Hwalmyeongsu, South Korea's first domestically developed new drug, born in 1897, is making its formal push into the global market — starting with the United States — 129 years after its creation.
Dongwha Pharmaceutical announced Thursday it is launching an overseas-exclusive product called Hwalmyeongsu 1897 Liquid — marketed globally under the brand name K.O.D, short for Korea Original Digestive — and has signed idol group Cortis as its new global brand ambassador to lead an international campaign.
K.O.D will begin rolling out this month at domestic pharmacies and duty-free stores, followed by a sequential launch starting in September at US grocery stores, pharmacies and CJ Olive Young stores. The company also plans to open and directly operate a dedicated K.O.D brand storefront on Amazon.
K.O.D is a premium product that draws on 129 years of Hwalmyeongsu's history and tradition while reformulating the taste and ingredients to suit the preferences of overseas consumers. The brand name combines the initials of "Korea Original Digestive," directly conveying its identity as South Korea's signature digestive remedy.
Dongwha Pharmaceutical is positioning the product around a new cultural code for enjoying K-food, with the goal of establishing a post-meal ritual of drinking K.O.D after hansik as a lifestyle trend in overseas markets.
To drive that message, the company is putting Cortis front and center — a group that has reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and surpassed 3 million cumulative album sales. The campaign will kick off with a visually stylized advertisement blending Cortis performances with hansik, followed by short-form content and pop-up stores at local grocery retailers as part of an aggressive experiential marketing push.
The US launch carries particular significance as South Korea's longest-running pharmaceutical brand — with 129 years of history — expands beyond a simple digestive remedy into a global food and beverage cultural product, riding the worldwide wave of K-culture and K-food.
"K.O.D is a product that, built on Hwalmyeongsu's 129-year heritage, proposes a new post-meal experience that pairs with hansik," a Dongwha Pharmaceutical official said. "Together with our global ambassador Cortis, we will spread the message — 'K.O.D for K-Food' — to the world."
silverpaper@heraldcorp.com
