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

Bottles of zero sugar soju are displayed, Aug. 14. From left, Saero, apricot-flavored Saero, plum-flavored Saero, Sunyang and Jinro. Korea Times photo by Kim Min-ji

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 just four months — a figure that underscores how quickly these lower-calorie options have taken hold.

Bottles of different soju brands are displayed at a convenience store in Seoul, Aug. 14. Korea Times photo by Kim Min-ji

However, being sugar free does not necessarily mean having significantly fewer calories.

For example, a bottle of Saero and Jinro sugar free has 326 kilocalories per bottle, while the average soju’s calories go up to 400 kcal.

In reality, most of the calorie drop comes from a modest 0.5 percent reduction in alcohol by volume, not the absence of sugar, according to The Korea Consumer Agency reports.

Standard diluted soju is typically 95 percent pure ethanol blended with water and small amounts of artificial or natural sweeteners, and contains very little actual sugar.

Alcohol itself is the main calorie contributor.

Zero sugar illusion?

Standard soju contains barely any sugar to begin with — just 0.12 grams per 100 milliliters, far below Korea’s 0.5 gram threshold for “sugar-free” labeling.

According to the Korea Consumer Agency, so-called zero sugar soju delivers only 2.85 to 13.87 percent fewer calories per 100 milliliters than its regular counterpart, a difference largely owed to its lower alcohol content.

However, many drinkers still perceive it as the healthier choice.

One teacher from Busan, Na Hyun-woo, said his girlfriend has preferred low-alcohol soju ever since she began working out. “She says it has no fructose, no sugar, fewer calories and is less likely to cause weight gain,” he said. “We often go for the zero sugar versions.”

“I usually don’t drink much,” he said. “But I liked Saero when I tried it before, and since it’s low-calorie and low-alcohol, I plan to share it with friends.”

A 2024 survey by the Korea Consumer Agency found that 68.6 percent of consumers assumed zero-sugar soju contained significantly fewer calories. Once they were told otherwise, the likelihood of purchase dropped from 43.2 percent to 36.6 percent. Among those who chose zero-sugar soju, 40.4 percent cited lower calories as the main reason, while 25.9 percent believed it would be “better for their health.”

In reality, zero-sugar soju replaces sugar with synthetic sweeteners — a controversial substitute. Experts caution that although sugar is removed, the drink is far from healthy.

“Even if you exercise after drinking, alcohol interferes with fat breakdown. Add snacks on top of that, and the potential for weight gain increases,” Oh Sang-woo, a professor of family medicine at Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, explained in a 2024 interview. “Alcohol can also hinder fat metabolism.”

The reason is simple. Alcohol itself is calorie-dense, delivering about 7 kcal per gram.

The body metabolizes ethanol as a toxin, prioritizing its breakdown over other nutrients, which can encourage fat storage.

Ultimately, experts stress moderation. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies alcohol as a carcinogen, warning that the safest level of consumption is none at all.

Zero sugar soju captures consumers by promising a healthier choice, but experts warn that while sugar is gone, the calorie and alcohol levels remain largely unchanged. gettyimagesbank

Marketing buzz

This gap between perception and reality may create a so-called “health halo” effect, where consumers feel they are making a healthy choice, leading them to consume more.

An official from The Korea Alcohol and Liquor Industry Association told Yonhap News Agency in 2023, “zero sugar soju is a step toward product diversification, but consumers should remember that alcohol’s health risks go beyond sugar content.”

The growing popularity of zero sugar soju aligns with broader wellness trends in Korea, where consumers increasingly seek to balance enjoyment with health consciousness. But experts argue that the so-called “zero sugar” battle is less about health and more of a marketing war aiming to capture consumer attention in an increasingly competitive alcohol market.

In the end, zero sugar soju may be less about cutting calories, and more about satisfying a thirst for health-conscious branding.

Kim Min-ji is a Korea Times intern.