A new local alcoholic beverage, made of Jeju mandarin oranges, is soon to hit retail stores. Joseph Kim has more.
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Sinrye-ri, Namwon-eup, Seogwipo

This is a brewery in Namwon-eup, Seogwipo.
The production line is busy making Hondiju(혼디주)… a fermented Jeju citrus wine.

Instead of using juice concentrate… the beverage uses freshly squeezed tangerine extract… which gives it an extra clean aftertaste.

[INTERVIEW]
Kim Gong-ryul / CEO, Citrus Agricultural Co. Ltd.
It is made of undiluted juice extracts. Try it and you’ll notice it tastes fresh and smooth.
김공률 / 농업회사법인 시트러스 대표이사
감귤 원액으로 제작한 것입니다. 맛을 보시면 신선하고 부드러운 맛이 있습니다.

The citrus wine is the latest local alcoholic beverage out on the market, currently dominated by local soju, beer and makgeolli (막걸리). 3 billion won went into creating this beverage since the project was launched in 2013 by the Tangerine Premium Alcoholic Beverage Project Team in Seowgwipo Jeju.

The team includes local tangerine farmers who invested in building the factory and also currently help to run it.

[INTERVIEW]
Kim Chang-hyuk / Village leader, Sinrye 1-ri, Namwon-eup
They say the next big thing for the mandarin industry is processing. More than 140 farms invested in this project over the past five years to get it off the ground.
김창혁 / 남원읍 신례1리장
감귤 산업은 이제 가공으로 가야 산다고 해서 5년 동안 140여 농가가 출자를 하면서 이 사업을 시작하게 됐습니다.

The team is also in the spotlight for not only processing the product but for manufacturing and selling it… becoming a model case for the sixth industry of agriculture.

[INTERVIEW]
Hyun Eul-saeng / Seogwipo mayor
Today marks a new beginning for Seogwipo as the main producing area of Jeju mandarins. It’s an opportunity for the fruit to regain competitiveness.
현을생 / 서귀포시장
오늘은 서귀포가 감귤 주산지로서 다시 탄생하는 날이기도 합니다. 원물로 승부를 걸 수 없는 위기에 또 하나의 기회를 맞이하게 됐습니다.

Camera]
Hyeon Gwang-hoon

Hondiju will first be sold at restaurants in downtown Seogwipo. Then in October, it will hit shelves at Jeju’s major retail stores.

[REPORTER]
Joseph Kim

As Jeju tangerines on their own continue to lose competitiveness, many hope the release of Hondiju will open doors to a new way of popularizing the fruit.

Joseph Kim KCTV