South Korean liquor maker HiteJinro said Friday it will renew its flagship soju product Chamisul Fresh, lowering the alcoholic content by 0.1 percent to 16.9 percent to match with rival soju brands.

Chamisul Fresh is the No. 1 soju brand by sales here.

According to the company, the renewed Chamisul Fresh is produced by applying different manufacturing techniques and it will also change part of the package design, to add Environmental Product Declaration mark issued by Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute.

The EPD system evaluates and makes public information regarding a product’s influence on the environment, which is caused during the production process. HiteJinro said it is the first liquor company to receive the EPD mark.

The liquor maker’s other soju products, Chamisul Original and Jinro will maintain the same alcohol proof of 20.1 percent and 16.9 percent, respectively.

“As the trend of lower proof alcohol and environment-friendly products are strengthened around the world, and we were able to renew our product that fits that trend,” a HiteJinro official said.

“As the leading liquor maker in South Korea, we will listen to customers and stand in the front to expand the domestic market and globalize soju.”

From HiteJinro’s renewal, major soju products here now appear to be unified with the alcohol content of 16.9 percent. HiteJinro’s Jinro and rival Lotte Liquor’s Chum-Churum all have alcohol content of 16.9 percent.

By Jo He-rim (herim@heraldcorp.com)