Laos Army Import and Export Trading and Korean firm ROAD have agreed to produce and distribute Korean rice wine in Laos.
Korean rice wine, or known as Makgeolli in South Korea, is a milky, off-white and lightly sparkling rice wine that has a slight viscosity characterized by sweet, tangy, bitter, and astringent tones.
To that end, the two parties agreed to set up a new Laos-based entity and will complete the process of obtaining licenses for its liquor business and the establishment of local production facilities and begin production and sales, according to Dongpo News.
The new entity plans to distribute and sell Korean rice wine not only in the domestic market but also in foreign countries, including China, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Such a move comes amid Laos’ efforts to increase its connectivity with neighboring countries through new railways, roads, and bridges.
For instance, the Laos-China Railway is currently under construction, which is a strategic docking project between the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and Laos’ strategy to convert itself from a landlocked country to a land-linked hub.
The 414.332-km railway, with 198-km tunnels and 62-km bridges, will run from Boten border gate in northern Laos, bordering China, to Vientiane with an operating speed of 160 km per hour.
