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Jipyeong Brewery expects record 2025 sales with steady popularity of makgeolli
Jipyeong Brewery's Cheonan manufacturing plant in South Chungcheong Province / Courtesy of Jipyeong Brewery
By Ko Dong-hwan
Major Korean makgeolli maker Jipyeong Brewery said Friday it expects record sales in 2025, cementing its position in the country’s traditional fermented rice alcoholic beverage market.
The company said it expects to extend its streak of record annual revenue to a 16th consecutive year, a run that began after it posted 200 million won ($135,740) in sales in 2010. The company noted that the financial result is meaningful as it came amid a protracted slowdown in Korean liquor industries.
Jipyeong in 2024 posted 46.9 billion won in sales and 3.7 billion won in operating profit. Alongside its rising revenue, the company has maintained operating profit in the range of 3.6 billion won to 7 billion won over the past five years, indicating relatively stable profitability.
Jipyeong Brewery's Jipyeong Makgeolli 1925
Jipyeong said the consistent sales growth over 16 years proves the company did not rely on any popular hit product or trend. It said the performance rather was due to the firm’s structural competitiveness across ingredients, quality and logistics.
It also attributed its steady growth to its expansion into overseas markets. Jipyeong now exports to 15 countries, with last year's exports jumping more than five times from the previous year.
Jipyeong began as a small brewery in Jipyeong village in Yangpyeong County, Gyeonggi Province, and has been scaling up its production by setting up breweries in Gangwon Province and South Chungcheong Province.
The Yangpyeong brewery became a nationally registered cultural heritage in 2014 due to its historical presence and, after being renovated, became a museum last July.
“Jipyeong does not compromise on quality. By using domestic rice, we’ll build up global competitiveness to become the most reputable and marketable traditional liquor,” a Jipyeong official said.