[Edaily kim mi-kyung Reporter] LotteChilsungBeverage is lowering the alcohol content of its flagship soju brand, “Cheumcheomcheom,” from 16 degrees to 15.7 degrees. This move is intended to reinforce the brand’s core attribute of “smoothness” and reflect changing drinking trends as the brand marks its 20th anniversary.

#LotteChilsungBeverage announced on the 1st that it is lowering the alcohol content of “Cheumeumcheoreom” by 0.3 degrees, from 16 degrees to 15.7 degrees. This adjustment is intended to further highlight the “smoothness” that “Cheumeumcheoreom” has always emphasized. The company explained that the move also reflects the growing trend in the liquor market toward “drinking to enjoy the taste and atmosphere” rather than “drinking to get drunk.”

According to LotteChilsungBeverage, the company will also adjust the levels of certain sweeteners to maintain the product’s flavor following the alcohol content change. To contribute to fostering a healthy drinking culture, the company plans to move the alcohol warning label to the main label, thereby increasing consumer awareness. The new “Cheumcheoreom” will be available sequentially across all sales channels—including restaurants, bars, discount stores, and convenience stores—as early as mid-September, once existing inventory is depleted.

When “Cheo-eum-cheoreom” was launched in 2006, it entered a domestic market dominated by soju with an alcohol content of around 21 degrees as a 20-degree product, establishing a distinctive image as “mellow soju.” Marketing efforts centered on the evocative brand name and the “Cheo-eum-dori” character also attracted consumer interest. It sold 10 million bottles within 17 days of launch, 100 million bottles before reaching the six-month mark, and surpassed 1 billion bottles in just over four years; cumulatively, it has sold 10 billion bottles from its 2006 launch through the first half of this year. In line with consumer trends favoring lower-alcohol beverages, the alcohol content has been lowered once again, from the current 16 degrees to 15.7 degrees.

A LotteChilsungBeverage spokesperson stated, “Cheo-um-cheoreom, which heralded the dawn of ‘mild soju’ in the South Korean soju market with its 20-degree soju, has adjusted its alcohol content to emphasize its core competitive advantage—‘mildness’—in celebration of its 20th anniversary,” adding, “In the second half of the year, we will promote the even milder Cheo-um-cheoreom through active marketing activities, including a 20th-anniversary advertising campaign and street events featuring the ‘Cheo-um-dori’ mascot.”

Meanwhile, to mark the 20th anniversary and strengthen the brand heritage of “Cheumcheomcheong,” LotteChilsungBeverage renewed the packaging this past April, incorporating visual elements such as young birds and sprouts that were used at the time of its launch. The company also introduced “Cheumcheomcheong Classic,” which incorporates the original recipe and design elements from 20 years ago.