HiteJinro breaks ground on soju plant in Thai Binh

Covering 8.2 hectares, the soju plant is scheduled for completion in November 2026. The plant is scheduled to undergo a trial run and be put into mass production in 2027.

In the first stage, the plant is expected to achieve an annual capacity of one million cases, before HiteJinro expands and optimises the production process to raise annual production capacity to five million cases. The products will serve the Vietnamese and global markets.

The plant will be equipped with modern technologies and advanced production processes to ensure quality in line with international standards. In particular, HiteJinro is committed to sustainable development by building an eco-friendly plant, tightly controlling carbon emissions, and optimising energy. On top of this, the project is expected to create thousands of jobs, contributing to the economic development of Thai Binh.

Kim In Kyu, general director of HiteJinro Group, said, "It is significant to break ground for our first overseas production facility in Vietnam, which is the starting point for exporting soju overseas. The Vietnam plant will serve as a springboard for expanding into the global market."

HiteJinro will open its first overseas brewery in Vietnam in 2026 as part of a grand plan to boost foreign sales of its soju products to 500 billion won ($345 million) by 2030.

South Korean soju maker HiteJinro will spend $100 million building a manufacturing plant in the northern province of Thai Binh, turning Vietnam into its first overseas manufacturing base.

Hitejinro Co., South Korea’s leading beverage company, will start construction of its $100 million soju plant in Thai Binh in the first quarter of 2025, according to the leaders of Thai Thuy district and HinteJinro on June 13.

Vietnam remains a magnet for major South Korean investors, and a basis for them to reach out globally, nearly 10 years after a major free trade deal between the pair materialised.