Jeju Samdasoo, a bottled water brand that has become synonymous with purity and quality, has once again proven its dominance in the industry by winning the grand prize in the bottled water category at the 2025 Korea Master Brand Awards. This marks the 10th consecutive year that Jeju Samdasoo has received this prestigious accolade, underscoring its commitment to consumer satisfaction and excellence.
The Korea Master Brand Awards, established to recognize luxury brands that enhance domestic consumption and quality, are awarded based on rigorous evaluations by experts from academia and industry. The awards aim to strengthen national competitiveness by highlighting brands that have achieved significant market share and customer approval. Jeju Samdasoo, which represents the natural beauty of Jeju Island, has maintained its position as the number one bottled water brand in South Korea since its launch in 1998.
Collected from a single source on Hallasan Mountain, Jeju Samdasoo is drawn from an altitude of 1,450 meters. The water is naturally purified as it filters through volcanic rock for 31 years, resulting in a product that retains its natural minerals. The Jeju Development Corporation (JDC), which oversees the brand, has implemented stringent quality control measures to ensure that the water remains uncontaminated. Remarkably, the company has not faced a single water quality issue since its inception.
To further protect the water source, the JDC has acquired land equivalent to approximately 100 soccer fields (7.166 million square meters), effectively blocking any potential contamination. The company also operates 58 monitoring stations around the water source to keep a close eye on groundwater levels, water quality, and soil conditions.
This year, Jeju Samdasoo has taken significant steps toward sustainability by reducing the weight of its product containers by about 12% and increasing their compressive strength by 15%. These changes are expected to result in annual reductions of 3,400 tons in plastic usage and 8,000 tons in carbon emissions. Baek Kyung-hoon, CEO of the JDC, emphasized the company's commitment to preserving the value of the Hallasan water source and creating a sustainable future through eco-friendly management practices.
In a parallel achievement, Yeongwol County has also made headlines by being recognized as the most cultural city in South Korea. On March 28, 2025, the county announced that it received the grand prize in the cultural city category at the 2025 Korea Master Brand Awards. This recognition comes as part of an event that evaluated 49 brands across various fields, solidifying Yeongwol's place among the luxury brand ranks due to its cultural value and policy achievements.
Yeongwol County has a rich history of accolades in the cultural sector. It has previously won the grand prize in the national single autonomous body category at the 5th Korea Cultural Value Awards, as well as the grand prize in the policy brand category at the 2nd Korea Public Brand Awards. Furthermore, it was recognized as the best cultural city in the 2024 evaluation by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
A county official expressed that this latest award will enhance Yeongwol's identity and status as a cultural city. The official stated, "This award will further solidify Yeongwol's identity and status as a cultural city and that they will actively discover regional cultural resources and do their best to revitalize the region through culture." This commitment to cultural development reflects a broader trend in South Korea, where cities are increasingly leveraging their unique cultural assets to attract tourism and investment.
Both Jeju Samdasoo and Yeongwol County exemplify the potential for brands and regions to thrive through a focus on quality and cultural heritage. As they continue to receive national recognition, they set a standard for others to follow in the pursuit of excellence and sustainability.
