Jinro, one of the most popular Korean soju brands, has been named this year's Supreme Brand Champion by a British magazine, Jinro's maker said Thursday.

Jinro won the accolade in the annual report issued by The Spirits Business, according to HiteJinro Co.

This is the first time Jinro has won the supreme title. Jinro was named the local spirits brand champion in 2018 and 2021.

Jinro brand includes plain soju products -- Chamisul and Jinro -- as well as flavored soju products.

HiteJinro said its distilled rice liquor brand won the title as it was the most sold spirits brand in the world in 2022 and achieved growth in domestic and overseas sales despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year, Jinro sold 100.9 million 9-liter cases worldwide, up 6.8 percent from a year earlier, surpassing the 100 million mark for the first time.

Exports of Jinro to the North and South Americas shot up 82.4 percent on-year in 2022, while HiteJinro's sales in China jumped 30 percent on-year.

According to The Spirits Business, Hwang Jung-ho, the managing director of HiteJinro's overseas business, said the company will work to continuously develop a distribution network to ensure consumers can easily access its products anytime and anywhere.

Jinro's products are available at major liquor retail chains, including Total Wine & More, Bevmo!, Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods, and some Costco and Target stores in the United States.

Hwang also told the magazine the company plans to launch new products to strengthen its portfolio in the mid to long term.

"Due to the Korean Wave and the world's interest in Korean culture, I predict that the demand for soju will increase for the time being," Hwang said. (Yonhap)