A businessman has filed a complaint with the prosecution against Lotte Chilsung Beverage over the safety of the regenerated alkaline water it uses to make soju.

Kim Mun-jae, CEO of Chafko, an eco-friendly material producer, said on Wednesday that he sued the liquor manufacturer for violating the food hygiene law by using regenerated alkaline water in Cheoumcheoreom, the brand’s popular soju.

Lotte Chilsung Beverage has been using the water, which has a lower acidity level than natural water, as the base of Cheoumcheoreom since the soju’s release in 2006.

“Lotte Chilsung Beverage is producing and selling soju, and illegally received a license for the use of electrolyzed water which is not classified as drinking water according to the drinking water control law,” said Kim in the bill of indictment he sent to Songpa Police Station.

In a request he sent to Lotte, he asserted that although the Food & Drug Administration said that electrolyzed alkaline water can be used to make food and beverages given that it meets drinking water quality, the Environment Ministry’s interpretation forbids it.

“The Legislative Office also requested the Korean Food & Drug Administration to fix the document, saying that only water approved to be appropriate for drinking by passing the drinking water quality level test can be used to make food and beverages. Lotte Chilsung Beverage must show legal evidence that it was approved according to the drinking water control law,” he said.

Lotte, however, announced through its website that it will take legal action against malicious rumors, adding that the Supreme Court had already ordered a “malicious” person surnamed Kim to pay 20 million won ($17,000) for spreading rumors since the soju’s release in 2006.

It argued that the water was approved by the National Tax Service’s research center and the Legislative Office in 2006, Korean Food and Drug Administration in 2007 and the Supreme Court in 2011. The Office of Patent Administration and many research centers also proved the safety of the water, it added.

Lotte plans to demonstrate the process for making regenerated alkaline water at the International Food Industry Exhibition Seoul 2012, which will take place through Friday at Kintex, Gyeonggi Province.

By Park Min-young  (claire@heraldcorp.com)