FAS/Seoul Monitoring of Media Reporting on Agricultural Issues 

Today's Date: Friday, July 19,  2024

For Coverage:  July 1 ~ 18, 2024

Korea Maintains the Eligibility to Export Animal Foods to EU
https://www.foodnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=109022
Summary:  The Korean government announced on July 18^th that Korea’s eligibility to export animal foods such as heat-treated chicken products (samgyetang), marine products and foods containing those products (kimchi, ramen, etc.), and honey products to the European Union (EU) will be maintained.  The EU has been pushing to strengthen the import of antibiotics in animal foods since December 2022.  From September 2026, only countries that are allowed will be able to export animal foods to the EU.  The EU previously established a new regulation banning the use of antibiotics for humans and growth promotion in food animals to minimize antibiotic resistance through foods.  A government official said that they also expect to have advantage over the export of other animal products such as beef and pork in the future by maintaining the export qualifications to the EU.

Lotte Chilsung ‘Soju’ is Targeting the U.S. Market to Become Its Own Alcoholic Beverage Category
https://www.foodnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=109025
Summary:  Lotte Chilsung Beverage has started to enter the U.S. market so that soju can establish itself as an independent alcoholic beverage category such as whiskey, beer, and sake.  According to Lotte Chilsung, soju exports to the United States showed an average annual growth rate of 46 percent from 2021 to 2023.  Lotte Chilsung has been strengthening its entry into the U.S. soju market since January this year after signing an agreement with U.S. liquor company E&J Gallo in December last year to strengthen its global partnership.  Also, they expanded sales channels by placing soju in approximately 10,000 liquor stores across the United States and are continuously increasing its presence in large distribution channels such as Costco.  Accordingly, soju exports to the United States in the first half of this year increased by more than 40 percent over the previous year.

Food Industry Working on Appealing to Senior Consumer Segment
https://www.chosun.com/economy/market_trend/2024/07/18/KPSKBPIRIJF2BNYUG54MKBSKGQ/
Summary:  The food industry is showcasing items targeting the senior consumer segment as the industry sees the segment is keen on healthcare and equipped with purchasing power.  The term ‘senior food’ used to refer to foods for the senior with certain illness, but now it targets the entire demographic segment.  Senior foods are now available in department stores, not just in hospitals.  A Korean company, Hyundai Green Food, opened a healthy food store ‘Greeting’ at Hyundai Department Store (Jung-dong branch) on July 17 to attract senior customers interested in their health condition and have purchasing power.  The brand ‘Greeting’ saw a 35% increase in sales in 2023 compared to the previous year.  Various food companies, such as those in milk powder production and those in institutional food service, are now jumping into the senior food market.

Imports of Whiskey Decreased by 24% in the First Half of the Year
https://view.asiae.co.kr/article/2024071717001991162 
Summary:  Between January and June this year, whiskey imports amounted to 12,663 tons in volume, down 24.9% from the same period last year, equivalent to 118 million USD, down 11.2%.  The upward trend in whiskey imports was evident for the last three years following the home-drinking trend during the pandemic, however, statistics now show a downward shift.  Amidst the ongoing high living costs and economic downturn, consumer demand has shrunken.  An industry insider commented the overall consumption of alcoholic beverages, regardless of the type, has been decreasing as people no longer stay out late and drink much.  However, as Summer is a typical high season for alcoholic beverages, and the Summer Olympics can be another factor boosting consumption, the market situation in the second half of the year could be different from the first half.

aT, Signed an Agreement to Expand Export Logistics Infrastructure with Ulsan Port Authority
https://www.foodnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=109008
Summary:  Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corporation (aT) and Ulsan Port Authority made an agreement at the Ulsan Port Authority HQ on July 17^th to vitalize low-carbon agricultural and fishery products distribution and cooperate with overseas export logistics infrastructure.  As a result of the agreement, the two organizations decided to actively cooperate in spreading ESG management, strengthening the logistics for agricultural and fisheries product exports in response to environmental changes in the global trade logistics and participating in the global ‘low-carbon diet practice movement’.

Korea’s Buldak Spicy Noodles Return to Shelves As Denmark Reverses Recall
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2024/07/281_378743.html
Summary:  Buldak spicy noodles are back on shelves in Denmark after its food authorities canceled part of their recall decision regarding the famous Korean instant noodles product, due to their extreme spiciness and consequent health risks.  The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration announced that two of the three products (Samyang Buldak 2X Spicy Hot Chicken and Samyang Buldak Hot Chicken Stew) that had been recalled were not harmful to health, based on their updated risk assessments.  However, the Danish authorities maintained the recall decision on Buldak 3X Spicy Hot Chicken, the spiciest product in the Buldak line, due to its health risks with symptoms including stomach pain and vomiting.  Buldak noodles are currently exported to approximately 80 countries, in the North American, European and southeast Asian regions, and often consumed by children and young people as part of spicy noodle challenges.

Culture Ministry and KTO Launches New Food Tourism Promotion
https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20240711050803
Summary:  The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) have launched the “Taste Your Korea” campaign to promote its rich culinary culture and South Korea as a food tourism destination.  Including 33 delicacies such as popular Korean dishes like bibimbap and Korean-style fried chicken, the KTO organizes a Korean gastronomic journey for local and overseas epicureans with three food themes: local specialties, seasonal ingredients and traditional liquors.  Local delicacies include Busan’s pork gukbap (a type of rice soup), Suwon’s wanggalbi (large grilled barbecue), Chuncheon’s dakgalbi (spicy-stir-fried chicken), etc.; Some iconic items such as Jeju Island’s black pork belly and Uljin snow crab were selected as the must-try seasonal ingredients; Seocheon’s sogokju (rice wine), Yangpyeong’s makgeolli (milky-colored and carbonated rice wine) and more were picked as the traditional liquors in Korea.  The KTO said the individual food culture, history and lesser-known stories pertaining to these Korean dishes were scheduled to be published online to offer a better understanding about the country’s popular cuisines to global guests.
 
Animal Rights Groups to Mark “First Dog Meat-free ‘boknal”
https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20240711050678&ACE_SEARCH=1
Summary:  *The three “bok” days of summer, when Koreans traditionally consume dishes to replenish stamina, have, in recent years, become days when animal rights groups hold protests to condemn the eating of dog meat.  But this year, more than 20 such groups are planning to gather to mark the “first dog meat-free ‘boknal’” in Korea and commemorate animals sacrificed for human consumption, since a National Assembly bill banning the breeding, butchering, distribution and sale of dog meat, passed earlier this year.  On boknal, many Koreans seek out highly nutritious dishes to beat the summer heat, such as bosintang (dog meat soup) and sampyetang (chicken soup).
(* In Korea, there is “sambok,” meaning three hot days: “chobok” (beginning), “jungbok” (middle) and “malbok” (last).  The three days, based on the lunar calendar, extend over the course of a month, signaling the start and end of the sweltering summer heat.  This year’s chobok, jungbok and malbok fell on July 15^th, 25^th and August 14^th, respectively.)

Northwest Cherry Growers Hold ‘Cherry Day’ Event in Seoul
https://m.mbn.co.kr/news/all/5040148
Summary:  The Northwest Cherry Growers of the United States held a Cherry Day event on July 2 to mark the full-fledged shipment of Washington cherry.  According to the Growers, northwest cherries are produced in 5 states in the U.S., Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Montana, accounting for 80% of imported cherries from the United States.  They emphasized that cherries contain lots of dietary fiber and vitamin C, as well as antioxidants and minerals.

Korea’s Agricultural Ministry to Buy 50,000 Tons of Rice to Stabilize Prices
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2024/07/281_377752.html
Summary:  According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA), it has launched steps to purchase 50,000 tons of rice in order to stabilize its price.  This move comes in an effort to reduce the 150,000 tons of rice in storage, which was harvested in 2023.  In addition, MAFRA says that the additional production of 50,000 tons of rice is expected to decrease this year due to the estimated size of rice paddies, which is between 683,000 and 689,000 hectares, below the previous target of 699,000 hectares.  Rice is a staple food for Koreans, but its consumption has been steadily declining in recent decades due to changes in diet.  Statistics Korea showed that the average Korean consumed 56.4 kilograms of rice in 2023, down 0.6 percent from the previous year, which is the lowest level since the government began compiling related data in 1962.

Korean Fresh Ginseng to be Shipped to U.S. and U.S. Grapefruits from Texas
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2024/07/371_377727.html
Summary:  The Korean government said that Korean and U.S. quarantine authorities have agreed on exports of fresh ginseng to the United States and imports of grapefruit from Texas.  The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency said in a statement that they began talks with its U.S. counterpart in 2017 for shipments of fresh ginseng produced in areas designated by the government.  They also started talks to import Texas grapefruits in 2019 and reached an agreement on disease and insect control measures in March this year.