Hanwoo Export: Korean Beef Shows Signs of Popularity in Hong Kong
홍보담당관
2024.05.01
198
Hanwoo Export: Korean Beef Shows Signs of Popularity in Hong Kong
International audience at the K-pop concert in Hong Kong showed an enthusiastic response to Korean beef, with Korea speeding
up efforts to increase exports to Hong Kong.
Sejong, 30 April 2024 — The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, for a period from 28 to 31 March, met with the Korean
Consulate General and the Korean Cultural Centre in Hong Kong to discuss ways for cooperation to promote hanwoo (Korean beef)
widely across Hong Kong and the Asian region, and operated a hanwoo promotion booth and a shop of selling hanwoo inside a concert
hall for the first K-pop concert held in Hong Kong1).
1) KCON Hong Kong 2024 was held on 30–31 March 2024.
Hong Kong has a high per capita income and is an important market for Korean beef exports, accounting for 70% of global shipments in 2023.
Besides, people in Hong Kong have a high interest in Korean popular culture. Hong Kong is also a gateway for exporting Korean beef to
the global market, as the region is a major test bed to evaluate the possibility of success of food business in the global market and the world’s
most visited international financial and cultural hub.
Note) Korean beef importers as of 2023: Hong Kong, Macao, Cambodia, Malaysia, and the UAE.
Against this backdrop, the ministry had a meeting with the Korean Consulate General and the Korean Cultural Centre in Hong Kong, regarding
the promotion of Korean beef on 28 March. The Korean Cultural Centre decided to work with hotels in Hong Kong to expand the Hong Kong
market for Korean beef. To be specific, the government agency will develop recipes using Korean beef with chefs of the hotels and serve the dishes
in hotel restaurants in the second half of this year. The agency will also carry out active promotion activities in connection with Korean cultural
events in Hong Kong, under the slogan “Korean beef marinated with culture.” Officials of the Korean Consulate General and the Korean Cultural
Centre said: “Korean beef is one of the key ingredients of Korean food and carries a great symbolic significance for Korean food culture.
As a key objective for this year, we will focus on expanding Korean beef exports and put all our efforts into it.”
On 29 March, Galbi Town2), the Hanwoo Association, and a Korean exporter signed a Memorandum of Understanding for increasing the number of
restaurants serving Korean beef in Hong Kong as well as for developing and selling new Korean beef products using low-fat meat cuts. At the signing
ceremony, the ministry said that it will grant an official designation of an ‘Excellent Hanwoo Korean Restaurant’ to restaurants that serve quality
Korean beef in Hong Kong within the first half of this year and actively promote such restaurants.
2) A franchise business for Korean oven-roasted chicken launched in Hong Kong.
At the K-pop concert, known as KCON Hong Kong 2024, held in Hong Kong from 30 to 31 March, the ministry opened a Korean beef exhibition
booth and a shop of selling Korean beef dishes, and international audience at the concert showed an enthusiastic response to Korean beef. For instance,
Michael Lee who visited the Korean beef shop said: “It’s my first time to taste Korean beef. The taste and flavor are of the highest quality.”
Shelly Chung chimed in: “I’ve particularly found the rice cups and burgers using Korean beef favourable in that they are affordable but allow you
to enjoy the taste of Korean beef.” With these positive responses, exports of Korean beef to Hong Kong are expected to continue to increase.