Rising Popularity in Makolri 1 Feb 2010 The Korea Economic Daily According to an announcement made by Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) on 1 February, applications for Makolri-related trademarks increased from 672 cases in 2008 to 889 cases in 2009, showing a 32.3% rise. Makolri is a Korean fermented rice wine that is popular in Korea and has been getting more popular in other countries. This rise in trademark applications can be attributed to the rise in quality of Makolri products and “well-being” trends in South Korea. There has also been a rise in regional brands as well. Some examples are Gyeonggi-do’s ‘Idong Makolri,’ Jeju-do’s ‘Omegi Alcohol,’ and Gwangju’s ‘Ulgeum-ju.’ KIPO believes that the increased popularity is due to the public’s acknowledgement of great health effects that Makolri has. In order to turn Makolri into an excellent and leading brand of Korea, it is important to try to take lead in trademarks of Makolri in South Korea as well as countries that would import Makolri.