Today's Date:   Thursday, November 29, 2012

1. MARKETING ISSUES

Dining Out Accounts for Half of Household Food Expenses [Korean, OSY]

http://www.yonhapnews.co.kr/economy/2012/11/28/0301000000AKR20121128192400002.HTML?template=2087

Summary: According to a report by Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI) released on November 29, dining out accounted for almost half (47 percent) of household food expenses in 2011, sharp increase from 20 percent in 1990.  At the same time, spending on processed food increased to 25.4 percent in 2011 from 23.6 percent in 2003.  However, spending on fresh products including vegetables and fish declined from 32.4 percent in 2003 to 28 percent in 2011.  The KREI report pointed out that increase of dual income families was the cause of increased spending on dining out and processed foods.

2. OTHER MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES

The ROKG is Responsible for Making Food Safety Issues Become a Bigger Issue [Korean: BYK]

http://www.foodnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=42771

Summary: During the “Food Safety Forum” a Professor from Sogang University stated that the Korean government is the cause for making food safety issues become a bigger issue than necessary.  He argued that unlike the foreign nations where the government merely detects problems, gives penalties and announces its findings and lets the private companies conduct the recall, the ROKG takes the blame on itself for the problem as if it was a all-round-player and aggrevates the anxiety among the society.

3. MIFAFF PRESS RELEASES

► MIFAFF to provide strong support for FAO’s plan to set up office in Korea (So far, FAO has overseas office in the United States, Belgium, Swiss and Japan)

► Shinsegye Department Store to set up first ever environment friendly fishery products shop in Myung-dong

► Livestock manure treatment facility in Jung-eup gets registered as first Clean Development Mechanism (CCM) under UNFCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change)

4. aT PUBLIC NOTICE OF STATE TRADING

► Tender for MMA Rice for Processing (Short grain)