aT wins top consumer award for cost reductions, price transparency

Moon In-cheol (right), executive vice president of Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp., and Kim Jong-hwan, co-chairman of the Korea Consumer Association, pose for a photo at the Korea Consumer Awards ceremony in Seoul on Tuesday. (aT)

The Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp., known as aT, announced on Thursday that it has been recognized by the Korea Consumer Association for its excellence in consumer-friendly administration.

aT, a government agency responsible for promoting the trade, export and marketing of Korean foods and beverages worldwide, received this year's Korea Consumer Award for its initiatives aimed at reducing costs for consumers. These initiatives include a discount program for domestically produced agricultural and livestock products and providing transparent daily price updates on its Korea Agricultural Marketing Information Service (KAMIS) website.

In line with its efforts to be consumer-friendly, aT has expanded its discount program, which offers 20 to 30 percent savings on domestic products, to include traditional markets and smaller retail channels nationwide. According to aT, the program has generated approximately 60.3 billion won (about $43 million) in transactions at traditional markets and 60 billion won (around $42.9 million) in voucher sales.

To encourage broader participation, especially among senior consumers who may be less familiar with the program, aT has launched educational and experiential initiatives, promoting these efforts through ads on public transportation and online campaigns.

Since 1983, aT has conducted daily retail and wholesale price surveys of agricultural and fishery products throughout the country, and nowadays publishes this data on KAMIS. The platform provides consumers with information on budget-friendly items and tips on seasonal produce, with a recent emphasis on price transparency for ingredients used during the kimchi-making season.

“Accurate price information is essential for consumers to make smart choices,” said Moon In-cheol, aT’s executive vice president of the supply & demand division. “We remain committed to our role in sharing this information, recognizing its importance in today’s economy.”

By Park Li-na(linapark@heraldcorp.com)