Gov't will leverage K-dramas to promote Korean agricultural exports

The Korean government aims to expand agriculture exports by targeting new markets like the Middle East, Latin America and India while leveraging K-content to promote Korean food.

Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung speaks during a meeting with companies from agriculture-related sectors regarding exports in Yangjae-dong of Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Tuesday. [MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS]

The Korean government has set the Middle East, Latin America and India as new target markets for agriculture exports, aiming to grow the sector into one of its top ten export categories.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced a set of initiatives to increase the appeal of Korean agrifood products including rice, strawberries and pears, as well as related sectors such as smart farms, farming equipment, pet food and animal medicines.

The government will tap into emerging markets like the Middle East, Latin America and India with the goal of increasing export shares to these regions from last year's 6.2 percent to 12 percent by 2027. It will organize food fairs in these markets to promote Korean agriculture and broaden its signed Halal mutual certification recognition agreements from seven to nine.

For smart farms, the ministry will set up trial greenhouses in promising export destinations like the Middle East and establish key trade offices. In the agricultural machinery sector, it will focus on obtaining export authorizations and boosting marketing to explore and diversify markets such as to Europe and Africa. For animal medicines, it will focus on introducing new export-oriented GMP standards and exploring new markets.

The government aims to establish a specialized logistics system for fresh agricultural products, intending to expand the current cold chain network from six to twelve countries, with a focus on regions like Southeast Asia and the Middle East where demand for fresh food is high.

Plans also include leveraging Korean cultural content, such as K-dramas, to establish and market a dedicated promotional office in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The government's objective is to elevate such areas — an advanced iteration of K-Food — to achieve $13.5 billion in exports this year, which would be an 11.2 percent increase from last year's record-high of $12.14 billion. Looking ahead, it sets its sights on reaching $23 billion in exports by 2027.

“The record-breaking exports achieved last year can be credited to the dedication of our export companies. However, another key factor is the growing demand from international markets, particularly evident in the doubling of smart farm exports to the Middle East from Korea, which expanded our export territory,” Song Mi-ryung, minister of agriculture and food, told reporters on Tuesday.

“We will strengthen our export organizations' capabilities, expand export logistics infrastructure, widen export markets and leverage enthusiasm for K-culture and K-food and use them for our marketing,” Song added.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]