![Baek Kyung-hoon, CEO of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Development Corporation, speaks at a press conference. [Photo=Jeju Development Corporation]](https://image.ajunews.com/content/image/2025/10/01/20251001121230765764.jpg)
SEOUL, October 02 (AJP) - For nearly three decades, Jeju Samdasoo has dominated South Korea’s bottled water market. Now, the company is turning to international markets in search of growth, as competition at home intensifies and consumer habits shift.
Baek Kyung-hoon, chief executive of Jeju Development Corporation, which produces Samdasoo, said the company is targeting 600 billion won, or about $435 million, in revenue by 2035.
“Domestically, our real competitors are coffee and water purifiers, not bottled water brands,” Baek told reporters Wednesday, noting that the market is crowded with more than 300 rivals and showing signs of stagnation.
Samdasoo has maintained its No. 1 position at home, he said, thanks to strict quality controls, from water sourcing to distribution.
Overseas, the company currently exports to 17 countries, accounting for 60 percent of South Korea’s bottled water exports. But sales rely heavily on tourists and expatriates. “We need strategies targeting local consumers for sustainable growth,” Baek said.
In Southeast Asia, Samdasoo is testing new tactics: using influencers and student ambassadors for social media campaigns in the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam, while expanding retail displays. In China, the company is considering packaging tailored to local preferences, such as paper packs. In smaller markets, Samdasoo plans to start with online channels before building offline distribution.
The expansion comes with thinner margins, given higher logistics and promotional costs. But Baek emphasized long-term growth over short-term profits, pointing to recent years of double-digit export gains.
The company is also betting on sustainability as a differentiator. It has pledged to cut plastic use by half by 2030 under its “Green Whole Process” initiative. Samdasoo has already light-weighted its bottles and plans to make more than 90 percent of products label-free by next year. A new smart factory, due in 2027, will specialize in recycled and bio-based PET.
Baek said he hopes to leave behind a stronger foundation for global expansion. “We need to sharpen our identity as a brand that is not just from Jeju, but for the world,” he said.
* This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP.
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