Autodesk Beats Q1 Estimates, Acquires MaintainX for $3.6 Billion 
Nikkei Hits Record High as AI Chip Stocks Power Japan Market Rally 
S&P 500, Nasdaq Hit Record Highs as Iran Ceasefire Talks and AI Rally Boost Markets 
JPMorgan Sees Biotech Sector at Turning Point, Upgrades Top Pharma Stocks 
Oil Prices Set for Sharp Weekly Losses as U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Hopes Ease Supply Concerns 
US Imposes Fresh Iran Oil Sanctions Despite Progress on Ceasefire Talks 
Asian Markets Slide as New U.S. Strikes on Iran Spark Investor Caution 
SpaceX IPO Could Become Largest in History with $1.8 Trillion Valuation Target 
Canada and Germany Advance Major LNG Supply Partnership 
European EV Sales Surge in April 2026 as Tesla and Chinese Automakers Gain Ground 
MongoDB Q1 FY2027 Earnings Beat Expectations, Raises Full-Year Outlook 
Dell Raises 2027 Revenue Forecast as AI Server Demand Drives Record Quarterly Results 
NIO CEO Says China’s Auto Industry Has Passed Its Golden Era Amid Weak Car Sales 
Costco Q3 Fiscal 2026 Earnings Beat Expectations as Sales and E-Commerce Surge 
Dollar Gains Slightly as U.S.-Iran Tensions Keep Forex Markets on Edge 
Australia Sues 3M for Over A$2 Billion Over PFAS Firefighting Foam Contamination 
Universal Music Group Rejects Pershing Square Takeover Proposal 
HiteJinro, a South Korean distiller company that makes soju and beer, is in hot water after it was allegedly caught changing the labels of its soju drink bottles. Local industry officials said that the company is doing this illegal act with the intention of misleading the consumers.
The officials said on Wednesday, Feb. 15, that HiteJinro replaced the labels of its Jinro Soju brand to make it appear that they are the brand's Zero Sugar version. In truth, the alcohol content of the drinks is 16.5% and definitely has some levels of sugar in them.
The Zero Sugar soju is said to be the newer type of clear alcoholic drink and has recently become very popular, especially in restaurants around Seoul. This has 16% of alcohol content, and it is different from the regular Jinro soju because their ingredients are not the same.
Moreover, The Korea Times reported that, unlike the original version, Zero Sugar has no fructose and only contains artificial sweeteners. This was created for drinkers who want to avoid sugar.
It was suggested that due to its rising popularity, the demand for the product is quite high, but the production may be slow. This may have prompted HiteJinro to just change the label to meet the demand and sell more since it has stocks of the original soju.
The publication mentioned that the act of putting on a false label on products is a clear violation of the country's Article 8 of the Act on Labeling and Advertising of Food. Offenders can end up in jail for up to five years or be fined up to KRW50 million or about $38,971.
Meanwhile, HiteJinro issued a statement regarding the allegation and denied it has intentionally changed the labels of its regular soju brand. The company explained that the mislabeling of the bottles was a complete mistake that was committed by its sales personnel who was working part-time.
HiteJinro further said the employee only replaced the front labels, and the back labels remained. This means that the information about ingredients that show sugar content was still displayed despite the error on the front label.
"We intended to change the labels only for sugar-free products as the previous one showed the 'Zero Sugar' phrase too small on the front label," a company official stated. "Our sales personnel didn't do it intentionally. It was a mistake."
Photo by: Javier Esteban/Unsplash
