Jeonnam Governor Kim Young-rok Visits 'Outstanding Agrifood Export Companies'

Listening to Concerns and Offering Encouragement

[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Kim Young-rok, Governor of Jeonnam Province, visited companies that led the expansion of agricultural food exports despite the difficult conditions caused by COVID-19, listened to the difficulties faced by export companies, and encouraged their efforts.

According to Jeonnam Province on the 18th, Governor Kim visited Maeil Food Co., Ltd., located in Seomyeon Industrial Complex, Suncheon City, and held a meeting.

The meeting was attended by National Assembly member So Byung-chul, Suncheon Mayor Heo Seok, Jeollanam-do Council member Oh Ha-geun, and Council member Kim Jeong-hee, among others, to discuss ways to expand agricultural food exports of local export companies.

Maeil Food Co., Ltd. is a "prestigious long-established company" producing traditional sauces for three generations since its establishment by Mrs. Kim Bang immediately after liberation in 1945. As of June, it achieved export sales of 5 million dollars, doubling last year's performance.

The prestigious long-established company system is a program selected and promoted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups for companies that have operated for more than 45 years, have high economic and social contributions, and are expected to grow continuously.

Since current CEO Oh Sang-ho took office in 2013, Maeil Food has developed various sauces tailored to global tastes, including soy sauce, doenjang, and gochujang, which are fermented foods scientifically proven to be effective.

Additionally, through active overseas marketing and diversification of export countries, it exports to more than 20 countries.

Governor Kim said, "COVID-19 presents both an opportunity factor of increased global interest in health foods and a crisis factor of difficulty in discovering new overseas buyers. The stable export market that Maeil Food has built through its efforts serves as a model for export companies in the province."

Meanwhile, gochujang and ssamjang produced by Maeil Food Co., Ltd. have been selected as one of the seven star items in the Amazon Jeollanam-do brand pavilion, which Jeonnam Province is focusing on promoting, and are expected to gain more momentum in targeting overseas markets.