Daesang Reframes Chuseok Gift Sets Around Lower Sugar, Premium Oils and Personal Taste

Daesang’s Chung Jung One has updated its 2026 Chuseok gift collection with an emphasis on lower-sugar products, plant-based oils, and fermented or aged foods. The company maintains practical, value-oriented sets for budget-conscious shoppers while introducing specialized options based on health preferences, ingredients, and production methods.

The lineup includes allulose and low-sugar Hongcho drinking vinegar to accommodate those seeking reduced-sugar alternatives. High-quality sesame and olive oils have been added to cater to consumers who are more discerning about the flavor and origin of plant-based oils. Fermentation and ageing techniques distinguish the premium condiment segment, while Miwon incorporates the cultural significance of a longstanding Korean brand.

South Korea's consumer prices surged 2.8% year on year in July 2026. To support the Chuseok season, Daesang is employing a two-pronged strategy: maintaining mass-market appeal with useful household items and reaching premium consumers through unique ingredients and advanced processing techniques.

Chung Jung One has reintroduced its lower-sugar gift range after its debut last year. The selection features low-sugar Hongcho and allulose products suitable for regular use in drinks and cooking. This reflects an expanded health-focused holiday gifting trend, moving beyond one-time dietary supplements to everyday ingredients that help manage sugar consumption.

The company has further diversified its plant-based oil range based on raw materials and processing methods. Consumers can now choose from light-, medium-, and dark-roasted sesame oils, each offering distinct flavor, color, and nuttiness profiles. Similarly, an olive oil collection showcases three cultivars—Arbequina, Hojiblanca, and Picual—allowing buyers to select oils based on their desired taste and application, whether it's for salads, sauces, or dishes prepared over heat.

Much like the coffee and wine industries, which categorize products based on origin, variety, and production methods, Daesang introduces a roasting vocabulary for sesame oil and cultivar identification for olive oil. This approach provides additional purchasing criteria beyond price, giving consumers more reasons to choose beyond the lowest price point. By emphasizing manufacturing expertise typically hidden in the finished product, Daesang enhances the overall shopping experience.

The premium condiment range also follows this logic, featuring items such as five-year-aged soy sauce, sesame oil made from Korean whole sesame seeds, and sea salt aged for three years. Alongside these are germinated brown-rice gochujang and Korean brown-rice gochujang. The value proposition lies in the quality of ingredients, fermentation processes, and time invested rather than just the packaging.

Chung Jung One's value-oriented sets focus on commonly used items like seasonings, sauces, cooking oils, canned ham, and seaweed across various price points. These products offer broad consumer appeal and utility post-holiday. The lower-sugar, premium oil, and fermented-food selections showcase Daesang's food-processing capabilities.

To further distinguish itself, the Miwon Heritage Gift Set pays homage to the 1960s Miwon gift sets with retro-style tins while offering portable five-gram sachets. By combining brand heritage with contemporary packaging, Miwon is positioned as both a functional seasoning and a cultural artifact representing Korean home cooking and modern food industry development.

Additionally, 21 online-exclusive sets, designed in collaboration with artist Cha In-chul, replace traditional shopping bags with reusable canvas bags. These packages are intended to enhance visual differentiation online while remaining functional post-gift delivery.

The 2026 collection's main objective is to transform holiday gift sets from mere collections of household products into channels for discovering health-oriented ingredients, taste variations, and food-processing expertise. Its success will be determined by whether interest generated during Chuseok extends beyond the holiday season.

If consumers continue to purchase the selected sesame oils, varietal olive oils, and lower-sugar products individually, Daesang could utilize its holiday collection as a testing ground for broader product demand. The real measure of this strategy will be the development of repeat purchases and the creation of year-round ranges, providing more substantial evidence of its effectiveness than simply counting the number of gift sets sold.