In Boseong County, Jeollanam-do, Lee Sun-hwa, the owner of Bugwang Green Tea, produces two tons of tea products annually from her 4,000-pyeong tea field. Situated among the region’s renowned tea fields, her spacious home doubles as a tea production facility and a cultural institution dedicated to teaching traditional tea techniques. Lee handpicks and processes the tea leaves, creating and selling her products directly. Bugwang Green Tea’s flagship product, “Wang-ui Noewoncha” (King’s Single Tea), is a traditional fermented tea believed to have been favored by Admiral Yi Sun-sin. This traditional tea, often called “King’s Single Tea” or “Noewon Tea” for its reputed mind-clearing effects, features a 6-centimeter diameter, a thickness of 0.6 centimeters, and weighs 60 grams, with leaves aged for over six years. To prepare, a single tea disc is simmered with two liters of water over low heat for approximately 30 minutes. Traditional Korean teas such as this have primarily evolved and been preserved through local, family-based handcrafting methods.

Cholocwon Co. Ltd., led by CEO Song Jum-cheol, produces a range of liquid teas using a variety of native Korean fruits, including citron, jujube, ginger, Hallabong, cheonggyul, and strawberry. Their products are distributed domestically and exported internationally. Cholocwon’s liquid teas are rooted in traditional Korean culture, transforming the homemade practice of preparing and enjoying liquid teas into convenient commercial offerings. Consumers can create their own beverages by mixing the appropriate amount of liquid tea with water. Depending on the ingredients, these teas offer distinct health benefits. As health consciousness grows, so does the demand for high-quality, functionally diverse tea products, reflecting an increasing appetite for premium options and variety.

The market shift towards tea as a healthy, functional beverage has attracted food specialists, pharmaceutical companies and large domestic corporations that previously focused on carbonated beverages. This has spurred significant innovation and expansion in the liquid tea sector, resulting in a wider range of offerings and improved safety standards. Meanwhile, specialty tea companies continue to lead the infusion and powdered tea markets. Infusion teas, which include tea bags and loose-leaf varieties, consist primarily of green tea, black tea, herbal teas and grain teas, and are available in packaging options such as bulk zipper bags for tea bags or loose-leaf use. Liquid teas include beverages such as green and black tea infusions, as well as fruit-based beverages such as citron and ginger teas. Powdered teas-also known as granulated teas-transform ingredients such as ginseng, green tea, and adlay into convenient powder forms.
Examples of infusion tea products include Damteo’s “Solomon’s Seal Tea,” Nokchawon’s “Organic Pure Green Tea,” Ssanggyesa’s “Persimmon Leaf Tea Made by Master Kim Dong-gon,” Danongwon’s “Cassia Seed Tea,” and Osulloc’s “Samda Honey Pear Tea.” In the liquid tea category, notable products include Namyang Dairy’s “17 Tea for a Lighter Body,” Kwangdong Pharmaceutical’s “Kwangdong Corn Silk Tea,” Woongjin Foods’ “Woongjin Cassia Seed Tea for Clear Vision,” Dongsuh Foods’ “Dongsuh Barley Tea,” and Lotte Chilsung Beverage’s “Added Barley Tea Plus.” Examples of powdered tea products are Damteo’s “Pumpkin Latte,” Good Life Research Lab’s “Kitchen Gourmet Double Harmony Powdered Tea,” Korea Ginseng Product Corporation’s “Hometown Gold Jujube Tea,” Kotsam Food’s “The Ssanghwa Tea,” Teazen’s “Teazen Organic Matcha,” YS’s “Dr. Kim O-gon’s Rich Ssanghwa Tea,” and Dongil F&T Co., Ltd.’s “Dongil Cornflake Cheonma Tea.”

Tea has established itself as a cornerstone of Korea’s health industry. What began as a traditional cultural practice has evolved into a functional health food category, offering numerous beneficial properties while serving as a flavorful, aromatic substitute for drinking water. While ready-to-drink (RTD) liquid teas, primarily led by large companies, dominate the market, the production and distribution of infusion teas, which remain closely tied to Korea’s traditional tea culture, are also on the rise. Since 2017, the Korean tea market has experienced continuous growth, driven by the trends of industrialization, premiumization, and diversification.