60 Years of Fermentation
Daesong Corporation’s fermented seasoning brand “Miwon” was selected as a “World Class Product” by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE). Miwon is the nation’s first seasoning and has been a popular ingredient in Korean food for the past 60 years. It is made by fermenting sugar cane and can be used in many dishes to add tasty flavor.
With the latest selection, Daesang has a total of seven world leading products: Jonga Jip kimchi in 2001; Chrolera in 2004; Sunchang Gochujang, or hot pepper paste, in 2005; Meat Marinade in 2010; Chunilyum, or roasted salt, in 2011; and Hongcho, or a blueberry vinegar drink, in 2014.
The birth of Miwon dates back nearly 60 years. In the mid-1950s, Daesang Group founder and Chairman Lim Dae-hong personally moved to Japan, learned the manufacturing method of “glutamine acid,” which makes flavor, and returned to Korea. Then, he founded Daesang as Dong-A Whasung Industrial Co., and launched Miwon. It was the nation’s first fermented seasoning created by domestic capital and its own technology.
Currently, overseas sales of Miwon far surpass that of Korea. While the brand chalked up 95.3 billion won (US$80.97 million) and 100.5 billion won (US$85.39 million) in domestic sales in 2013 and 2014, respectively, it posted 178 billion won (US$151.23 million) and 188.7 billion won (US$160.32 million) in global sales in 2013 and 2014, mainly in Indonesia and Vietnam. Its overseas sales were almost twice as much as domestic sales. Also, it showed more distinguished growth in other countries. Miwon saw an increase of 25 billion won (US$21.24 million) in domestic sales in the last 25 years from 1990 to 2014, while its global sales, including exports, went up by more than 140 billion won (US$118.95 million).