S. Korea Designates Five Alcoholic Beverage Makers as Must-Visit Places for the Year 2025

Sejong, 24 April 2025 — The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) newly designated five craft alcoholic beverage makers as the must-visit places for the year 2025 to encourage touring distilleries, wineries, and breweries of traditional Korean alcoholic beverages.

Since 2013, the MAFRA has been carrying out the project to stimulate local economies across the country. To this end, the MAFRA selects qualified distilleries, wineries, and makgeolli breweries in different areas, and nurtures them into cultural places where people can have hands-on experience of tasting and making traditional Korean alcoholic beverages. The MAFRA also develops these alcoholic beverage makers into cultural places linked to a tour of local areas. 

The five craft alcoholic beverage makers, selected this year, include the following: Country Winery (컨츄리 와이너리) in Yeongdong-gun (the county of Yeoungdong), Sinseon (신선) in Cheongju-si (the city of Cheongju), Jisiwool (지시울) in Chuncheon-si (the city of Chuncheon), Yeunmi (연미) in Gangwha-gun (the county of Gangwha), and Woochang (우창) in Cheorwon-gun (the county of Cheorwon).

* In South Korea, "gun" is an administrative unit corresponding to a county below a city, and "si" refers to a city.

The selection was made out of the 16 candidates nominated by local governments after an evaluation committee of experts from the private sector had evaluated them in terms of a comprehensive range of factors, including their historical value, connections with local communities, surroundings that appeal to tourists, whether they hold the Korean Liquor Quality Certification for the beverages they produce, and whether they have received any award or prize at traditional alcoholic beverage competitions. 

The newly-selected alcoholic beverage makers will receive government support and tailored consulting about the alcoholic beverage business and tourism. Instances of such areas include improvement of space environment for the places to make, taste, and sell traditional alcoholic drinks; development of hands-on experience programmes; setting up product promotion systems such as creation of websites; and development of a tour programme linked to local communities.

A total of 64 craft alcoholic beverage makers across the nation are being operated under the project of designating must-visit traditional Korean alcoholic beverage makers. The alcoholic beverage makers are providing people with a greater access to traditional Korean alcoholic beverages by giving them opportunities to taste and make such alcoholic beverages, as well as through connection with local tourism. This way, they are contributing to revitalization of local economies.

* You can find further information about the project of designating traditional alcoholic beverage makers on the portal site: www.thesool.com.