Objective To explore the preferred conditions for thermal sterilization of Korean rice wine from the perspective of aroma component preservation.Methods The effects of different thermal sterilization conditions on the aroma quality of traditional Korean rice wine are evaluated by combining an electronic nose with headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). The response values of the electronic nose sensors, as well as the types and content of volatile compounds, are determined.Results The response signals of the sensors R7 (inorganic sulfides), R9 (organic sulfides), R2 (nitrogen oxides), R6 (methyls), and R8 (alcohols and aldehydes and ketones) to different heat sterilized samples are generally strong. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) shows that the volatile compounds of the rice wine samples sterilized at 65 ℃ for 5 min are the most similar to those of the unpasteurized samples. In contrast, the original flavor profiles of the samples are significantly altered by sterilizing the samples at 85 ℃ for 30 min and 125 ℃ for 5 s. A total of 106 aroma compounds are identified in the four groups of rice wine samples, with alcohols and esters being the most abundant. Their relative content is 25.53%~40.67% and 33.49%~44.75%, respectively. Thermal sterilization affects both the types and relative content of volatile compounds in the samples. The rice wine sterilized at 65 ℃ for 5 min exhibits the closest similarity to unsterilized rice wine, with total mass concentrations of compounds being 7.26 and 8.74 mg/L, respectively.Conclusion Based on aroma component analysis, sterilization at 65 ℃ for 5 min is identified as the preferred thermal sterilization condition for traditional Korean rice wine.