Korean beef exports to Hong Kong expand under eased quarantine rules

Korean beef is on sale at Homeplus in Gangseo District, Seoul. Yonhap

By Lee Kyung-min

• Published Aug 31, 2026 2:03 PM KST

Korean beef exporters are set to regain access to Hong Kong from parts of Gyeonggi Province and North Gyeongsang Province after Seoul and Hong Kong agreed to narrow restrictions imposed when foot-and-mouth disease is detected.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said Monday that the revised quarantine rules will take effect Tuesday, allowing export restrictions to be imposed at the city and county level rather than across an entire province.

The change means Korean beef from areas including Anseong in Gyeonggi Province and Gyeongju and Goryeong in North Gyeongsang Province can return to the Hong Kong market after exports were halted following disease outbreaks.

Gyeonggi and North Gyeongsang exported 11 tons of Korean beef worth $680,000 to Hong Kong in 2025, accounting for 22 percent of Korea’s total beef exports to the territory.

Under rules agreed in 2015, beef produced in a province where foot-and-mouth disease was detected could not be exported to Hong Kong for one year after the last reported case.

Exports from Gyeonggi and North Gyeongsang were suspended after outbreaks in Goyang in February and Yecheon County in July, prompting Korean officials to provide Hong Kong authorities with technical information on the country’s disease control and quarantine systems.

The ministry said the revised rules will allow other cities and counties to continue exporting even if an outbreak occurs elsewhere, reducing the potential impact on exporters.

The agreement comes as Korea seeks to widen overseas markets for livestock products, following quarantine agreements with Singapore, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates.

Since the current administration took office, Korea has also resumed chicken exports to Hong Kong and expanded access for Korean beef to the United Arab Emirates.

Exports of Korean beef and pork to Singapore and the United Arab Emirates have also grown, with officials expecting shipments of processed poultry products to Vietnam later this year.

The ministry said the agreement would help create a more stable foundation for Korean beef exports and reduce losses caused by animal disease outbreaks.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.