Korea’s most popular alcoholic drink, soju 소주 is widely available in every bar, convenience store and supermarket. And soju is surprisingly cheap making it one of the least expensive drinks in Korea (often cheaper than mineral water and soft drinks) – another reason to love South Korea!
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From neat soju and various flavours to using a soju blender at a Korean bar like Yeokjeon Halmek (AKA Grandma’s Beer), there are many ways to sup soju.
Yes this is one cool ‘sool’ (술 Korean for alcoholic drink) and soju is a popular topic of conversation in our South Korea Travel Tips and Planning Facebook group – especially the low price of soju in South Korea.
Please also remember the legal drinking age in Korea is 19 years old and above – and the youngest person drinking should be the first to pour for everyone.
Geonbae 건배 to our South Korea soju guide!
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What is soju 소주?
Reminiscent a little of vodka but usually not as strong, soju is a clear distilled alcoholic drink that is often made from ethanol and water, and best served chilled.
Soju was traditionally made from fermented rice and distilled from alcohol (and still is at some of the older Korean soju breweries like Andong) but not so much today in modern day South Korea (as it can be made cheaper using other grains and chemicals).
In Korean, soju 소주 derives from the term meaning ‘burnt liquor’ and was first said to have been brewed in Korea as early as the 13th century.
Famous soju brands include Jinro Chamisul, Lotte Chum Churum and Good Day – Jinro is easy to spot as it is promoted by a cartoon frog (you’ll see the frog outside bars and restaurants all over Korea). Jinro is the biggest soju brand in Korea accounting for over 50% of the annual soju sales.
Soju can be drunk neat or mixed (e.g. with flavoured sugar syrup). One of the most common ways to drink soju (and often seen in K-Dramas) is to have a ‘soju bomb’.
A soju bomb (poktan-ju 폭탄주) is when you drop a shot of soju straight into a beer and drink it as one. You can also combine beer and soju to make a cocktail called Somaek 소맥. They are easy to order in many Korean bars.
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Soju prices in South Korea 2025
Soju is VERY cheap in South Korea – for a standard bottle in a CU convenience store or a 7-Eleven store, it usually costs around 1,800 won per bottle (around £1, $1.30 USD, $2 AUD and $1.70 SGD).
These Korean soju prices are based on the popular brands Jinro Chamisul and Lotte Chum Churum as of our last visit to Seoul in May 2025.
In fact, if you buy it from supermarkets, it is sometimes a little cheaper and we’ve seen soju start from as low as 1,400 won.
Expect to pay 3,000 to 5,000 won upwards for soju in bars and restaurants.
In our South Korea Facebook group, there was recently a very popular post about how much foreigners pay in their home country for soju compared to Korea. Read the post here >
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Korean Soju Flavours
Although drinking soju neat and plain is very common, there are an increasing amount of soju flavours being launched and available in Korean convenience stores.
These include:
- Strawberry soju
- Plum soju
- Grape soju (our least favourite flavoured soju – it reminded us of cleaning products)
- Grapefruit soju
- Blueberry soju
- Apple soju (we really like this one)
- Lychee soju
- Peach soju
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Soju Museum and tastings
There are various Soju museums and tasting centers including the famous museum at Andong Soju Brewery.
This one is a LOT stronger than traditional 16% to 20% ABV you’d typically associate with soju (e.g. the famous / common Jinro is 16.5%) – however at Andong Soju Brewery, it is as strong as 45% ABV (so definitely drink responsibly).
At the museum, you can learn about how soju is traditionally distilled (very different from the mass produced versions), drinking customs and how best to pair your food with soju.
Pay a visit to the Andong Soju Brewery and museum >
Or try one of the soju tasting sessions across South Korea:
Seoul Soju tasting experience at a distillery >
Makgeolli and soju brewing experience in Jeju >
Korea liquor class: make your own soju in Seoul >
Traditional soju making experience in Gyeongju >
Heokjeon Halmek / Grandma’s Beer – a fun place for cheap soju
Korea’s biggest bar and pub chain, Yeokjeon Halmek (known affectionately as Grandma’s Beer – or Grandmother’s Beer 역전할머니맥주) has been around since 1982 and has around 1,000 bars in South Korea.
We also enjoyed using the mini soju blender – a large bottle of ‘gold’ soju with a side mixer and the blender costs 6,000 won. We felt like we were in the movie ‘Cocktail’ when using it! And I think I am Tom Cruise too after several sojus.
A bottle of soju costs around 5,000 won – as a comparison, the same brand in CU or 7-Eleven is usually 1,800 won to 2,500 won so it isn’t too badly priced.
You might like our guide to eating and drinking at Heokjeon Halmek / Grandma’s Beer >
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Interesting Article. Thank you for the tips on the restaurant as well as the brewery. Good to know about the prices and the importance in the Korean culture. Enjoyed reading what you had to say and like the variety in the different flavors of the Soju. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to going to Korea next summer and will employ some of these tips.