On October 12, 2026, the South Korean beverage giant HiteJinro began the local production of the Japanese premium beer brand Kirin Ichiban at its Jeonju plant. This marks the first technology and production partnership of the Japanese brewing group Kirin Holdings with an independent distributor in Asia.
The two companies are expanding a long-standing commercial relationship that began with import agreements in 2004. The initial production target is set at 1.5 million liters (15,000 hl) by the end of 2026. By 2027, approximately 75 percent of the annual Kirin Ichiban volume sold in South Korea is scheduled to be brewed locally. Shifting production domestically will reduce transportation delivery times from the previous six weeks to just one or two weeks, ensuring a more stable supply chain. At the same time, this strategic move allows the Japanese brewery to significantly expand its footprint across the Asian continent.
This far-reaching step occurs against the backdrop of a turbulent recent history in the South Korean beer market. In July 2019, a massive consumer-initiated boycott of Japanese goods, known as the "No Japan" movement, was triggered by trade disputes and historical tensions. This led to a dramatic collapse in sales, during which the volume of imported Japanese beer in the country plummeted by up to 97 percent, allowing other foreign competitors to temporarily capture market share (inside.beer, 28.11.2019).
However, the geopolitical and commercial situation has since eased considerably, and Japanese beers are once again reaching post-boycott peak levels. Between 2020 and 2026, the sales volume of Japanese beer in the South Korean market recorded an estimated compound annual growth rate of over 82 percent. With the new domestic production, HiteJinro aims to reliably meet this resurgent consumer demand while simultaneously benefiting from substantial cost savings in logistics.
