HiteJinro’s Kelly sells 360m bottles in first year

South Korean liquor giant HiteJinro said Tuesday that its beer brand Kelly had exceeded 360 million bottles in sales as of March 26, a significant milestone within one year of its launch in April 2023.

This achievement is equivalent to selling 11.5 bottles every second, the company said.

Kelly's performance has propelled HiteJinro's sales growth. Last year, the liquor manufacturer posted 823.3 billion won ($607.6 million) in beer sales, marking a 5 percent increase from the previous year.

According to HiteJinro, Kelly set a new record for the fastest sales pace in the history of South Korea's beer industry, surpassing 100 million bottles sold within just 99 days of its release. The market response prompted the company to ramp up Kelly's production by 400 percent more than initially planned.

Kelly's success also saw HiteJinro clinching the top spot in the beer section of major supermarkets in the country for the first time in 12 years, the company said.

"Aiming to solidify its position as the leader in the country's beer industry, HiteJinro will continue to intensify its marketing efforts for the upcoming summer season," said a HiteJinro official.

Meanwhile, HiteJinro secured rights to supply Kelly beer to nine out of the 10 major professional baseball clubs in the country, targeting the KBO season that opened March 23.