Cheong Kwan Jang’s line of health products made of deer antler extract Cheon Nok has been gaining growing popularity among middle-aged consumers, Korea Ginseng Corp. said Tuesday.

The domestic manufacturer of red ginseng products has launched Cheon Nok Sam, red ginseng and deer antler velvet premium extract, buoyed by the popularity of deer antler extracts in Korea and China, which make up 80 percent of the market worldwide.

The product is specifically targeted at seniors who are seeking ways to recover their strength. According to the KGC, 90 percent of Cheon Nok Sam customers are over 40 years old, with 30 percent over 60.

The successful sales came with challenges, such as in commercializing the deer antler extracts amid widespread illegal distribution of the ingredients.

The KGC spent three years searching for high quality pure deer antlers, eventually sourcing them from New Zealand.

The brand is known for strict quality control on its red ginseng products, with the inspection categories four times stricter than legal requirements.

Such procedures have also been applied to the deer antler extracts. The KGC conducts 60 disease safety tests on the deer antlers with the help of a government branch from New Zealand, prior to eight stages of safety assessments.

Cheon Nok Sam has also brought convenience to consumers by incorporating red ginseng and deer antler extracts together, allowing both ingredients to be taken at once.

With the increasing popularity of Cheon Nok Sam, the company has created its own premium deer antler brand Cheon Nok which refers to deer antlers from heaven.

Two new products have been added under the brand name. Cheon Nok Extract Every Time comes in sachets that are easy to carry around for those that travel. Cheon Nok Tonic is a mixture of various medicinal herbs that helps boost one’s stamina.

“The KGC will listen to our customers’ opinions in releasing new products and make efforts in upgrading the quality of our deer antler products,” said the brand manager of KGC.

By Yim Ji-min (jiminy@heraldcorp.com)