historic breakthrough in the soju market, in terms of its quality, brand power, and sales volume. Chamisul was initially launched as a 23% ABV product when it was released. It has subsequently been revised to 20.1% ABV, while its sister sub-branding "Chamisul Fresh" is sold at 17.2% ABV. These two brands are currently leading the domestic soju market. The brand has gained huge popularity by using bamboo charcoal filtration method since its launch. The recipe has also been renewed seven times since. Chamisul has become a common placeword for soju in South Korea. The brand has been holding a 50% (or more) share of the domestic market since two years after its initial release. Impact on Korean drinking culture Hitejinro’s product line includes six beers, most notably the Hite label; seven soju lines, including the Korean favorite, Chamisul; two whiskey variations; and one wine. Together, this has garnered them a sizeable market share. Hite Brewery Co., Ltd. is the leading player in the Korean alcoholic drinks market, generating a 50.2% share. Jinro's brand of soju is the biggest-selling spirit in the world, according to a survey by the UK-based Drinks International magazine, easily outselling vodka and whisky brands last year. Average adult annual consumption of spirits in South Korea is 9.57 liters, the world’s highest, according to 2005 data from the World Health Organization published last year. The Korean landscape of drinking has resulted in numerous street brawls, increased family violence and other crimes involving drinking. This prevalent problem is further exacerbated due to very minimal government punishment when a crime is committed with alcohol. Due to these occurrences, Hite-Jinro has begun putting warning labels on bottles of Chamisul and Beer products with messages reading: "No more drunken violence! Let's improve wrong drinking culture!" "We felt tremendously responsible for social problems caused by drinking... we will help with efforts to change our drinking culture to a more positive one," said a sales manager at Hite-Jinro, quoted in Chosun Ilbo newspaper. Expansion outside Korea Soju sales are soaring and foreign companies are considering buying into one of the few Korean industries to relish the economic crisis. But outsiders face tough, patriotic competition. With HiteJinro's most notable drink, Soju, it has quickly gained momentum and popularity as a vodka substitute. The spirit, which is distilled from rice, barley, and koji, has become a popular import; though, with the company operating in Russia,