South Korean women – and some men too – like these low-alcohol drinks

Soju makers in South Korea are targeting women with fruit-flavored drinks. Photos: Reuters

A wave of new, summery drinks is taking over Korea. Marketed almost exclusively towards women, the fruit-flavoured sojus and alcopops are low in alcohol, high in sugar and raise some interesting questions about how women are perceived and marketed to in a country that still has some of the worst gender-equality outcomes in the world.

Soju is similar to vodka, but with about half the alcohol content of most spirits. It is extremely popular in hard-drinking South Korea – especially among men. Keen to tap into the female market, soju makers have for years been lowering the alcohol content and experimenting with different, sweeter varieties to attract women.