A drink marketed in China as "Korean bingnai" has emerged as a social media hit, even though it has no direct connection to South Korea. Brands in northeastern China attached the "Korean" name to the beverage — a blend of milk and fruit over ice — and used it to drive sales.
Chinese weekly magazine New Weekly reported on the 14th that videos about bingnai have drawn more than 100 million views on social media. Hongcan, a Chinese food service trade outlet, counted more than 16 million views for posts tagged "bingnai" on Xiaohongshu in late August. Korean bingnai started in the northeast, in cities such as Shenyang and Liaoyang in Liaoning province, before spreading nationwide. Local media attributed the success to young consumers familiar with Korean dramas and variety shows, who responded warmly to the "Korean" branding. Others pointed to the simple recipe — milk and fruit ice with no toppings — which matched demand for lighter drinks.
The leading brands are oh mo! and WUYOO. Oh mo!, which began in Liaoyang, opened its first store in January 2024 and says on its official account that it now has more than 100 locations nationwide. Local media reported in late June that WUYOO had more than 200 stores, but a search on the restaurant data service Zhaimen Canyan returned 34. WUYOO opened four stores simultaneously in Qingdao in May, and its CBD location booked more than 420,000 yuan (about 85 million won) in sales in its first month. A cup at a specialty shop generally costs 15 to 25 yuan (about 3,000 to 5,000 won).
Large beverage chains have rolled out similar products. Beijing News reported that ChaPanda relaunched a lychee bingnai on May 20, selling 700,000 cups on the first day and 17 million over 51 days. A lemon bingnai launched in July by Shuixian Caotang sold more than 1.2 million cups in its first week, according to the company. Market research firm Yiran Commerce counted 1,186 new products from 30 major tea and coffee brands between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31 this year. Milk tea, fruit tea and milk coffee accounted for 62.9% of them. Local media analyzing the data said no single item sustained momentum across the eight months, with apple drinks, bingnai, Thai-style beverages and carbonated drinks each dominating in turn.
Local media reported that internet users living in South Korea said on social media that Korean cafes sell fruit milk and milkshake-style shaved ice in cups, but nothing called bingnai. One industry research and development manager said the trend is largely a marketing exercise that repackages conventional fruit milk under a new name. Some consumers complained that the fruit at certain stores was not fresh and that the drinks tasted strongly of flavoring. Concerns have emerged that franchise recruitment has spread faster than the product has established itself in the market.