Despite the repercussions of COVID-19 this year, Korean agricultural products are delightfully enjoying a reputation as overseas consumers perceive them as safe and reliable nourishment. In particular, kimchi achieved the highest export performance in three quarters, and processed foods such as ramyeon and gochujang, as well as fresh agricultural produce like strawberries and grapes, also gained popularity. Hereby, will touch upon this year's spotlighted Korean agricultural products and major issues. January : Welcoming the new year of 2020, the focus was on the three Korean agricultural products with high potential of export. The trios are paprika, strawberries, and tomatoes. February : Korean traditional liquors are increasingly recognized abroad for its taste and quality at world liquor show. March : Gochujang, doenjang, and ganjang drew attention not only as condiments for Korean diet, but also as ingredients for fusion dishes with their unique flavor. April : As the spicy taste of Korea is rapidly spreading out to the world, it is emerging as a representative keyword of Korean food. Tteokbokki and Buldak bokkeummyeon are the signature cooking for fiery spicy craze. May : Korean melon is the only type of melon cultivated in Korea, as it implies in the name. Lately, it is processed in a range of products such as facial masks. June : Due to COVID-19, functional foods that are good for immunity and health are in great demand. Ginseng is certainly the most preferred functional product of all. July : Samgyetang is the essential health food to consume on a hot summer day in Korea. It is exported as a convenience meal, which is a popular stamina-enhancing meal for overseas consumers as well. August : Korean grapes are one of the most common summer fruits for Koreans and global consumers. In recent years, Shine muscat is the beloved variety that attracts much attention. September : Paprika is cherished by consumers around the world for its numerous colors and rich nutrition. From 2020, Korean paprika is traded to China. October: K-drama is the trigger to the Korean Wave. Thanks to the K-drama fever, Korean agricultural products such as ramyeon, sundubu stew, and chicken are also selling well. November : Green tea, yuja tea, and omija tea, are the trio of Korean teas, which are steadily adored for their excellent health functions and are increasing in global consumption, lately. December : With over 300 types of products, kimchi lies in the center of Korean dish. Not to mention, this year’s export performance hit a record-high just in the third quarter.

The season for winter sports has come. The most favorite winter sport for Koreans is undoubtedly skiing. Many people start to flock to ski resorts around the time from December to February when it snows. Ski resorts are equipped with various facilities and amenities such as a food court where people can fill their stomach when they get the munchies after skiing and a sauna where people can warm themselves, and can thus be a perfect tourist destination in winter. For this reason, ski resorts in Korea are very popular among foreign tourists, and some of them offer various programs such as ski lessons for foreigners. Let’s hit the road to ski resorts, the must-visit destinations in Korea in the winter. #How About This Ski Resort? Being as skiing is a representing winter leisure activity in Korea, it can be enjoyed everywhere in Korea. As many as ten ski slopes have already been opened as of December 1. A ski slope in Korea consists of various courses, for example, a novice course on which novice skiers can enjoy skiing and intermediate and master courses on which skiers can enjoy skiing while looking at the view. When you suddenly have an urge to go skiing from Seoul, Elysian Gangchon in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, in particular, may be a perfect choice. Just in one hour by Gyeongchun Line and Intercity Train eXpress(ITX) trains after departing from Yongsan Station in Seoul, you will be in a snowy field. It is thus called “a ski slope on your way home from work”. The resort operates a pricing system by which you can set freely the time for skiing and pay for it accordingly. So, visitors can enjoy skiing to their heart’s content at a reasonable price. · Tel. +82-33-260-2000 · www.elysian.co.kr Yongpyong Resort, which is called a mecca of Korean ski resorts, is where you can enjoy the best thrilling course while appreciating the extensive snowy landscape. It is the first Korean ski resort that is nestled in Balwangsan Mountain 700 meters above sea level. It was upgraded one step further as it was used as the venue for alpine competitions and spin competitions held at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in 2018. · Tel. +82-33-335-5757 · www.yongpyong.co.kr #Let’s Have Some Fun with Customized Skiing Programs Anybody, regardless if they are physically challenged persons or foreigners who want to learn how to ski in Korea, can enjoy skiing in Korea. It is because there are some ski resorts that provide customized programs for them. High1 Resort located in Jeongseon in Gangwon-do started operating a ski school for physically challenged people for the first time in Korea. Thus, its keyword is the ski for the disabled. The ski school offers a one-on-one private lesson and a group lesson by eight qualified instructors. It also offers monoski for those with spine-related impairments, biski for those with dexterity impairments by cerebral palsy and the like, and many others for all types of disability. Vivaldi Park located in Hongcheon in Gangwon-do provides ski lessons to foreigners. Many ski resorts offer ski programs for foreigners, but Vivaldi Park is one that also gives a ski lesson for children. When you book it beforehand, you can have up to a 15% discount and are eligible for a lift ticket and a discounted gear rental. *Additional Info :Book Online! If you make inquiries beforehand, you can have kind answers. The lesson fee is lower than the fee for general lessons. In addition to that, you can have a 50% discounted skiwear, and family members who come along with you can participate in the lessons together. - High1 Resort: · Tel. 1588-7789 · https://www.high1.com/ - Vivaldi Park: · Tel. 1588-4888 · https://www.sonohotelsresorts.com/vp/ #Not Eating is A Loss! Tasty Snacks in Ski Resorts A food court is another fun you can have especially when you become hungry from skiing. You can have a special treat to your eyes by eating food while surrounded by unique snowy views in all four directions. And, you can also have dozens of options you can choose from. The most popular food in the food court may be a warm bowl of soup. It can melt frozen fingers and feet. Especially, fish cake soup and ramyeon are no longer just an ordinary food there, adding a refreshing taste and feel when you eat in a snowy field. Eating it while looking out over the white snow can be a perfect healer itself. Tteokbokki is another food that is hard to resist in a ski resort. It is always good, but you can appreciate a deeper taste of red chili paste when you have the food while taking a rest there. Chicken is another treat. Having chicken with a beer in a warm, snug room after having a light meal outside is just what the doctor ordered. It can ease your body worn out by skiing all day. On top of these, you can also have other typical Korean winter snacks including roasted chestnuts, fish-shaped buns made by adding adzuki bean filling into the dough and pressing the dough into fish-shaped molds, and steamed bun with red beans inside or other fillings inside. Let’s enjoy another beauty of a trip while having lots of fun enjoying skiing and various Korean foods to boot. *TIP: All the products introduced above can be purchased on e-commerce sites.

Tteokbokki is one of the snacks loved by many Koreans throughout all four seasons. Considering the addictive spicy and sweet taste and the ultra-simple recipe, no one can deny that tteokbokki is the favorite folk food. You can choose sauces and ingredients to your taste and make your own type of tteokbokki. Recently, the popularity of the food is growing more as Son heung-min, a soccer player at the English Premier League(EPL), picked tteokbokki as his favorite food. <Korea Agrafood> introduces how to make this addictive food that makes you never stop thinking about it once you try it. Main Ingredients(two servings): 20 pieces of rice cake, 2 sheets of fish cake, 1/2 green onion, 1/2 onion, dried anchovies, kelp, 1 egg Sub-ingredients(sauce): 2 tbsp of red pepper powder, 1 tbsp of red pepper paste, 2 tbsp of soy sauce for soup, 3 tbsp of sugar, a half spoon of curry sauce Cooking time: 15 min. Calories: 800 kcal #Recipe 1. Soak rice cakes in water and boil an egg to be cooked evenly. 2. Put dried anchovies and kelp in a pot and pour three cups of water into the pot to boil them. 3. Make sauce while boiling the stock. 4. Cut fish cakes horizontally into big pieces, cut onion vertically, and cut green onion slantly. 5. When the stock is boiling, add the prepared sauce and the fisch cake into the stok and boil it again 6. Put the rice cakes and the prepared onion and green onion all together into the stock and boil it until it is done. 7. Put the peeled egg on the top of tteokbokki. *TIP: Fish cakes can be added to the stock, making it more savory and making tteokbokki all the more delicious. If it is too spicy to eat, it is a good idea to add cheese atop. #Teokbokki Tour to Seoul As a national snack of Korea, tteokbokki can be come across at every corner. A basic type of tteokbokki is made by boiling down a red chili paste-based sauce. Boosted by the high popularity, it has evolved to various modified versions. There are “oil tteokbokki” made by frying rice cakes without a signature spicy thick soup-like sauce, “royal tteokbokki” made by mixing rice cakes with a soy sauce-based sauce with the addition of beef and shiitake mushrooms, tteokbokki on the spot with lots of soup and some special ingredients such as starch noodles and dumplings, and so on. What is funny is that there are respective neighborhoods famous for these types of tteokbokki. When it comes to tteokbokki on the spot, Sindang-dong is the most famous. There is even Tteokbokki Town where restaurants serving, jung-gu, seoul, tteokbokki on the spot are lined on both sides. For oil tteokbokki, Tongin Market located in Tongin-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, is famous. For royal tteokbokki which is a type of tteokbokki known to be eaten by ancient royal families and servants at royal palaces, it can be tasted in some traditional Korean food restaurants in Chebu-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. *Additional Info : Fish Cake Soup and Deep-fried laver rolls, A Perfect Accompaniment to Tteokbokki What food goes well with tteokbokki? It is the very fish cake soup and deep-fried laver rolls. A fish cake is made with fish flesh and it is tastier when it is boiled in a stock with some drops of soy sauce. The fish cake soup neutralizes the spicy flavor of tteokbokki and can thus be the best pair with tteokbokki. A deep-fried laver rolls is made by wrapping starch noodles with a sheet of deep-fried laver rolls and frying the roll in oil. Due to its jelly-like gummy texture and savory taste, it cannot be ruled out when eating tteokbokki. #Simple and Easy-to-Eat Tteokbokki Products Exported Abroad 1) YoungPoong’s Tteokbokki YoungPoong, an agricultural company, is promoting the taste of tteokbokki with its tteokbokki brand, Yopokki. It is currently exporting its products to about 50 countries. It exports various tteokbokki products including basic tteokbokki, cheese tteokbokki, spicy tteokbokki, and black tteokbokki, and they are packed in two types—cup and pouch. · Tel: +82-53-593-4788 · http://www.ypfoods.co.kr/ 2) Saongwon’s Deep-fried laver rolls Saongwon sells deep-fried laver rolls that are crispier and more flavorful with its patented techniques. Its deep-fried laver rolls ranked first on a Korean consumers’ taste evaluation list. The company exports various deep-fried laver rolls products including mild and spicy deep-fried laver rolls, curry-flavored deep-fried laver rolls, and others. It also sells other fried products including squid, chili, and sweet potato fritters. · Tel: +82-43-883-0100 · http://saongwon0615.cafe24.com/index.html 3) Samjinamook’s Fish Cakes Samjinamook is a food company specialized in fish cakes and has been in the industry for about 70 years. The fish cakes Samjinamook produces have excellent gummy texture and good taste with a high content of fish flesh. A basic square type of fish cakes is the steady seller of Samjinamook. In addition to the square fish cakes, Samjinamook sells other various fish cake products including cheese fish cakes and vegetable fish cakes. It also sells fish cake bars and fish cake soups. · Tel: +82-51-412-5468 · http://samjinamook.com

Son Heung-min, aka Sonsational, is enjoying his prime time at a premier league in the home of football, England. In the 2020-21 season, he recorded eight goals in just 8 appearances and was listed as one of the leading English Premier League(EPL) goalscorers. With the help of Son’s passionate and focused playing, Tottenham Hotspur FC for which Son is playing now has come into the spotlight, raising worldwide soccer fans' interest in whether the team would get the cup for the first time in its history. <Korea Agrafood> introduces Son Heung-min who is receiving acclamations from Korea, Spurs, and football fans around the world, and his favorite Korean dish. #Shiny Super Son at EPL This season, Son’s playing is outstanding. In this 2020-21 season, he recorded ten goals and three assists in 13 appearances including one at a match with West Bromwich Albion FC. He scored an offensive point of 1.25 per game. Among EPL players, Harry Kane, a Son’s teammate, is the only one who got a higher offensive score than Son. talkSPORT, a sports radio station in the UK, highly rated Son who was named as one of the EPL Best 11 based on the results of the eight rounds in the 2020-21 season, best describing Son as being on fire. His performance increases every day, so does his value. Tottenham is preparing to offer Son a new contract that would make him one of the highest earners in the team to make him consider committing his future to the team. According to Transmarket, a site providing information about player values and transfer, his transfer fee is highly estimated at USD 88.60 million dollars. The physical agility of his all body parts is a great weapon. In fact, he scored four goals with his right foot, three goals with his left foot, and one goal with his head. Jose Mourinho, who is the manager of the football club and called aka a serial winner, spoke highly of Son for his scoring power that is not much affected by whether it's his left or right foot, or his head. The manager said, “Son proved himself as a world-class player and he did what he can do. And, he couldn't be better than this”, with his thumb up. TIP: Check out the highlights of Son’s playing on the official Tottenham account. https://www.instagram.com/spursofficial/ #Let’s Enjoy Korean Snack Son Likes Thanks to Son’s brilliant playing, Korean fans’ love for the other half of the duo, Harry Kane, is growing each day. The duo earned 29 scores during a period from the 2015-16 season when Son was transferred to Tottenham to the eighth round in the 2020-21 season. This is the second-highest record in the history of EPL, after the legendary EPL duo&#8212;Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard&#8212;who scored more. So, for Korean fans, Harry Kane is a legitimate target for their affection. Korean soccer fans are showering Harry Kane with Korean gifts to show their love for him. In fact, a manager of the official Tottenham Hotspur fan club said that Korean fans sent snacks and Hot Chiken Flavor Ramen to the football club. Sending presents to foreign teammates of Korean players is not something new. Before Son, Korean soccer fans sent Choco Pie, a signature Korean snack, to Park Ji-sung’s teammates, Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Latyr Evra. Park Ji-sung also used to play at the EPL. *Additional Info : A Snack Given to Teammates of the Korean Player Korean soccer fans give a representative Korean snack as a gift to teammates of a Korean player who is playing abroad. They give a snack in token of their gratitude for taking care of or being nice to a Korean player who lives and plays abroad. The snack also signifies a warm heart from Koreans. Choco Pie, which delivers this warmth as its commercial phrase indicates, is the very representing gift. It is a kind of pie made with pieces of bread covered with chocolate on top and bottom with marshmallow therebetween. It is a snack that nobody dislikes. In fact, it is highly popular in some countries including Russia. In addition to the chocolate snack, hot chicken flavor ramyeon which features its spiciness is also a popular gift as it is gaining a huge popularity abroad. #Tteokbokki, Son’s Favorite Food that Refills His Energy Tteokbokki is a special food even for Son Heung-min who lived abroad for quite a long time including his childhood. Recently, a documentary about Son was made. The documentary, which is titled “Sonsational: The Making of Son Heung-min” and produced by tvN, a Korean broadcaster, follows his footprints he left. Especially the third episode in which Park Seo-jun, a famous Korean actor who shot to worldwide stardom after starred in Itaewon Class, a recent Korean hit TV series, appeared as a friend of Son’s caught the eye of many viewers. A scene in which Son Heung-min confided in his friend Park Seo-jun was most viewed because it is not an everyday thing fans can see from someone who has become a world-class soccer player. Son said in the episode that he doesn’t have many friends and close ones he can turn to because he went to Europe in his early days, and so he was really happy when Park came. He said about food, “I love snack foods, especially tteokbokki. I don’t think there is any Korean who doesn't like tteokbokki”, showing his affection for the food. Let’s learn how to make tteokbokki picked first by Son in the recipe section.

Asparagus is drawing attention as a versatile food ingredient that is used to make salads and soups and roasted and grilled with meat. In Korea, Yanggu in Gangwon-do has emerged as the main region that produces asparagus of good quality. The asparagus produced in this region was recognized for its high quality from Japan and started being exported to Singapore this year, and is now broadening its presence to Hong Kong. At the center of this success, there is an agricultural company called Yanggu Aspara CO., LTD. #Smooth sailing in a shower of favorable reviews from buyers Yanggu Aspara consists of farmers who have been cultivating asparagus only for over 15 years. It was established in 2017 to expand the export of Korean asparagus and started exporting asparagus to Japan. The high quality and appealing prices were enough to receive great reviews from Japanese buyers. The stock the company secured to export is now running short amid the growing request for the export. Behind this popularity, there are a relatively high level of recognition compared to other products, and the firm and solid stalks which contribute to the longer shelf life. What's more, the vegetable is rich in nutrients and great in texture, helping the export increase further. Thanks to these merits, the asparagus Yanggu Aspara produces is very popular particularly among salad bars, sandwich izakaya, and high-end Japanese restaurants, and fried food restaurants in Japan. Kim Young-rim, CEO of Yanggu Aspara, said, “Japan was a major market for the export, but we succeeded in expanding the export market to Singapore this year and sending some samples to Hong Kong. Korean asparagus is of a high class in the foreign markets. Currently, we are struggling to meet the demand for an increase in the export volume because it is too much to handle.” Kim Young-rim, CEO of Yanggu Aspara #Vying in the global market with high quality and reliability There is another reason that Yanggu Aspara has been recognized abroad this much. It is its thorough cultivation control system, which contributed to winning buyers' trust. This control system applied to the whole process from production to harvest satisfies Japan's import regulations on fresh produce that are notorious for their demanding and thorough standards. As there is a ceaseless request for Korean asparagus from foreign buyers, reinforced education is being provided to would-be farmers who desire to cultivate asparagus in order to expand the combined asparagus cultivation area. The Rural Development Administration(RDA) provides professional consulting on a regular basis to help the asparagus farmers to solve some challenges they face when they cultivate the vegetable. In the meantime, the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation(aT) offers additional support for export distribution, and the RDA supports research on various processed asparagus products and helps Korean asparagus go global. Kim said, “We are planning to increase the export volume by expanding the cultivation area and employing various export marketing strategies. We are also planning to find a way to increase added values by developing various processed food products including snacks, noodles, and tea products.” *Additional Info :Virtues of Asparagus Asparagus is rich in various nutrients including vitamins, amino acids, and protein. It contains an ample amount of aspartic acid that is known to be good for fatigue recovery and hangover removal. It also contains rutin and quercetin of flavonoids and protodioscin of steroidal saponins, which are known to have great anticancer and antioxidant effects. Inquiries: Yanggu Aspara CO., LTD. Tel: +82-33-481-7588 E-Mail: z1954@hanmail.net

From large stones to small pebbles like the size of children’s hands are unceasingly accumulated to form a huge tower. The pagoda looks risky as it goes up, but it is exquisitely balanced even amid a strong typhoon. It is so hard to believe that a human kind created such a thing, what did the men think while building this incredibly high tower piling each stone? We can assume that it could have been one’s own prayer for individuals, for neighbors, or for the world. Like a saying that sincerely pray to come true, we can sincerely look into the little wish and hope in our hearts right now. The photo shows stone pagoda at Maisantapsa Temple, located in Jinan, Jeollabuk-do, Korea.

In this February, Ttangkkeut Organic Agriculture Corporation was selected as the participant of the ‘New Business Model Creation Project in China’ promoted by the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation(aT). The export to China began in earnest with various supports from this project. In particular, the export of organic GABA rice, which has been certified as an organic product by the Chinese government, is becoming more active. It has been recognized by Chinese consumers as premium organic rice that has secured quality and safety, and the volume of export to China is climbing up. #The first to obtain China Organic Product Certification(CQM) in Korea In last December, Ttangkkeut Organic Agriculture Corporation is the first domestic entity to acquire China Organic Product Certification(CQM) in Korea. As the Chinese government approved the quality and safety of exported GABA rice, local Chinese consumers also began to trust and purchase it. Accordingly, in November of this year, it exported USD 39,000 worth of 7.2 tons of GABA rice, laying the foundation for a full-fledged entry into the Chinese market. The corporation achieved a range of international certifications such as USDA organic certification, Halal certification, and low carbon certification in the United States, along with CQM. By securing international qualifications, the rice has become a popular product that can be exported steadily for a long period of time regardless of worldwide circumstances. The export targets for China are 30 tons this year, 1,000 tons in 2025, and 10,000 tons in 2030, and marketing activities and promotion events are reinforced. #Sought-after in the finest premium market The Korean organic GABA rice exported to China is raising its added value by focusing on the premium market. In order to build the image that the product guarantees the quality, Chinese middle and upper class consumers were selected as targets instead of low priced competition in the Chinese market, Yun Yeong-sik, CEO of Ttangkkeut Organic Agriculture Corporation, said, “In order for Korean organic rice to enter the Chinese market, a step-by-step scenario was established. That, first, a marketing test was conducted for organic GABA rice in China. Next, we plan to thoroughly prepare intensive promotions and marketing activities to build up the premium brand image, then successfully launch at offline stores in China.” #Diversification of export items and exporting countries The GABA rice is exported not only to China, but also to the United States, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The export price is more than twice the price of what is sold in Korea, yet it is still chosen by local consumers. As consumers rely highly on safety certifications, the fact that the corporation already obtained several kinds from the most recent CQM, USDA organic certification, Halal certification, to low carbon certification, is definitely an advantage. Besides, organic GABA rice has been found to be effective in a number of functionality including preventing adult diseases such as high blood pressure, cerebral infarction, and dementia, as well as improving diabetes and removing cholesterol. As a result, it is gaining popularity as a nutritional diet especially for examinees and researchers, the elderly to prevent dementia, and children in the growth period with excessive brain activity. CEO Yun Yeong-sik of Ttangkkeut Organic Agriculture Corporation CEO Yoon said, “As the number of locals in China is growing recently, we are going to expand the export complex from the current 10ha to 300ha in 2025. In addition to organic GABA rice, we plan to develop 5 kinds of GABA rice porridge and processed rice products, and export them from 2022.” Tel) +82-61-534-8877 Fax) +82-61-537-0444 Mobile) +82-10-6880-9171 E-mail) yunys6107@hanmail.net -http://www.onlyorganicfarm.com/? (Korea) -http://guanhaimi.com/ (China) -http://haenam-organicfarm.com/ (USA) #aT’s New Business Model Creation Project in China The ‘New Business Model Creation Project in China’ operated by the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation(aT) fosters distinguished agricultural products for China and supports the advancement of a distribution platform suitable for the latest local trends. The project utilizes 11 strategic items set by aT to develop new products that are in demand but not circulated in China, or it supports marketing expenses necessary to target new distribution stores such as O2O stores, online malls, franchises, home shopping, and reverse shopping malls. #Interview Kim Ji-won, the Assistant Manager of New Northern Business Department at Overseas Business Office of aT 1. Please introduce the achievements of the New Business Model Creation Project in China -Company A designed a powdered stick-type of ‘Yuja Kombucha’ targeting female consumers who are interested in beauty and health after many years of market research, and finally knocked on the door of Chinese market. As a result, it has successfully introduced to eight leading distribution stores in 2019 for the first time. Company B developed ‘Yuja Passion Fruit Tea’ by combining a fruit preferred by Chinese consumers with yuja tea, a traditional Korean citron tea, and has now entered a few online and offline malls including Dongbang Home Shopping. In addition, samgyetang, which was difficult to present at mainstream market due to price problems, was launched for the first time in CCTV, China’s state-run home shopping channel, and supplied as food ingredients to the largest Korean food chain stores. 2. What kind of efforts has been made to successfully enter the Chinese market in the case of Ttangkkeut Organic Agriculture Corporation? -The first export was made after three years of preparation from the development of new varieties to the acquisition of organic certification in China, and registration of a rice processing plant for Chinese export. Through a two-year support project, the packaging design of organic GABA rice ‘Gwanhaemi’ was customized to Chinese style and market strategies were established by conducting market tests for local consumers at a luxury store in Beijing. In addition, it has become more competitive by securing quotas by recruiting buyers who can import rice in China, and has also entered a premium online mall that is powerful in distributing fresh agricultural products. Lastly, in preparation for online launch, we supported the designing of a product detail page(e-directory) and a promotional video that emphasized the safety and differentiation of Korean products, and recipes. As soon as the export begins in full-scale, promotions will commence on major social media and video platforms. 3. Please comment to the domestic agricultural exporters interested in the Chinese market. -The ‘New Business Model Creation Project in China’ aims to ‘create a new business model’ for exporters and buyers. This year, aT’s Chinese buyers network was used to arrange a 1-on-1 video consultation to support domestic exporters struggling with COVID-19. Currently, we are actively discussing specific terms and conditions, so the future is looking bright. We hope for your continued interest in the New Business Model Creation Project in China.

The ‘2020 Buy Korean Food(BKF)’ hosted an online event due to COVID-19, which accomplished a fruitful result with USD 16 million worth in export consultation. The BKF was held for 3 days from 21 October, and 1-on-1 online meetings were arranged between overseas buyers and Korean exporters. In particular, a large number of related industry distribution buyers attended and drew attention to enter famous online malls from overseas countries such as Alibaba and Shopee. #Better because it was online Celebrating 12 years this year, BKF invited 62 companies from 12 countries to conduct virtual consultations on export with 161 Korean companies. Compared to last year’s offline show, the size has moderately diminished, but it is evaluated that substantial consultations were made through 1-on-1 meetings. In particular, the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation(aT), the host, delivered samples in advance along with product information of Korean exporters to facilitate smooth consultation. An Official from said, “Due to the nature of agricultural products, we must have a chance to taste and evaluate packaging, so we did our best to prepare for the online gathering. We made sure to send out samples and product data beforehand.” In addition, strategies on online market entry and successful case studies were discussed in a webinar(a blend of web and seminar) by officials of leading overseas online mall such as Shopee in Southeast Asia and Alibaba in China. Moreover, to hear feedbacks on overall product packaging and commercial value of 26 exporting companies from a product evaluation group consisting of 100 foreigners in Korea, also received great reviews. A buyer from Kreassive in the U.S. said, “Before the event, comprehensive information of the exporters and products of interest were provided in advance, so on-site consultation could carry out without any problems. We aim to launch soon after creating strategic products to introduce at the U.S. market with companies we are interested in.” #Heated consultation with Korean Wave A total of 363 online consultations were conducted at BKF this time. Major items of interest vary by country. For example, tteokbokki and fried food, premium fruits such as shine muscat and melon were highly popular in Greater China. Japan was attracted to tteokbokki powder sauce with adjustable spicy taste, and the United States for organic sikhye(sweet rice punch) and cup tteokbokki with various flavors. Not to mention, dangjo pepper, which is effective in obesity and diabetes, fascinated the Middle East. An official from said, “As the time to spend at home increased dramatically caused by COVID-19, there had been numerous inquiries on home convenience meals. And the representative Korean spicy menu like tteokbokki and kimchi were also in demand due to the influence of the Korean Wave. Fresh quality fruits such as shine muscats also received constant attention.” An official from Shopee said, “With the recent pandemic, the online food market is growing significantly, and the reliability of Korean home convenience snacks and ginseng are climbing up with the influence of the Korean Wave. The time has come for Korean agricultural products to enter the Southeast Asian online market. Now is the opportunity.” #Continual support with sample delivery The aT evaluated that although BKF was the first to be held online this year, it achieved meaningful results. The aT will continue with support such as follow-up management and delivery of additional samples so that export consultation can lead to actual trading of agricultural products. There are over 50 follow-up consultations currently in progress even after the event, and samples are being distributed. Danny Kim, Managing Director of HAESER PRODUCTS CO., LTD., said, “At the show, an American buyer showed interest in abalone and snow crab canned products, and we are currently conducting a market trial as aT helped us ship off samples. The online meeting was restricted to chat only, so it’s a shame we couldn't try out tasting, but it allowed us to have us an in-depth conversation. In the next year, it will be useful for domestic exporters to receive information on foreign buyers in advance.” An official from said, “Hosting an online event was not easy since direct tasting is limited, and both parties must sign in at the same time. However, I believe it made everyone focus and discuss in detail for 1-on-1 meeting, which was definitely a plus point. Although the online consultation was unexpectedly held this year due to COVID-19, we plan to promote an online conference in parallel with the offline exhibition next year.”

The SamSung Farm, located in Eumseong, Chungcheongbuk-do, is the largest cultivation farm in Korea for grafted cactus. It draws attention as it continues to export unique yet high-quality grafted cactus to 34 countries around the world, including the United States, and the Netherlands. The exports have been stagnant due to COVID-19 earlier this year, which have recently recovered to 90% of the existing exports. The <Korea Agrafood> visited SamSung Farm, which claims the world's best quality as a farm specialized in exporting grafted cactus. #Boasting the most vivid colors and quality around the globe Founded in 1997, SamSung Farm is an export-specialized farm designed to distribute the entire amount of production to the world. Beginning with the export to the United States and the Netherlands in 1998, and the export volume increased, reaching out to 34 countries. The export amount also exceeded USD 600,000. The products exported by SamSung Farm are the finest in the world. It is popular in the U.S. and Europe, as well as Southeast Asian markets as it has vivid colors and excellent storage properties. Grafted cactus is an ornamental plant, so it is characterized by its bright pigment in yellow, red, and pink. The key is the technology of breeding and cultivating through nutrient solutions specially formulated to maintain intense colors. Previously, exporting countries included the United States, the Netherlands, and Canada, but in recent years, the number of destinations steadily increased to Russia, Latin America, and Europe. CEO Kim Ki-hong of SamSung Farm said, “The grafted cactus can be enjoyed for ornamental use in the age of COVID-19, thus exports are recovering rapidly. Korea’s core cultivation technology is far superior, so it is highly competitive and dominates up to 90% of the global market.” #Thorough management targeting the international market Another competitiveness of SamSung Farm is that it introduces a range of products to consumers every year by releasing new grafted cactus. The Rural Development Administration supplies new colored grafted cactus each year to SamSung Farm. Among them, those with great export potential are selected, retouched into export quality, and presented to the world. Due to its vibrant color and excellent quality, it is always recognized as a premium, top-notch cactus by importers. In terms of cultivation skills, only Korean researchers have the expertise to create desired colors through nutrient solution cultivation. This knowhow is recognized as a patented technology that cannot be trailed even in advanced flower countries like the Netherlands. The market for grafted cactus is fierce in competition for new products among countries to establish a new consumption market every year. Accordingly, in order to maintain continued exports in the international market, the plan is to expand the currently traded 40 types of grafted cactus to 50 types to satisfy the needs of numerous global consumers. CEO Kim said, “By expanding the current export volume to over 800,000 units, Korea will continue to retain over 90% of the world’s consumption market for grafted cactus. To this end, we will immediately grasp the preferences of customers around the world and build a more robust system that reflects desires on new products.” SamSung Farm Tel: +82-10-5182-5183 E-mail: ing1974@hanmail.net