Zero sugar, zero guilt? Inside the 'zero' soju revolution

From frothy pints to soju shots, Korea’s drinking culture is in the midst of a “zero” revolution. Sleek bottles and cans promising “no sugar” and “zero calories” dominate convenience store refrigerators, while hashtags like #GuiltFreeDrinking and #Zerosugar flood social media feeds. The pitch is simple: Drink what you love, without the guilt. Whether these beverages are truly healthier or just a rebranded indulgence is a question increasingly debated by doctors, nutritionists and even the young consumers driving the trend. The rise of zero sugar soju is no coincidence. Terra Light, HiteJinro’s new zero sugar beer launched in July 2024, sold 10 million bottles in just two weeks — translating to roughly 8.2 bottles per second, a sign of growing consumer appetite for drinks marketed as healthier or guilt-free. Also, according to industry data, products like Lotte Chilsung’s Chum-Churum Saero and HiteJinro’s redesigned Jinro Is Back have sold millions of bottles since their launches in late 2022 and early 2023, respectively. Saero alone sold over 50 million bottles in jusWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times