Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.
CheongKwanJang sales soaring ahead of Lunar New Year
Actress Kim Sung-ryung holds red shopping bags containing CheongKwanJang red ginseng products. / Courtesy of Korea Ginseng Corp.
By Baek Byung-yeul
By Baek Byung-yeul
CheongKwanJang, the Korea Ginseng Corp.'s (KGC) signature red ginseng brand has been enjoying growing popularity among foreign tourists.
With more people becoming health-conscious, CheongKwanJang red ginseng products have constantly been preferred as a gift item for the Lunar New Year holiday here.
The KGC said more and more foreign tourists, especially those from China and its neighboring countries, are buying its products as New Year presents.
“While traveling in Korea I was looking for special presents for my family and friends ahead of Lunar New Year and I purchased CheongKwanJang's Everytime red ginseng extract and pomegranate extract,” said Zhao Xiao Lin, a Chinese tourist finishing her shopping at a department store in Myeong-dong, central Seoul.
The KGC said its red paper bags, which are used to enclose CheongKwanJang products, have become highly visible among tourists.
“CheongKwanJang products enclosed in the red shopping bags have a very high preference among tourists from the Greater China region (mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan),” the KGC said. “This is because red is traditionally believed to symbolize good fortune and joy.”
The country's top health supplement maker has been diversifying its product lineup to let more people enjoy the health benefits of red ginseng. Ranging from red ginseng extract packaged in stick pouches to red ginseng-based jelly for children, various kinds of CheongKwanJang products are preferred by overseas tourists, the KGC said.
Red ginseng is known to have multiple health benefits ― it is good for overcoming fatigue, boosting the immune system and stamina and promoting healthy blood circulation.
Korea's ginseng products have been increasingly popular across the globe. The agriculture ministry said exports of ginseng products totaled $188 million in 2018, an 18.5 percent increase year-on-year.