It is believed that Andong Soju is manufactured using methods very similar to those brought into the Korean peninsula by the Y an Mongols. It is very likely that a Mongol supply garrison was stationed in Andong during the Y an advance through the Korean peninsula, on their way to launch an expedition against Japan in the 13th century. Soju, including Andong Soju, became popular among the upper class in the Kory period. The use of soju spread as it came to be used for medicinal purposes, as a cure of stomachaches, poisonous insect bites, and other ills. We can find another historical record of soju in the writings of Lee Hyun Bo (pen-name "Nong Am"),
who was exiled to Andong during the Yunsan period, in the book Chos n Myounginjun. His faithful adherence to his duties and indomitable spirit earned him the nickname Soju Dobyoung, or Soju Expert, among his peers. He was reinstated to the rank of Jipyoung after King Chungjong was removed from power. A local Andong resident owns an old medical book, in which there are records of soju being used to treat wounds, stomachaches, increased appetite, and dyspepsia.
