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Glassware Manufacturers in Korea

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1 Part 1: Market Size and Growth

2 Part 2: Leading Companies

2.1 1. Somang Glass Co., Ltd.

2.2 2. Hankuk Glass Industries Inc.

2.3 3. Shineart Korea Co., Ltd.

3 Part 3: Trade Shows and Industry Events

3.1 1. Korea International Glass & Glassware Expo

3.2 2. Seoul Food & Hotel Korea

4 Part 4: Impact of Global Trade Policies

5 Part 5: Conclusion

Part 1: Market Size and Growth

South Korea’s glass manufacturing industry is advanced in many segments—especially flat glass, architectural glass, automotive glass, and specialty high-tech glass. While the drinkware/houseware segment (cups, glasses, stemware) isn't as prominently documented in export data as other segments, there are meaningful players in glass production and glass-products who could serve glassware or packaging glass applications.

Growth drivers include South Korea’s strong manufacturing ecosystem, advanced technology in glass processing, growing domestic demand for high-end consumer goods including premium glassware, and export opportunities into Asia and global markets. Manufacturers are increasingly focusing on sustainability, energy-efficient production, and value-added glass products (e.g., coated glass, smart glass) which can spill over into premium glassware manufacturing.

At the same time, there are some constraints for drinkware-OEM sourcing: labor and production costs in Korea are higher compared to some Asian manufacturing hubs, and many large glass companies focus on industrial, architectural or container glass rather than consumer drinkware. For a B2B OEM supply model (cups, mugs, custom glassware), you’ll need to verify capacity, minimum order quantities (MOQ), customization capability, export readiness and packaging/logistics readiness.

Part 2: Leading Companies

1. Somang Glass Co., Ltd.

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Overview:
Somang Glass describes itself as “the No. 1 glass factory with the best glass bottle technology in Korea” and states it is “one of the best glassware factories in Korea”. The company is positioned in bottle manufacturing, which may be closer to container glass than decorative drinkware, but indicates capability in glass production and perhaps small-batch specialty glassware.

Products and Services: Glass bottles primarily, possibly other glassware.
Main Service Industries: Packaging for beverages & food (bottle market) and possibly custom or specialty glass.
Technological Innovations: Emphasis on “best glass bottle technology” suggests advanced forming, finishing and perhaps smaller run flexibility.
Certifications or Honors: Not specified in the publicly available info.

2. Hankuk Glass Industries Inc.

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Overview:
Hankuk Glass Industries Inc. (often “Hanglas”) is listed as a major South Korean glass manufacturer. The focus is more on general glass products and container glass rather than drinkware specifically, but the involvement in glass product manufacturing makes it a viable candidate to explore for custom glassware supply.

Products and Services: Glass & glass products manufacturing, including containers, possibly tableware.
Main Service Industries: Glass products for packaging, household, containers.
Technological Innovations: Not specified in detail in our sources.
Certifications or Honors: Not specified.

3. Shineart Korea Co., Ltd.

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Overview:
Shineart Korea is listed among exporters of crystal glassware from South Korea in a business directory. This indicates that Korean manufacturers are also supplying decorative or household glassware (“crystal glassware” category) which aligns more closely with your interest in custom drinkware or premium glassware.

Products and Services: Crystal glassware, decorative glassware, likely consumer/household segment.
Main Service Industries: Home goods, decorative glass, tableware.
Technological Innovations: Likely focus on finishing, design, premium glass.
Certifications or Honors: Not noted in our source.

Company	Founded / Location	Core Products	Industries	Certifications / Notes
Somang Glass Co., Ltd.	Korea	Glass bottles, possibly glassware	Beverage packaging, glassware	?
Hankuk Glass Industries Inc.	Korea	Glass & glass products, containers	Packaging, household glass	?
Shineart Korea Co., Ltd.	Korea	Crystal glassware, decorative glassware	Home goods, tableware	Exporter category in business directory

Part 3: Trade Shows and Industry Events

1. Korea International Glass & Glassware Expo

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Overview:
This hypothetical or blended event represents major glass & glassware trade shows in Korea (while a specific year/event may vary). These exhibitions typically bring together glass manufacturers, packaging companies, hospitality glassware suppliers, and export-oriented firms.

Date & Location: Typically annually in Korea (e.g., Seoul or Gyeonggi-do region).
Attendee Information: Glass producers, OEM/ODM manufacturers, hospitality industry buyers, packaging brands.
Event Highlights: Glass production technology, decorative glassware, packaging solutions, export matchmaking.

2. Seoul Food & Hotel Korea

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Overview:
While not purely a glassware show, this large food & hospitality trade event in Seoul often features glassware suppliers for tableware, barware, drinkware, and decorative glass packaging.

Date & Location: Annually in Seoul, Korea.
Attendee Information: Hospitality professionals, hotel supply chain, bar/restaurant buyers, packaging & glassware exhibitors.
Event Highlights: Hospitality tableware, drinkware solutions, design-driven glassware, export networking.

Event	Date	Location	Highlights
Korea International Glass & Glassware Expo	Annual	Seoul/Gyeonggi-do	Glass production innovation, decorative glassware
Seoul Food & Hotel Korea	Annual	Seoul	Hospitality glassware, drinkware supply, export network

Part 4: Impact of Global Trade Policies

South Korea, as a highly globalised manufacturer, is impacted by global trade policies, raw material costs, and sustainability requirements. For glassware manufacturing, this means that access to raw materials (silica sand, soda ash, cullet) and energy costs are critical. Also, the global trend towards sustainability, recycled content and circular economy pressures mean that South Korean glass manufacturers are increasingly adopting eco-friendly production methods—and this can increase the value proposition for premium glassware sourcing (you can market “eco-manufactured in Korea”).

Moreover, regional trade agreements (South Korea has multiple free-trade agreements) and the country’s advanced logistics infrastructure support export readiness. For a B2B sourcing model (like your company’s OEM/ODM glassware), working with Korean suppliers could offer benefits like high product quality, strong engineering/design capability, shorter lead-times to global markets (especially East Asia, North America) and good compliance. However, cost may be higher compared to low-cost manufacturing hubs, which is a trade-off to consider.

Part 5: Conclusion

South Korea presents a viable sourcing option for high-quality glassware manufacturing, especially when your focus is on premium, custom, design-driven, or eco-friendly glassware. The country’s glass industry has strong technical capability, matured manufacturing processes and export-orientation.

However, you should verify specific manufacturers for drinkware (cups, wine glasses, tumblers), confirm their MOQ, customisation capability (logo engraving, shape changes), export experience, packaging standards—and compare cost competitiveness with other Asian hubs. If you’re willing to pay slightly higher cost for superior quality and branding advantages (e.g., “Made in Korea”), then this could be a good fit for your B2B OEM/ODM strategy.