Jin-ganjang — everyday Korean soy sauce
Jin-ganjang is the dark, all-purpose Korean soy sauce for braises, stir-fries and dipping sauces. Soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang) is a different bottle.
Dark all-purpose soy sauceNot the same as soup soy sauceContains soy and wheatUpdated Oct 20, 2026
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Sempio Jin Gold F3 soy sauce (860 ml)
An 860 ml bottle of Sempio's jin-ganjang, the one our Pajeon, Gimbap and Yangnyeom Chicken recipes use.
What it is
Ganjang (간장) is Korean soy sauce. Wikipedia splits it into two broad groups: traditional hansik ganjang, made from fermented soybean blocks and brine, and modernized gaeryang ganjang. Jin-ganjang is a common name for the modern kind, which is usually darker than traditional ganjang and is the most widely used type in everyday cooking.
(The same name is also used for traditional soy sauce aged more than five years, which is a different, rarer product.)
Taste and how it is used
Use it where a dish needs color and flavor: stir-fries (bokkeum), braises (jorim), steamed dishes (jjim) and dipping sauces. Sempio describes its Jin Gold S as a pick for braised or stir-fried dishes.
On K for All, jin-ganjang goes into the Pajeon dipping sauce, the fish cake filling in Gimbap, and the Yangnyeom Chicken glaze.
Jin-ganjang vs. soup soy sauce
Guk-ganjang (soup soy sauce) is lighter in color and saltier than other Korean soy sauces, and is used mainly in soups (guk) and seasoned vegetables (namul). Sempio's labels show the gap: its Soy Sauce for Soup lists 1,120 mg sodium per 15 ml, against 940 mg for Jin Gold S.
If a recipe says soup soy sauce, buy that bottle instead of swapping in jin-ganjang. Jin-ganjang is not an all-purpose substitute in clear soups.
Choosing and storing
Read the label: the Sempio Jin Gold S lists water, defatted soybeans, high fructose corn syrup, salt, wheat and more, and warns of soy and wheat allergens. The syrup and sucralose fit its slightly sweeter taste. The label gives a 24-month shelf life.
Store it capped in a cool, dark place. Wikipedia notes soy sauce is shelf-stable, but follow the storage notes on your bottle.
More on K for All
Pajeon recipeGimbap recipeYangnyeom chicken recipeKorean pantry essentials guideMaangchi – Soy sauce