FAS/Seoul Monitoring of Media Reporting on Agricultural Issues 

Today's Date: Friday,  March  7,  2025

For Coverage:  March 7  ~  14, 2025

U.S. industry demands removal of beef and soybean import restrictions, raising concerns over retaliatory tariffs
https://www.donga.com/news/Inter/article/all/20250313/131197146/2
Summary:  The U.S. beef industry has requested the Trump administration to urge South Korea to lift its age restriction on U.S. beef, which has been in place since the 2003 BSE outbreak.  The U.S. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) argues that other countries like Japan and Taiwan have removed similar age limits and suggests that scientific evidence should guide trade policies.  The U.S. also expressed dissatisfaction with South Korea's lengthy approval process for genetically modified soybeans and other biotechnology crops, as well as restrictions on U.S. blueberry exports.  The Trump administration is considering using both the beef age restriction and other trade barriers, including tariffs, as leverage in negotiations with South Korea.

"South Korea should remove import age restrictions on U.S. beef"… U.S. industry urges Trump administration
https://www.nongmin.com/article/20250312500801
Summary:  The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has formally requested the Trump administration to remove South Korea’s non-tariff barriers on U.S. beef imports, particularly the restriction on beef from cattle over 30 months old.  In its submission to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), NCBA argued that China, Japan, and Taiwan have already lifted similar restrictions, recognizing the safety and quality of U.S. beef.  The organization emphasized that the U.S. maintains the strictest standards for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and called for negotiations with South Korea to eliminate the age restriction and promote science-based trade.  Meanwhile, South Korea’s domestic beef industry has strongly opposed the move, citing past concerns over BSE and warning that farmers’ livelihoods and public health should not be compromised by U.S. trade pressures.

Hanwoo Association: "U.S. beef over 30 months old must not be imported
http://www.foodnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=112297
Summary:  The U.S. livestock industry has urged the Trump administration to lift Korea's ban on U.S. beef over 30 months old, calling it an unfair trade practice, but Korea’s Hanwoo Association strongly opposes the move, citing farmers' livelihoods and public health concerns.  The association emphasized that BSE (mad cow disease) remains a sensitive issue in Korea, with past cases in the U.S. primarily occurring in cattle over 30 months old, raising fears that lifting the ban could erode consumer trust in beef, including domestic Hanwoo.  They also warned that with U.S. beef tariffs set to be eliminated next year, removing the age restriction would further devastate struggling Hanwoo farmers, urging the Korean government to protect local agriculture instead of yielding to U.S. demands.

U.S. livestock hygiene certificates to be received electronically… World’s first
http://www.foodnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=112308
Summary:  South Korea will become the first country in the world to receive electronic sanitary certificates for U.S. livestock products, with the system expected to be implemented by the end of this year. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) signed an MOU with the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to replace paper-based certificates with digital ones, ensuring improved efficiency, security, and traceability in import processes. This move will strengthen food safety management, reduce administrative costs, and contribute to carbon neutrality by eliminating paper documentation.

Korea achieve K-food export consultations worth about $35 million at Anaheim Food Expo
http://www.foodnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=112290
Summary:  The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) participated in the 2025 Natural Products Expo West (NPEW) in Anaheim, achieving K-food export consultations worth $35.27 million.  The MAFRA and aT participated in the expo as an integrated Korean pavilion with K-food export companies to promote a variety of K-food with a focus on ‘health’ and ‘convenience’ emerging as a global trend.

Irrational regulations on imported food to be significantly improved
http://www.foodnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=112267
Summary:  On the 11^th, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) announced a revision to the Special Act on Safety Control of Imported Food, which mainly expands the sales requirements for raw ingredients imported for food manufacturing.  With this revision, raw ingredients will be purchased from other manufacturers for stable supply in the event of serious difficulties in securing raw ingredients necessary for food manufacturing, such as a sudden change in the international situation.  In addition, the revision includes provisions to strengthen the safety management of imported food such as purchasing agency service for food, with the public safety as the top priority.

MOF conducts a special inspection of the origin markings on imported seafood
http://www.foodnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=112251
Summary:  The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) plans to conduct a special inspection of the origin markings on imported seafood products until the 28^th of this month.  In this inspection, a joint public-private inspection team will focus on items with a high number of origin marking violations (including live octopus, live red sea bream, and live scallops) or high import volume (including frozen yellow corvina and frozen blue crab), among the 21 items with a history of imported seafood distribution.  According to MOF, the distributor caught in the act of undermining public trust due to false marking of the country of origin will be severely punished.

“There are no eggs” - The US was in turmoil, and a Korean company’s stock price skyrocketed 
https://www.hankyung.com/article/2025031038016
Summary:  Recently, news has emerged that the U.S. is pushing for import of eggs from Europe, Asia, and other regions due to an egg supply shortage, causing related stocks to rise on the domestic stock market.  The Gyerim Farm in Asan, Chungcheongnam-do, has decided to export 20 tons of special eggs (11,172 trays, 335,160 eggs) to Georgia in the eastern U.S.  This is the first time that eggs produced in South Korea will be exported to the U.S.

"Does 'sinto buri' put food on the table?... 'Expensive but domestic' doesn’t work for the MZ Generation"
https://www.hankyung.com/article/2025031047731
Summary:  A survey by the Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI) found that 8 out of 10 people in their 20s and 30s living in cities believe that agricultural market liberalization benefits consumers.  Only 1 in 10 young adults preferred domestic agricultural products over imported ones despite higher prices.  The data also revealed that younger generations are less likely to view the domestic agricultural market as overly open, with older age groups expressing stronger concerns about excessive market liberalization.

Radish prices jump 87% compared to last year
https://www.donga.com/news/Economy/article/all/20250309/131171493/2
Summary:  Radish prices are expected to continue soaring this month.  The Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI) predicted in its ‘March Agricultural Outlook’ that due to poor crop yields and a decrease in production, the wholesale price of radishes will reach 24,000 KRW per 20kg this month.  This is 87% higher than the price from a year ago.

Now even pork belly is affected… Close watch on Trump tariff impact
https://www.hankyung.com/article/202503102586i
Summary:  President Donald Trump's plan to impose tariffs on imported agricultural products has raised concerns about its potential impact on the Korean agricultural market.  While Korea's largest agricultural import from the U.S. is duty-free under the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA), other products like pork and potatoes could be affected, with the U.S. pushing for expanded import regions and renegotiation of tariffs.  If tariffs on U.S. pork imports are reduced, it may help stabilize consumer prices in Korea, but it could also pose challenges for domestic livestock and agriculture industries.

All-out efforts for price stability… Additional allocation tariffs applied to six items, including cocoa products
http://www.foodnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=112228
Summary:  The government plans to reduce the cost burden on the food industry by applying additional allocation tariffs to six items, including cocoa products and fruit cocktails, in response to recent price surges.  During an economic policy meeting, officials discussed agricultural and seafood price trends, emphasizing their commitment to stabilizing prices amid global uncertainties such as climate change and oil price fluctuations.  Measures to stabilize supply include releasing up to 500 tons of imported cabbage weekly, supplying radish reserves at 70% of wholesale prices, and continuing discounts on alternative produce like spring greens.

Winter cabbage storage decreases… Price strong ‘outlook’
https://www.nongmin.com/article/20250305500777
Summary:  This year’s winter cabbage storage is found to have decreased by 3.1% compared to last year and 5.3% compared to the average.  As a result, cabbage prices are expected to remain strong in March and April.  However, with the increase in imports of foreign-made kimchi and fresh cabbage, as well as sluggish consumption due to the economic downturn, the price increase is expected to be limited.

“Eat instead of meat” - People in their 50s and 60s are hooked… Unexpectedly a huge success
https://www.hankyung.com/article/2025030677191
Summary:  As the protein drink market is expected to grow, the beverage industry is intensifying its competition with the launch of new products.  According to the food industry on the 6^th, major food companies are preparing to release new protein drink products.  This is because the market size of protein drinks, which was 450 billion won last year, is forecasted to surge to 800 billion won by 2026.