[THE INVESTOR] Sales of Hite Jinro’s soju exceeded the 1 trillion won (US$882 million) mark last year for the first time since its debut in 1998, the company said on April 18.

Chamisul soju sales hit 1.009 trillion won last year with a total of 1.7 billion bottles sold. The company attributes the rise to people consuming more soju amid the protracted economic slump and the alleged corruption scandal involving then-President Park Geun-hye, senior government officials and owners of big businesses.

Chamisul controls about 50 percent of the country’s traditional distilled liquor market.

By Alex Lee and newswires (alexlee@heraldcorp.com)