Interview#1 Lee Jong Ki by OMYNARA

The following is an edited transcript of a conversation with Lee Jong Ki, founder and Master Blender of OMYNARA. With more than 40 years in the industry, spanning malt whisky production, a master's degree in distilling from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, and decades of research into Korean traditional spirits, Lee Jong Ki is the creator of OmyRose, the world's first sparkling wine made from omija (Schisandra chinensis), the "five-flavor berry". This interview was conducted as part of Soju Halle's ongoing effort to introduce Korean heritage spirits to the European market.

1. Choosing Omija: A Decision Forty Years in the Making

Question: Omija is quite unfamiliar to Europeans, and even in Korea a sparkling wine made from omija is virtually unheard of. How did you come to choose omija, and how would you introduce it to European customers as a truly representative Korean ingredient?

Lee Jong Ki: "Korea has an extraordinarily long history of brewing culture; it flourished all the way through the Joseon Dynasty. But if you look at the past hundred years, the picture changes drastically. During periods of severe food scarcity, the government banned home brewing and the production of traditional spirits for decades. As a result, Korea has deep roots in brewing, yet has had almost nothing to show for it in the modern era.

I did not arrive at omija after 10 or 15 years of research. It took at least 40 years. The question I kept asking myself was: which Korean ingredient could produce a drink of world standing? Together with technicians, I researched not just distilled spirits but wines, beers, and everything in between. I tried grain, fruit, and medicinal herbs, everything grown in Korea. With most ingredients, the threshold for a truly world-class product seemed nearly impossible to reach.

Grapes, for example: Korea has no cultivars like the Champagne region's Pinot Noir or Chardonnay, and even imported varieties do not produce the same color, aroma, or flavor in a different climate. After long trial and error, I realized that the key is not just the raw material or the alcohol content. For me, true quality in a drink lies in its color, its aroma, its taste, and, critically, the feeling it leaves you with, and the absence of a hangover the next morning. These things define elegance, not the percentage of alcohol or sugar.

With that standard in mind, I concluded that omija is a superior ingredient. About 20 years ago, after continuous experimentation, the conviction was there: omija can produce a drink of world standing. But thinking it and actually producing it are two completely different challenges. Omija has roughly five times the acidity of grapes. In Champagne, winemakers harvest underripe grapes to raise acidity; even then, it is still only about one-fifth of omija's natural acidity. Everything about omija is technically demanding. That is also exactly what makes it exceptional."

2. Omija: The "Five-Flavor Berry" and Its Medicinal Heritage

Question: You mentioned that omija has traditionally been used as a medicinal herb. Could you elaborate on that?

Lee Jong Ki: "There is a universal truth across cultures: good medicine tends to be bitter. Herbal remedies with strong medicinal properties are often quite astringent. Foods with sour notes, like omija, are considered particularly beneficial for the liver.

Because of its high concentration of functional compounds, omija has long been a near-indispensable ingredient in traditional Korean tonics, much like ginseng and licorice root. It was used not only in Korea but also in China and Japan. There are two main varieties: the red omija, and the black omija, which grows in more southerly regions including Japan. The red omija, the variety we use, originates in Korea and Manchuria. Manchuria was part of ancient Korea during the Goguryeo period, so it is fair to say Korea is the true home of omija.

In Dongeuibogam, the classic compendium of Korean medicine, omija is recorded as a hangover remedy: brewed into a tea and drunk to recover from alcohol. King Yeongjo of Joseon was known to take omija tea and omija beverages regularly as a tonic.

There is also a fascinating Western connection. The Latin botanical name for omija is Schisandra chinensis, listed in some older sources as Maximowiczia chinensis, meaning roughly 'the ultimate flavor'. It is said that the great spice expeditions of the Age of Discovery were motivated in part by the search for the finest herbs of the East, and omija was considered among the greatest of them. Sprinkled like pepper on pork, for instance, it removes any gamey odor and transforms the taste completely. The West once knew it; when supplies proved impossible to obtain, it was forgotten. That is the story of omija."

3. Cultivation and Terroir: Omija Compared to the Grape

Question: Since omija is the primary ingredient, how does its cultivation compare to that of grapes, including what the wine world calls terroir?

Lee Jong Ki: "The fundamental difference is climate. Grapes like warmth, a temperate and mild climate. Omija, by contrast, is a cold-climate crop. In Korea it grows best above 200 to 300 meters in elevation. It actually thrives more abundantly in North Korea than in the South.

The roots differ as well. Omija is shallow-rooted: its roots spread laterally and rarely reach deeper than 30 centimeters. Grapevines are deep-rooted; even in a gravel bed, the vine keeps burrowing downward, reaching water and nutrients far below the surface.

In practice this means grapevines are relatively easy to grow once the climate is right. They can stand in the same soil for 200 or 300 years. Omija is far more demanding; its soil must be continuously amended and enriched to maintain consistent quality over time.

Vines are also generous: a single vine can sprawl 20 meters and yield hundreds of kilograms of fruit. Omija's yield is inherently limited. These constraints push it toward the high end of the market; it cannot become a mass commodity. But that limitation is also what makes a genuinely fine product possible. Mungyeong, where my winery is located, sits at the border of North Chungcheong and North Gyeongsang provinces, a mountainous area at high altitude. It is ideal for omija, and the city government actively supports cultivation."

4. A Life in Brewing: From Malt Whisky to Omija Sparkling Wine

Question: You have devoted your life to brewing and distilling. Could you briefly walk us through that journey?

Lee Jong Ki: "I joined OB Beer in 1980, then moved to OBCG in 1981, a company that handled major international brands including Chivas Regal and Royal Salute. Foreign distilling techniques were completely unfamiliar in Korea at the time, so as a junior employee I worked directly with technicians from Scotland, Canada, and the United States. Together we produced Korea's first malt whisky: approximately 6,000 barrels over ten years, in a distillery equipped with pot stills made by Forsyths of Scotland in 1980.

In 1990 I went to Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, at the time the only institution in the world offering a master's program specifically in distilling, as opposed to the brewing schools in Germany, such as those in Berlin and Freising. I completed the degree over two years.

While I was studying in Edinburgh, a professor made disparaging remarks about Korean spirits in front of international students. I felt deep shame and made a private vow: when I return to Korea, I will create a drink of world standing. That moment became the defining motivation of my career.

When Korea's liquor market opened to foreign imports, our whisky factory was shut down. I then spent roughly 20 years developing a wide range of spirits in Korea: whisky, brandy, gin, rum, liqueurs. I was involved in creating brands that are now among Korea's top sellers, including Windsor and Golden Blue, as well as various Seagram products. I left the company in 2006.

In 2007 I was invited to establish a brewing program at Yeungnam University and joined as a professor. But as the first graduates reached their fourth year, I realized there was nowhere for them to work. Korea's alcohol market was dominated almost entirely by a handful of large soju and beer companies controlling roughly 90 percent of sales. That recognition led me to Mungyeong. I wanted to build what I had seen in Europe: small, strong, authentic breweries and wineries. That model fit perfectly with my ambition to create a true world-class drink."

5. The Birth of OmyRose: Korea's First Sparkling Omija Wine

Question: When did you actually begin producing the sparkling omija wine, and how long did development take?

Lee Jong Ki: "I started with 20 tons of omija in 2008. Over the following three years I tried every approach I could conceive, different fermentation methods, different styles. The first true sparkling omija wine emerged in November 2011, about three years and three months after I began.

During this period I visited the Champagne region of France nine times. In Europe, whether Champagne, Germany, or Italy, the knowledge and technology of sparkling wine production is accessible; you simply consult the right people. In Korea, none of that infrastructure existed. Those nine trips were my way of bridging the gap.

After establishing the initial technique, I refined the process step by step. In 2017 I introduced the Charmat method, secondary fermentation in pressurized tanks, which is how OmyRose is produced today. The result is what you see now: a sparkling wine of consistent quality, with the complexity that only omija can provide."

6. The Suppression and Revival of Korean Traditional Spirits

Question: When you were completing your studies in the late 1970s, traditional Korean liquor was essentially inaccessible. What was the situation at that time?

Lee Jong Ki: "In 1965, the Grain Management Act was enacted, prohibiting the use of grain to make alcohol. The intent was to protect the food supply during a period of severe shortage. Rice-based makgeolli was only permitted again in 1976, when Korea achieved near self-sufficiency in rice, and even then it was released partly as a symbolic gesture of celebration.

Until the 1990s, obtaining a new brewing license was nearly impossible. Only long-established producers, mostly brewing cheongju since the Japanese colonial period, were permitted to operate. When Korea opened its market to foreign imports in 1991, the contrast became untenable: foreign spirits could enter freely, but Koreans could not even produce their own traditional drinks. Public pressure eventually led to the creation of the 'regional specialty spirits' designation, which began to open the door.

The 1988 Seoul Olympics also played a role. Foreign visitors asked what Korean spirits existed, and that triggered a new awareness. Traditional drinks like cheongmyeongju and myeoncheonju were revived by local craftspeople with documentary support. The real turning point, however, came in 2009 with the Traditional Liquor Promotion Act, legislation I helped draft as a committee member at the time. That law enabled easier licensing, government promotion, and institutional support for Korean traditional spirits. Despite its imperfections, it was a genuinely transformative step."

7. Values and Vision: For Korea, for Farmers, for the World

Question: As we close, what values does OMYNARA pursue, and what do you hope for from European customers and from your partnership with Soju Halle?

Lee Jong Ki: "Our first and most fundamental goal is to prove to the world that Korea has a drink of world standing. That is the core mission: creating something that stands alongside the finest in the world and says: this is Korean.

The second is co-prosperity, in Korean sangsaeng (상생). For us, that begins with the farmers who grow our omija. We are committed to sustainable, long-term supply relationships that genuinely benefit the agricultural communities involved. And it extends to partners like Soju Halle: in many respects you are working harder than we are, and we want to support your success in every way we can.

Internally, our philosophy rests on two pillars: Innovation and Integrity. Korea's traditional brewing knowledge was interrupted for 100 years; there is no unbroken tradition to rely on. So we draw on every relevant technology and technique from around the world, modern equipment, global yeast strains, advanced distillation design, to produce the best possible product at the best possible quality. That is innovation. And integrity means doing all of it honestly. Those are the values OMYNARA stands for."

Interview conducted on November 5, 2025 by Tae Woong Hur (Soju Halle) | Lee Jong Ki, Founder & Master Blender, OMYNARA, Mungyeong, Korea | Translated from Korean and edited for publication