Licensing deal speeds Japanese beer to Korean shelves as imports keep climbing
HiteJinro said Monday it has begun producing one of Japanese brewer Kirin's best-known lagers in Korea, becoming the first independent importer in Asia to brew the beer under license.
Kirin Brewery supplies HiteJinro with its core brewing technique and proprietary yeast under a technical partnership signed in July to produce the premium beer, Kirin Ichiban Shibori. Japanese engineers helped set up HiteJinro’s plant in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, over more than a year to meet Kirin’s quality standards, the company said.
"Local production is the fruit of 20 years of mutual trust with Kirin," CEO Jang In-seop said. "This agreement will turn a distribution partnership into a strategic alliance on technology and quality."
Unlike beer made in Japan, which took about six weeks to clear customs and reach Korean stores, the locally brewed lager will hit shelves in one or two weeks.
“Domestic production will give us a stable supply system,” Jang noted, adding that the company plans to put logistics savings toward marketing and promotions. It aims for an initial run of about 1.5 million liters, or 3 million 500-milliliter cans, and plans to produce 75 percent of its Kirin sales in Korea by next year.
The move comes as Japanese beer gains ground in a shrinking liquor market.
Imports rose 22 percent on-year last year to 100,322 metric tons, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Volumes had fallen after a 2019 boycott of Japanese goods but began recovering in 2022.
HiteJinro first imported Kirin Ichiban Shibori in bottles in 2004, signed an exclusive distribution deal in 2011 and added cans and draft in 2012. Sales volume grew an estimated 82.4 percent a year from 2020 through 2026. The brand hit record sales in 2025 and is expected to set a new high this year.
The company said it plans to hold regular technical exchanges with Kirin and expand their cooperation to other products and businesses.
minmin@heraldcorp.com