[비즈한국] Regarding reports on the 'Gompyo Beer Dispute' between Daehan Flour Mills001130 and Sevenbräu
In articles dated June 11, 2025, in the <Biz> section of its website, this publication reported that "Sevenbräu withdrew its injunction request against sales because the effectiveness of the injunction became moot following Daehan Flour Mills' launch of Gompyo Beer Season 2, and that Daehan Flour Mills expressed a willingness to settle with Sevenbräu at the National Assembly Speaker's office, yet refuses to pay the 6.8 billion won in damages confirmed by an accounting firm." Furthermore, in an article dated August 11, 2025, this publication reported that "Sevenbräu's business situation deteriorated due to Daehan Flour Mills' excessive litigation and prohibition of inventory sales."
In response, Daehan Flour Mills has informed us of the following:
① Daehan Flour Mills provided maximum consideration by allowing the sale of Gompyo Wheat Beer inventory even after the license agreement expired. Sevenbräu's business deterioration is due to the management's poor judgment, such as excessive investment, and the stagnation of the craft beer market that began even before the license agreement ended; it is unrelated to Daehan Flour Mills.
② In the case of the injunction filed by Sevenbräu against Daehan Flour Mills, Sevenbräu withdrew it voluntarily, having determined that it lacked the legitimate right to seek an injunction ahead of the court's decision. The launch of the 'Gompyo Beer Season 2' product has no legal effect of nullifying a sales prohibition injunction.
③ Furthermore, Daehan Flour Mills never expressed an intention to settle at the National Assembly Speaker's office, the National Assembly has not intervened to mediate between the two companies, and Sevenbräu has been unilaterally and maliciously using the media to make claims while demanding money.
④ The 6.8 billion won in damages is merely a unilateral claim by Sevenbräu and has not been verified or confirmed by an accounting firm. Sevenbräu's claims regarding the damage amount have been inconsistent, changing multiple times.
⑤ Meanwhile, while Sevenbräu earned over 80 billion won in sales over three years through the collaboration contract with Daehan Flour Mills, Daehan Flour Mills only received an average annual royalty of approximately 400 million won. Despite this, Sevenbräu has been damaging the reputation of Daehan Flour Mills by spreading false facts for over two years since 2023, causing Daehan Flour Mills severe financial and non-financial losses.
This report is based on the mediation of the Press Arbitration Commission.
[BizHankook] The conflict between Daehan Flour Mills and Sevenbräu over the trademark rights for 'Gompyo Wheat Beer' is escalating into a legal battle. It has been confirmed that Daehan Flour Mills has filed a declaratory judgment suit for non-existence of debt against Sevenbräu, and Sevenbräu is preparing a counterclaim. Daehan Flour Mills also stated that it intends to file a separate lawsuit for damages against Sevenbräu.
Sevenbräu Also Prepares Legal Response
On May 30, Daehan Flour Mills filed a declaratory judgment suit for non-existence of debt against Sevenbräu. A declaratory judgment for non-existence of debt is a lawsuit where a debtor seeks confirmation that a "debt does not exist" when a creditor claims that an obligation must be fulfilled or that a debt has not yet been cleared. Sevenbräu has claimed that Daehan Flour Mills should compensate for losses incurred from Gompyo Wheat Beer inventory, and in response, Daehan Flour Mills filed this lawsuit asserting that it holds no liability for damages.
In such lawsuits, it is common for the defendant to file a counterclaim. This is a method where, against the plaintiff's claim that "no debt exists," the defendant argues that "a liability for damages does exist." If Sevenbräu files a counterclaim, the court will consolidate the two cases and conduct a joint hearing before reaching a final judgment.
While counterclaims are typically filed within 30 days—the deadline for submitting an answer—it has been confirmed that Sevenbräu has not yet filed a counterclaim, well past the deadline. Regarding this, a Sevenbräu official stated, "We do have plans to file a counterclaim," adding, "The court has not yet set a submission deadline, and we intend to proceed accordingly once the schedule is finalized."
The corporate rehabilitation process has hindered Sevenbräu from rushing the counterclaim. Having applied for rehabilitation at the Seoul Bankruptcy Court on May 28, Sevenbräu faced difficulties in securing litigation costs due to restrictions on fund usage under court supervision. The aforementioned official stated, "It was not easy to hire lawyers because the rehabilitation process was underway. Recently, lawyers who offered to help free of charge have stepped forward, so we are currently preparing for the counterclaim."
Separate from this suit, Daehan Flour Mills plans to file a damages lawsuit against Sevenbräu. The company stated, "We are currently preparing a damages suit, and we plan to proceed according to law and principle." The lawsuit has not yet been filed.
Daehan Flour Mills Chairman Lee Kun-young Considered for Parliamentary Audit Witness
The dispute between Daehan Flour Mills and Sevenbräu over the trademark and manufacturing know-how of 'Gompyo Wheat Beer' appears to be prolonged. The conflict intensified in 2023 when the manufacturer of Gompyo Wheat Beer changed from Sevenbräu to Jeju Beer following the expiration of the trademark contract. Sevenbräu claimed it suffered massive losses due to the suspension of its main product and alleged that Daehan Flour Mills unilaterally terminated the contract by exploiting its market-dominant position. Conversely, Daehan Flour Mills countered that there were no problems with the termination procedure and that its brand image was damaged by Sevenbräu's subsequent false claims.
As the conflict grew, the National Assembly attempted to mediate, but the two sides could not bridge their differences. An official from the Democratic Party's "Euljiro Committee" explained, "Mediation would only be possible if both companies have the will to talk, but it seems there is almost none now. As of now, (mediation) is in a difficult situation."
Sevenbräu's performance worsened after failing to renew its contract for Gompyo Wheat Beer. Last year's sales were 8.4 billion won, down 32% from the previous year (12 billion won), and operating losses reached 9 billion won. Ultimately, it applied for corporate rehabilitation at the Seoul Bankruptcy Court last May. The industry expects the rehabilitation process to likely conclude within September.
Even amidst the rehabilitation process, Sevenbräu is accelerating the normalization of its management. A Sevenbräu official shared, "The sales trend for new products is positive. Some products are even in short supply," adding, "It took about a year to promote existing product lines that had been neglected while we focused on Gompyo Wheat Beer. Currently, sales have doubled compared to last year, putting us back on track."
"If Daehan Flour Mills had at least allowed us to sell the Gompyo Wheat Beer inventory for six months, the situation would not have deteriorated this much. It was impossible for a small company to conduct normal business or product development while employees were tied up in legal disputes," they added. "Since last year's parliamentary audit, we have been getting the company back on track and accelerating normalization."
Daehan Flour Mills stated, "We also do not want this dispute. However, the situation has reached a point where we can no longer overlook the damage caused by Sevenbräu's false claims," adding, "To protect our long-standing brand value and consumer trust, we will correct the facts and respond according to law and principle."
The possibility of the conflict between Daehan Flour Mills and Sevenbräu being addressed in this year's parliamentary audit has been raised. According to industry sources, politicians are recently considering naming Daehan Flour Mills Chairman Lee Kun-young as a witness. Chairman Lee was selected as a witness for the National Assembly's Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee audit last year but did not attend, citing "overseas schedules." A political source stated, "Issues related to (Daehan Flour Mills and Sevenbräu) are being discussed, and it is currently at the consideration stage."