Lee Kihong, Korea Pork Producers Fund Chair: "I Hope Pork Belly Day Eases Consumer Costs and Strengthens Farms"

Korean Pork, Fresh Meat Supplied Within 3 to 5 Days
Only When Consumption Recovers Can Farms Gain Strength
Nationwide Online and Offline Discount Events for Korean Pork

"Pork Belly Day is the day we reaffirm the driving force behind the Korean pork industry."

Lee Kihong, Chairman of the Korea Pork Producers Fund Management Committee, emphasized on the 26th, ahead of Pork Belly Day on March 3, "Pork Belly Day is an opportunity to promote the value and competitiveness of Korean pork through pork belly, the cut most beloved by the public, and to share the message that consumption is the very force that sustains Korean pork farms."

Lee Gihong, Chairman of the Korea Pork Checkoff Management Committee.

The Korea Pork Producers Fund Management Committee is promoting a nationwide Korean pork consumption campaign to mark Pork Belly Day on March 3 next month. This year's event focuses on expanding tangible benefits for consumers by centering on offline on-site sales while linking them with online discount events and social networking service (SNS) promotions. The plan is to create a consumption-friendly atmosphere both online and offline by providing opportunities for consumers to see and purchase products directly on-site, while simultaneously running discount promotions through distribution channels and online malls.

Alongside the on-site events, discount promotions will also take place across distribution channels, using Pork Belly Day as a starting point. On the official Korean pork online mall "Handon Mall," a special pork belly discount promotion will be held, and pork belly and other major cuts will be sold at discounted prices at Korean pork-certified restaurants nationwide, large discount stores, Nonghyup Lively stores, and Hanaro Mart locations.

Lee stressed the freshness and safety of Korean pork. He explained, "Unlike imported meat, Korean pork is fresh meat supplied within 3 to 5 days and is a highly nutritious food rich in vitamin B and protein," adding, "Thanks to traceability management, HACCP certification, and strict distribution controls, it is a safe, trustworthy food for our tables." He noted that Pork Belly Day is a symbolic occasion to directly communicate these strengths of Korean pork to consumers.

Recently, Korean pork farms have been maintaining constant quarantine systems to block African Swine Fever (ASF), while at the same time facing difficulties stemming from rising production costs and sluggish consumption. Lee said, "Farmers are protecting a stable supply base through thorough quarantine measures and quality control," and added, "In times like these, expanding consumption is the most direct form of support." He explained that only when consumption recovers can supply and prices stabilize, and that stabilizing force then returns to the farms.

In his New Year's address this year, Lee underscored the message that "The answer lies in the field," and declared that 2026 would be the first year in which the Korean pork industry breaks through its crisis. He said, "We will build a Korean pork industry that opens up the future, stands together with the people, and earns respect," adding, "Pork Belly Day is also a venue for practical action where we meet consumers in the field. If families and neighbors actively consume Korean pork, that will directly become the driving force that revives farms and local economies."

Born in Goryeong, North Gyeongsang Province, Lee currently runs Goryeong Excellent Farm and the Gunwi Ewha Pig Farming Business Corporation. After serving as head of the Goryeong branch of the Korea Pork Producers Association and as vice president of the central association, he was inaugurated in November last year as Chairman of the Korea Pork Producers Fund Management Committee and concurrently as President of the Korea Pork Producers Association. At his inauguration ceremony, he donated the entire 240 million won in activity expenses to be paid over his four-year term as president to the association's development fund. This fund is used for the association's scholarship programs, employee welfare, and childbirth incentives aimed at addressing the low birth rate.