First Award in Gyeongbuk Province Evaluation
Strategic Budget Expansion and Field-Oriented Support Prove Effective
Gumi City in Gyeongbuk Province announced on June 6 that it has been selected as an 'Excellent City/County' in the field of agricultural food export policy by Gyeongsangbuk-do, winning the 'Excellence Award' for the first time in its history.
Gyeongbuk Gumi City Agricultural Food Export Policy Wins 'Excellence Award' (From left: Kim Sunhyun, Director of Agricultural Food Industry Division, Gumi City; Kim Juryoung, Director of Agriculture, Livestock and Distribution Bureau, Gyeongbuk Provincial Government; Kim Hyoju, Officer of Agricultural Food Industry Division, Gumi City)
This award is the result of Gumi City's expansion of its export budget and systematic, field-oriented support policies since the launch of the 8th popularly elected administration, which have led to tangible outcomes. The city increased its agricultural food export support budget by approximately 197%, from 148 million won in 2022 to 472 million won in 2025.
On the basis of these policy efforts, Gumi City's agricultural food exports in 2024 reached $93.86 million, a 47.8% increase compared to the previous year. This accounts for 25% of the total exports of Gyeongbuk Province ($375.04 million) during the same period, representing the largest share in the province.
By product, ramen ($51.74 million), sauces ($8.83 million), and frozen gimbap ($8.08 million) accounted for 73% of the total export value. In addition, exports of fresh agricultural products such as enoki mushrooms ($2.93 million) and grapes ($140,000) also increased, contributing to diversification of export items.
By country, the United States ($29.65 million), Japan ($22.98 million), and China ($13.52 million) were the top three destinations, together accounting for 70% of total exports. In particular, the United States showed the highest growth rate, with exports increasing by 123.7% compared to the previous year ($13.25 million), driven by increased demand for ramen and frozen gimbap.
To enhance the international competitiveness of local agricultural food products, the city is implementing a variety of support policies centered on its own brand, 'G-Food (Gumi-Food)'.
Major initiatives include support for export agricultural food safety ($236,000), dispatch of agricultural food trade missions ($150,000), strengthening brand competitiveness ($16,000), and overseas promotional support ($70,000).
Gumi City Mayor Kim Jangho stated, "We will spare no administrative and policy support to ensure that local agricultural food products can reach dining tables around the world," adding, "We will continue to accelerate the globalization of G-Food through strategic export policies."
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