Pulmuone launches frozen gimbap in China

Pulmuone's frozen gimbap product (Pulmuone)

South Korean food giant Pulmuone said Thursday that it has become the first Korean food company to introduce frozen gimbap into the Chinese market by selling its products at a leading retailer there.

Pulmuone’s Tuna Kimbap, sold in packs of three rolls, is now available at Sam's Club, which operates 49 stores in China. A full 136,000 units will be exported to China by September, with plans to export a total of 620,000 units annually, the company said.

The product packaging brandishes the company's "K-Street food" emblem and can be prepared in just three minutes using a microwave.

This move aligns with Pulmuone's belief that, given the recent rise of gimbap products in the US market, frozen gimbap has strong potential in Asia, including China, where rice-based meals are widely eaten.

In particular, the Korean Embassy in China and the Beijing office of the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) assisted Pulmuone in completing the registration process required for exporting its new food products to China, the company said.

"Pulmuone is focused on introducing high-quality 'K-Street food' products to global markets, including China, to enhance brand value and meet consumer demand," a Pulmuone official said.

"Building on the success of our frozen gimbap at Sam’s Club, we plan to expand into other channels and grow our Korean rice-based product line in China. We see this as an opportunity to establish a foothold and promote Korean street food in the country.

Pulmuone has operated its subsidiaries in Beijing and Shanghai since 2010, selling frozen food products through warehouse stores and online channels in the Chinese market.

By Hwang Joo-young(flylikekite@heraldcorp.com)