2. Product Categories

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Beers, RTDs, Whisky
South Korea

This section provides the regulatory definition of the food category in scope, or the appropriate food category for the product in scope. Additionally, it provides the food products that belong to this food category along with the definition and specific information on each of these types of food products.

2.1 Category Name & Definition

General Food

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Category Name

Alcoholic Beverages

Alcoholic beverages refer to alcoholic liquors manufactured/processed by fermenting and distilling starch ingredients such as grains, etc. or glycoprotein ingredients such as fruits, etc. used as main ingredients, as set forth by the Liquor Tax Act, such as fermented alcoholic beverages, distilled alcoholic beverages, other alcoholic beverages, and spirits (Section 5.15 of [1]).

Alcoholic beverages include:

Ethyl alcohol that can be diluted for drinking, including crude ethanol, which cannot be consumed directly due to impurities but can be refined for consumption.
Beverages with an alcohol content of 1% or more.
Beverages that ferment within the container using only the raw materials for alcoholic beverages, without any additional inputs after being imported or leaving the manufacturing site, become beverages with an alcohol content of 1% or more. (Article 2 of [2])

Fermented Alcoholic Beverages refer to Takju (Korean turbid rice wine), Yakju (Korean clear rice wine), Cheongju (Korean refined rice wine), beer, and fruit wine prepared by fermenting them with starchy materials, such as grains, or glycoprotein ingredients such as fruits, as the main ingredients. (Section 5.15-1 of [1])
Distilled alcoholic beverages refer to products made by fermenting whole-material raw materials such as grains or sugar-based raw materials such as fruits, etc., as the main raw materials, distilling them, or storing them in a wooden container. (Section 5.15-2 of [1])
Spirits refer to products manufactured by fermenting and distilling starch or saccharide ingredients or by distilling crude spirits, and can be consumed as a beverage after dilution; except for crude spirits that cannot be consumed for direct drinking unless they are refined due to impurities contained, but can be consumed as such, if refined. (Section 5.15-4 of [1])
Other alcoholic beverages refer to liquors other than those included in Fermented alcoholic beverages, Distilled alcoholic beverages, or Spirits. (Section 5.15-3 of [1]).

2.2 Product & Definition

1) Beer

Definition

Beer is classified under category A - “Fermented Alcoholic Beverages”.

Beer is defined in (Section 5.15-1.4)(4) of the Food Code as per below [1]:

Beer refers to a fermented alcoholic beverage made using malted barley, hops, starchy materials, water, and other ingredients. It can be produced through fermentation and filtration, and may also include the addition of starch-containing materials, sugars, caramel, carbon dioxide, or spirits during the fermentation and production process.

Beer is further classified into the following in Annex 1 of the Liquor Tax Act [2]:

Beer made by fermenting malted barley, hops (including hop extracts), and water, or by filtering the fermented mixture.
Beer made by fermenting malted barley, hops, one or more of the following ingredients, and water, or by filtering the fermented mixture:
1. Ingredients containing starch
2. Sugars
3. Caramel
4. Other ingredients specified by the Presidential Decree
Beer produced by mixing or adding alcoholic beverages or ingredients specified by Presidential Decree during the fermentation and production process of the alcoholic beverages described in 1) or 2) of this section, with artificial carbonation, and within the alcohol content range specified by Presidential Decree.
Beer made by storing the alcoholic beverages described in 1) to 3) of this section in wooden barrels.

Specifications/Target Age

Methanol (mg/mL): Not more than 0.5
The target age is covered in Section 4.5 of this guidebook.

Additional Information

Methanol should be tested in accordance with section 8, 6.7.1.1 of the Food Code [1].

2) Ready-to-drink beverages (mainly Chuhai)

Definition

Ready-to-drink beverages (mainly Chuhai) are classified under category D - “Other Alcoholic Beverages”. These pre-mixed alcoholic drinks typically combine spirits or distilled alcohol with flavored mixers like fruit juices, soda, or tonic water.

Other Alcoholic Beverages are classified into the following subcategories (Annex 1 of [2]):

Substances in powder form that can be dissolved to produce beverages with an alcohol content of at least 1 degree.
Alcoholic beverages produced through fermentation that are not covered under the category “Fermented Alcoholic Beverages”.
Beverages created by adding distilled spirits to rice and nuruk (a type of grain koji, where molds are cultured by inoculating rice) and then filtering. Alternatives include those made by filtering after adding ingredients specified by a Presidential Decree.
Drinks made by blending those produced through fermentation with those categorized as “Spirits” and “Distilled Alcoholic Beverages”, excluding those specified in “Fermented Alcoholic Beverages".
All other alcoholic beverages not included in the categories of “Fermented Alcoholic Beverages”, “Distilled Alcoholic Beverages”, “Spirits” or items A to D of the above.

Generally, ready-to-drink beverages (mainly Chuhai) do not belong to any specified categories and, therefore, fall under item E of “Other Alcoholic Beverages”. However, it is important to remember that depending on the drink formulation and its manufacturing method, it could potentially fall under a specified category.

Specifications/Target Age

Methanol (mg/mL): Not more than 1.0
The target age is covered in Section 4.5 of this guidebook.

Additional Information

Methanol should be tested in accordance with section 8, 6.7.1.1 of the Food Code [1].

3) Whisky

Definition

Whisky is classified under category B - “Distilled Alcoholic Beverages”.

Whisky is defined in (Section 5.15-2.4)(2) of the Food Code as per below [1]:

Whisky is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from a mash of fermented grains, using malted grains and water as the main ingredients or a combination of malted grains, water, and other grains. It is aged in wooden barrels for at least one year and may also include the addition of spirits or other ingredients.

Whisky is classified into the following in Annex 1 of the Liquor Tax Act [2]:

Distilled liquor made from germinated grains and water as raw materials and stored in a wooden barrel.
Made by the germinated grain and the liquor that fermented the grain with the water then distilled and aged in wooden barrels.
Made by combining distilled mash from A and distilled mash from B, then aging it in wooden casks.
Made by blending the liquors produced by 1) and 2).
Made by mixing or adding liquors or materials specified by Presidential Decree to the liquors produced by methods 1) to 3).

Specifications/Target Age