David Blecken
Jul 13, 2012

Hite-Jinro warning portends possible crackdown on alcohol in Korea

SEOUL – Hite-Jinro has introduced warning labels on its products to deter Korean drinkers from committing acts of violence while under the influence.

Hite-Jinro is Korea's leading alcoholic drinks producer
Hite-Jinro is Korea's leading alcoholic drinks producer

According to a report by AFP, the company’s soju and beer bottles now bear messages that translate as ‘No more drunken violence’ and ‘Let’s improve wrong drinking culture’. A spokesperson was quoted in the Chosun Ilbo, a national newspaper, as taking responibility "for social problems caused by drinking" and hoping to make drinking culture "more positive".

Hite-Jinro is the biggest producer of alcoholic drinks in the country, and its Jinro soju product has been ranked as the world’s best-selling alcohol brand, having sold more than 61 million cases last year.

Korea is known for its culture of hard drinking, and reports of alcohol-fuelled violence are common. However, sentencing of perpetrators is typically lenient if they are found not to have been in full control of their faculties at the time of the incident, leading to a degree of public opposition to drinks companies.

Adam O’Neill, general manager of GroupM Korea, speculated that Hite-Jinro might have been under government pressure to introduce the labels. He added that the labels themselves were unlikely to spur more responsible behaviour if not part of a wider corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative.

Restrictions could be on the way. Public pressure recently led to the submission of a bull to ban celebrities and athletes under 25 from appearing in alcoholic drinks advertising. The government is also reportedly seeking to ban alcohol advertising on outdoor billboards and public transport.

Drinks brands are ubiquitous on large format billboards, and Hite is currently running a 3D installation for its beer brand in Seoul's Gangnam district, an area frequented by students. It has also featured celebrities such as Lee Yeon Hee and Hyun Bin in its TV commercials, apparently aimed at younger drinkers. Last year, competitor Cass produced a full-length K-pop video to promote its beer. The approach has been credited with surging alcohol consumption among young Korean women in recent years.

However, alcohol brands are prohibited from advertising hard liquor on TV, with beer and soju advertising permitted only after 10pm. Cinema and subway advertising is also banned.

Source:
Campaign Asia

Related Articles

Just Published

2 hours ago

40 Under 40 2024: Tom Geekie, Jaywing

His progressive leadership has propelled Jaywing's growth to new heights as shown by a string of new clients, steady growth, and an assured DEI vision.

2 hours ago

Salesforce and Google expand partnership to boost ...

The collaboration offers businesses greater flexibility to develop tailored AI solutions, enabling faster and smarter customer service through multimodal capabilities, real-time insights and seamless platform integrations.

2 hours ago

DoubleVerify to add URL-level reporting amid CASM ...

DoubleVerify and Amazon Ads will introduce transparency upgrades after an Adalytics report linked their platforms to harmful content funding.

4 hours ago

Adland has the power to influence social media but ...

As governments worldwide enforce stricter social media laws, advertisers find themselves at a crossroads—use their influence to hold platforms accountable or risk increased criticism for staying silent?