On the 16th, in the center of Yi-do Baekha (二道白河) in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture of Jilin Province, China, the Yanbian Nongshim Baiksan factory was operational. With a sound of "weiyiing," freshly bottled 2-liter (L) bottled water flowed endlessly from the conveyor belt, capped with blue lids. The bottled water then entered a special device for foreign material and weight inspection, and after coming out from the opposite side, they were bundled in sets of six and packaged in thick plastic.
The Baiksan factory has a total area of 84,000 square meters (approximately 25,000 pyeong). However, only 1 to 2 personnel were stationed by the massive machinery responsible for each stage, including water intake, packaging, and logistics on the production line. An Myung-sik, the head of Yanbian Nongshim, who was in charge of the initial design of this factory that was built in 2015 and marks its 10th anniversary this year, said, "The equipment level does not fall behind compared to 'Evian,' which is so-called premium bottled water. The workforce for bottled water production is only about 40, demonstrating that all processes are automated."
The Baiksan factory uses spring water (湧泉水) flowing from Naiducheon, located about 3.2 km away, to produce bottled water. Spring water refers to underground water that emerges through cracks in rocks or strata. Every day, 24,000 tons (t) of water is generated in Naiducheon, and Nongshim uses around 5,000 t of this water for Baiksan production.
Since the inception of the bottled water business, Nongshim prioritized finding the best water source. Beginning in 2003, they scoured Asia, Europe, and Hawaii seeking the top water source. Subsequently, they chose the clean and pristine Naiducheon, designated as a protected area within the Baekdusan region. No factories or livestock farms that could cause pollution are allowed in the vicinity.
On the day of the visit, Naiducheon had such transparent water quality that the bottom, about 1 meter deep, was clearly visible. Water columns could be seen rising in various places, creating unique ripples on the surface.
Nongshim obtained exclusive rights to use Naiducheon spring water for bottled water production for 30 years through a contract with the Chinese government in 2008. An noted, "Baekdusan produces excellent quality underground water, regarded as one of the top three water sources in the world, along with the Alps in Europe and the Caucasus in Russia," adding, "The area around Naiducheon has remained pristine, with not a single forest fire occurring in the last 60 years."
According to an analysis by the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) in 2024, the Naiducheon spring water, estimated through the chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) isotope method, is believed to have flowed from rainwater that fell on Baekdusan Cheonji, taking approximately 40 years to traverse a total of 45 km of underground protected rock layers. This is considered one of the longest natural filtration periods among bottled waters both domestically and internationally.
In this process, the groundwater passes through layers of pumice, quartzite, obsidian, volcanic ash, volcanic rocks, basalt, and granite, filtering out fine impurities. At the same time, it acquires various minerals beneficial to the human body. As the nearby ecosystem is thoroughly preserved, the water quality of Naiducheon is maintained at the same level year-round.
Nongshim manages the water quality of the Naiducheon source meticulously, using only minimal filtration and sterilization without any chemical treatments before producing Baiksan. No human hands touch the processes from water intake to production, logistics, and shipping.
이어 “실리카는 주로 피부와 모발, 콜라겐 생성에 도움을 주며 치매에 영향을 주는 중금속을 배출해 주는 역할도 한다. 맛의 측면에서는 약간의 단맛과 상쾌한 청량감을 준다”라고 말했다.
농심은 수원지 내두천의 수질을 철저하게 관리하면서, 별도 화학 처리 없이 최소한의 여과와 살균만을 거쳐 백산수 생산에 사용하고 있다. 취수부터 생산, 물류, 출고까지 모든 과정에도 사람의 손이 닿지 않는다.
All pipes within the factory are made of SUS316L grade stainless steel, which is safe for human use, suitable for applications like implants. A specially designed rubber ball is used for cleaning the pipes, eliminating the need to halt production and wash them with chemicals. According to Nongshim, this facility is the only bottled water plant in Asia that possesses such technology. Thanks to this process, there is almost no difference in mineral content between the raw water from the Naiducheon source and the produced Baiksan bottled products.
Thanks to these efforts, Baiksan has received the highest rating of 'Grand Gold' for three consecutive years at the Belgium Monde Selection's bottled water evaluation, a prestigious international award. Baiksan was rated as 'a well-balanced mineral water,' achieving an average score of over 90 in each category.
A representative from Nongshim commented, "Even if the quality of water is excellent, if there are differences in mineral content depending on the season or between the raw and finished products, it cannot be considered good water," adding that they plan to actively promote the differentiated quality of Baiksan, which has been recognized with three consecutive Grand Gold awards at Monde Selection.