SPC President Hur Jin-soo, left, shows Johor State Governor Onn Hafiz Ghazi bakery products at SPC's flagship store, Passion5, in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of SPC

SPC CEO Hur Jin-soo recently met with a delegation from Johor, Malaysia, where the construction of a new halal plant by the Korean bakery giant is set to be completed in less than two months, the company said, Friday.

Hur's meeting with Johor State Governor Onn Hafiz Ghazi in Seoul comes as the Southeast Asian market is emerging as one of SPC's top three markets, alongside the United States and China.

During the meeting on Monday, Hur and Ghazi discussed the upcoming halal plant, focusing on how it will supply and distribute products to bakery markets in Malaysia as well as throughout Southeast Asia and the Middle East, the company said.

With an investment of 40 billion won ($29 million) and built on a 12,900-square-meter site, the plant will utilize halal-certified ingredients in Malaysia and hire local workers for its operations, according to SPC.

Following the meeting, the pair reconvened on Thursday at SPC's premium dessert and café franchise, Passion5, located in Hannam-dong, Seoul. Hur invited Ghazi to sample the company's bakery products and expressed optimism about the bakery market in Malaysia with the opening of the new factory.

The CEO said the halal plant has been SPC Chairman Hur Young-in's long-cherished vision targeting markets in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

"Beyond the halal plant, we have agreed to develop more opportunities in Johor to further strengthen our partnership," Hur said.

Johor, the home of Johor Bahru, the second-largest city in Malaysia, is the country's biggest pineapple producing region. Bordering the Asian economic powerhouse Singapore to the south, the province has also recently begun discussions with its neighbor to jointly introduce a new special business district, attracting attention from global companies.

During his visit to Seoul, Ghazi expressed his support for SPC's Malaysian operations and welcomed the expansion of production capacity for Paris Baguette.

The Johor plant is the latest step in SPC's plan to enhance production in Southeast Asia. The chairman, who has been driving this initiative, visited Vietnam and Singapore to oversee the opening of new Paris Baguette shops in those locations.