from the current 16.5 percent to 16 percent. This marks the first change in four years since the alcohol level was reduced from 16.9 percent to 16.5 percent in 2021.

While the alcohol content of soju has been gradually declining over time, the recent liquor market trend shows a stronger shift toward lower-alcohol beverages. According to the National Tax Statistics Portal, the total domestic shipment of diluted soju in 2023 was 844,250 kiloliters, down about 2.0 percent from 915,596 kiloliters the previous year. In contrast, overall liquor shipments declined by only 1.0 percent, while shipments of low-alcohol liqueurs, such as highballs, increased by 8.1 percent.

In response, Lotte Chilsung Beverage said that by lowering the alcohol content of Chum-Churum, it has further enhanced the brand’s signature smoothness. To achieve this, the company blended rice distillate with mineral water and used allulose, a natural sweetener, to reduce bitterness.

Meanwhile, HiteJinro had already lowered the alcohol content of its Chamisul Fresh and Jinro soju products from 16.5 percent to 16 percent last year. The Jinro Gold, launched last year, has an even lower alcohol content of 15.5 percent.