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04:09 KST 10°C Cloudy
KOSPI 5,290.53 −1.58%
KOSDAQ 699.66 −0.77%
Samsung Elec. 206,000 +0.00%
SK Hynix 1,216,000 −4.78%
USD/KRW 1,336.06 −0.01%
New Most Popular Games in Korea: 7 PC Bang Favorites Explained
New Korean Currency (원): 4 Banknotes, 4 Coins and Who’s on Them
New North Korea at Night: Why the 2014 Space Photo Is So Dark
New Why Is Korea Divided? The 1945 Line That Became the DMZ
New Korean Perm (펌): Digital, Down Perm, C-Curl and 7 More

What Is Soju (소주)? Strength, Somaek and the 2-Hand Pour

November 13, 2026November 13, 2026 K-Food 12 min read

Soju bottles in a glass recycling bin, near apartment complex, in Korea (what is soju)

The short answer to what is soju: a clear Korean spirit of roughly 16 to 21% alcohol in a green bottle. It tastes like a softer, slightly sweet vodka, it’s built for sharing in small shot glasses with food, and in Korea it shows up at nearly every barbecue table, office dinner and late-night street tent.