Gwangju City Holds Export Consultation Meeting Between Major US Supermarket Operators and Kimchi Companies

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 14th that it held an export consultation meeting between Gwangju kimchi companies and Hannam Chain and KHEEE Trading, operators of agricultural and marine food distribution stores in the United States, at the Gwangju Trade Center.

The consultation event was attended by the Gwangju Trade Association, Gu Jeong-wan, CEO of Hannam Chain, Ryu Don-hee, CEO of KHEEE Trading, and six Gwangju kimchi companies.

Hannam Chain operates seven large supermarkets across the United States, where the largest number of overseas Koreans reside worldwide, generating annual sales exceeding $150 million. In particular, it imports more than $10 million worth of agricultural and marine products from Jeonnam Province every year.

This consultation meeting was organized to pioneer export channels for Gwangju kimchi amid the rising popularity of Korean food products, with kimchi export value in the first quarter of this year reaching an all-time high, and growing interest in K-food alongside the Korean Wave.

During the consultation, the products of Gwangju kimchi companies were evaluated, and export plans were discussed.

Gwangju City plans to select two to three companies that received favorable evaluations at this appraisal meeting and support them by holding additional consultation meetings to help open export channels.

Additionally, together with the World Kimchi Research Institute, Gwangju City will promote export marketing and market development consulting projects to pioneer overseas markets for Gwangju kimchi.

Kim Hyun-jung, head of the Life Agriculture Division of the city, said, “For companies that conclude contracts through the export consultation meeting, we plan to provide promotional marketing support. We will do our best to let overseas consumers know the taste and excellence of Gwangju kimchi.”