Park Jae-hyuk is a seasoned journalist who has provided comprehensive coverage of South Korea's corporate dynamics, economic policies, industry challenges and the global positioning of Korean companies. Based on the articles he has written since joining The Korea Times in 2016, his investigative approach has helped readers understand corporate governance, economic trends and business strategies shaping South Korea’s economy.
Daesang goes global with Jong-ga-jip kimchi
Seen above are renewed Jong-ga-jip Poggi Kimchi, left, and Mat Kimchi, which are popular Daesang products. / Courtesy of Daesang
By Park Jae-hyuk
By Park Jae-hyuk
Daesang recently renewed its Jong-ga-jip brand, seeking to expand the presence of the 30-year-old kimchi brand in the global market, the food company said Thursday.
The renewed brand identity includes both Korean and English texts of JONGGA to express the company’s new vision of being a Korean food brand in the global market. The texts are written between roof tiles in an image, symbolizing the traditional Korean culture of harmony.
The upper tile image represents sky, tradition and fermentation, while the bottom one indicates land, modernity and freshness. In particular, the new brand identity adopted a simple and modernized design compared to the previous one.
As the nation’s top kimchi brand, Jong-ga-jip has duplicated its success in offshore markets. Its kimchi is sold in more than 40 countries around the globe including the United States, Europe, Taiwan and Hong Kong. According to Daesang, more than four-fifths of its exports are consumed by locals, not ethnic Koreans.
“With its unparalleled freshness and advanced technology, Jong-ga-jip has maintained the top spot both locally and globally,” said Lim Jung-bae, head of Daesang’s food business unit. “Combining tradition with modernity, it will be reborn as a genuine global brand of spreading Korean food culture to the world.”
In addition to the brand renewal, Daesang has announced the new slogan, “Center of taste, Jong-ga-jip.” It contains the philosophy and vision that Daesang will become a global brand based on the fundamentals of traditional Korean foods such as fermentation and freshness.
The Seoul-based company plans to focus more on communication with its customers, through promotional events offering opportunities to experience various products of Jong-ga-jip.
Globalization might be hardwired to the corporate genes of Daesang ― since the launch of Jong-ga-jip brand in 1980s, Daesang has tried to tap into other countries with its kimchi.
Cooperating with other food experts, the late Hwang Hye-seong established standardized recipes of Daesang’s kimchi products at the time. Hwang was a state-designated living natural treasure and worked for Daesang as an adviser.
The company obtained a patent in 1991 for its packaging technology, which was developed to export its products in more stable fashion. In 2001, it began to research new ways of culturing lactobacillus in kimchi to enhance its taste.