Jeju Samdasoo facts for kids
Samdasoo logo.
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| Country | South Korea |
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| Source | Jeju City, Jeju Province |
| Manufacturer | Jeju Province Development Corporation |
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| Release | 1998 |
Jeju Samdasoo (Hangul: 제주삼다수) is a very popular brand of mineral water from South Korea. It is made by the Jeju Province Development Corporation. This special water comes from deep underground on Jeju Island, which is a volcanic island. It's the only water in South Korea that comes from volcanic rock. The factory where it's bottled is in Gyorae-ri, Jocheon-eup, Jeju City.
Jeju Samdasoo is known for being very clean and safe. It gets special approvals every year from important health and safety groups around the world, like the U.S. FDA and Japan's Ministry of Health. This water is sold in many countries, including China, Japan, the USA, and Hong Kong.
Contents
A Look at History
How Jeju Water Started
In the 1980s, it was not allowed to sell bottled water to people in South Korea. However, Korean Air, a big airline, was allowed to make its own special water from Jeju Island for its flights. They still do this today!
In the 1990s, the rules changed, and bottled water could finally be sold to everyone in Korea. Seeing how well Korean Air's water did, Jeju Province decided to create its own bottled water brand.
The Birth of Samdasoo
To make this happen, the Jeju Province Development Corporation was created. They started producing Jeju water, and in 1998, Jeju Samdasoo was officially launched. Since then, almost all bottled water from Jeju Island has been made by this corporation.
What's in the Water?
Samdasoo Products
Jeju Samdasoo comes in different sizes for people to buy:
- 0.5L bottles
- 2L bottles
- 1.5L bottles (these are mostly sold for flights)
Mineral Content
Samdasoo is known as "soft water." This means it has a low amount of minerals in it. Here are some of the minerals you can find in Samdasoo:
- Calcium (Ca)
- Potassium (K)
- Sodium (Na)
- Magnesium (Mg)
- Fluoride (F) - usually not found in detectable amounts.
Samdasoo's Popularity
Leading the Market
When Samdasoo first came out in March 1998, it quickly became the number one bottled water brand in Korea within just six months! By 2009, it held more than half of the market share for bottled water.
Samdasoo was the top-selling bottled water in Korea for 19 years in a row, all the way up to 2017. It continued to be the market leader for 20 years straight until 2018.
New Competitors
Even though Samdasoo has been number one for a long time, new brands of mineral water are now appearing. Some companies, like Nongshim, are also making their own bottled water. Because of this, Samdasoo's share of the market is slowly changing.
How Samdasoo is Made
The Manufacturing Process
The water for Samdasoo is taken from deep underground, about 420 meters below the surface. This water comes from the volcanic bedrock of Jeju Island.
Once the water is collected, it goes through a careful process:
- First, it is filtered to remove any impurities.
- Then, it goes through UV disinfection, which uses special light to kill any tiny germs.
- After that, the water is injected into bottles.
- Each product is inspected to make sure it's perfect.
- Finally, the bottles are packed and shipped out to stores.
Who Sells Samdasoo?
The Selling Right Story
When Jeju Samdasoo was first launched, the Jeju Province Development Corporation made an agreement with a company called Nongshim. The corporation produced the water, and Nongshim was in charge of selling it.
However, in December 2011, Jeju Province changed some rules and told Nongshim that their contract was canceled. Nongshim disagreed and took the case to court. Even though the Supreme Court decided in June 2016 that Jeju Province had practically lost the case, Nongshim's selling rights had already stopped.
Since 2012, a new company called Kwangdong Pharmaceutical has been the main seller of Jeju Samdasoo.
Special Services
Jeju Samdasoo Club
Jeju Samdasoo offers special deals for customers who order water using their delivery app. Since May 12, 2021, customers can join the "Jeju Samdasoo Club." This club gives members benefits that are worth more than the yearly fee. They also get various cool products as gifts!
