By Lee Hyo-sik
Korea has launched an aggressive campaign to bolster food exports to China, targeting the growing number of increasingly wealthy Chinese consumers, many of whom view Korean products as safer and more sanitary.
The agriculture ministry has successfully persuaded its Chinese counterpart to allow the sale of "samgyetang," or chicken soup with ginseng. Local makers will be able to ship their products to the world's second-largest economy as early as June.
The ministry has also signed a business agreement with Lotte Mart, which runs 75 stores on the mainland, and Chinese retailers to promote more Korean agricultural and food items.
The Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Lee Dong-Phil, returned home on Sunday after a three-day visit to China. Lee met his Chinese counterpart and other government officials to obtain China's certification for 11 local samgyetang plants.
The agriculture ministry expects Harim, Nonghyup and other samgyetang producers will be able to export their products in June. This year, samgyetang shipments to China are estimated to reach 500 tons, worth $3 million. The volume will likely more than double next year.
"We have long been waiting for the day when we can finally export samgyetang to China," Lee said. "In addition to the chicken soup, Korea must enhance the quality of other food products to bolster outbound shipments. The government will do everything it can to support farmers and food companies."
Korea has been asking China to import samgyetang since 2006. But the neighboring country had refused, citing its quarantine and sanitary rules.
The chicken soup will likely be a huge hit once it becomes available to Chinese consumers, given that it has been well received by Chinese visitors.
In addition to obtaining Chinese consent for samgyetang, the minister attended promotional events for Korean rice, kimchi and other food.
Lee took part in an event to mark the sale of Korean rice at retailer BHG Indigo in Beijing, as well as making kimchi with Chinese consumers at the K-Food Promotion Hall.
In Shanghai, the minister visited a Lotte Mart store, encouraging the retailer to promote Korean rice, kimchi, milk and other food products.
Lee also signed a business cooperation agreement with the head of City Super, a Hong Kong-based premium retailer that runs 13 stores on the mainland, to help boost the premium image of Korean agricultural and food items.
"The government will encourage more food companies to do business in China," the minister said. "We will offer comprehensive consulting services in marketing, customs, quarantine and logistics. We will open more warehouses in China to make it more convenient and less costly for food exporters to sell their products there. We will also organize a series of sales promotion activities in cooperation with private firms."
The ministry has set an ambitious goal of increasing Korea's agricultural and food exports to China by 32 percent, to $1.4 billion, this year from 2015.