K-food exports rely heavily on US, China, Japan
Customers enjoy "ramyeon" at a convenience store in Seoul, Jan. 11. Yonhap
Korea's exports of agricultural and food products remain heavily concentrated in the United States, China and Japan, data showed Sunday, highlighting the need to diversify markets to sustain growth.
Outbound shipments of farm produce and food items reached a record $10.2 billion in 2025, with 45.6 percent going to the three largest markets of the U.S., China and Japan, according to data from the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp.
The U.S. ranked first with $1.8 billion in imports of Korean food products, accounting for 17.5 percent of Korea's total food exports, followed by China with a 15.4 percent share and Japan with 12.7 percent.
Vietnam, Taiwan and Hong Kong rounded out the top six destinations, underscoring the dominance of Asian markets.
But exports to the European Union, including Britain, totaled $773 million, or 7.5 percent of the total, while shipments to Middle Eastern countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman, accounted for about 4 percent.
In response, the government and the industry have stepped up efforts to develop new markets.
The agriculture ministry launched a public-private task force in December to identify strategic products by region, promote various projects for market entry and expand support measures for export growth.
Authorities are also increasing outreach to buyers from emerging markets through biannual trade consultations and strengthening local marketing efforts.
The government designated five countries, including South Africa and Chile, as priority markets last year and has decided to expand the list to include Argentina, Qatar, Turkey, Ghana and India.
"We are expanding into second- and third-tier cities in the U.S., China and Japan, rather than focusing only on major cities," a ministry official said. "We are also working to foster growth in the Middle East and Africa as strategic markets."