By Kim Hyun-cheol
Staff Reporter

A new quality certification system will be introduced in August for some traditional alcoholic beverages, including the recent hit item, "makgeolli," a milky-colored rice wine.

As part of efforts to encourage the development of better products, the government will begin to issue a quality certificate on traditional rice wines, the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said Tuesday.

The decision follows the National Assembly's passage of the Traditional Liquor Promotion Law last month.

After the regulation takes effect, the ministry will be in charge of issuing the certificate label on bottles of makgeolli that meet government-set standards.

Starting with rice wines this week, the system is expected to apply to all domestically produced alcoholic, drinks and liquors next year.

Benchmarking the origin-controlling system for French wine products, the new plan aims to offer local consumers more information on the products they purchase.

Currently, the National Tax Service (NTS) is operating the labeling, but the mission of promotion for traditional drinks will be transferred to the agriculture ministry.

The ministry said there will be no major changes in the system.

"All the manufacturers with the NTS certification will maintain it under our supervision," a minister official said.

"And the issuance will be expanded as long as makers meet quality standards."

It will also push makers to upgrade the quality of beverages, and also help consumers stay away from products of subpar quality, he added.

A total of 889 applications were submitted last year, up 32 percent from 672 in 2008, according to the Korean Intellectual Property Office.

Exports of makgeolli continue to rise, on the back of ever-increasing overseas demand.

Outbound shipments reached $751,000 in January, nearly a six-fold jump from a year ago. Makgeolli exports were tallied at 806 tons, 6.8 times the figure recorded in the same period last year.

hckim@koreatimes.co.kr



막걸리 품질인증제도 시행

막걸리를 비롯한 전통술에 새로운 품질인증제가 8월부터 도입된다고 농식품부가 8일 발표했다. 이는 품질 향상을 도모하기 위한 조치다.

이 제도가 시행되면 농식품부는 정부가 세운 기준에 맞는 막걸리 병에 품질인증마크를 발행하게 된다.

이 제도는 쌀로 만든 술을 대상으로 먼저 시행된 뒤 내년에는 모든 주류로 확대될 계획이다.

현재는 국세청이 이 제도의 관리를 맡고 있지만, 전통술 진흥 업무는 농식품부로 넘어가게 된다.