InterviewKorean beef needs K-food branding for global promotion

Hoengseong Hanwoo Chairman Eum Kyung-ik poses inside the livestock cooperative's office in Hoengseong County, Gangwon Province, in this 2024 photo. Courtesy of Hoengseong Hanwoo

Cattle bred in Korea, known as “hanwoo,” are popular here for their quality taste despite expensive prices. However, outside the country, the fame falls short compared to Japanese and American products, according to a regional hanwoo farmers’ association chief who recently made headlines for expanding hanwoo’s global market.

Eum Kyung-ik, chairman of Hoengseong Hanwoo, a livestock cooperative in Hoengseong County, Gangwon Province, said hanwoo’s global recognition still remains below Japanese wagyu and U.S. beef.

The differing popularity is in tandem with their global markets. While U.S. beef is now being distributed to over 100 nations and wagyu to over 50 nations, hanwoo is now available in just six.

The main challenge is to increase the awareness of hanwoo among global consumers. Eum, 70, said the most effective way to do this is to link hanwoo to K-food’s current worldwide boom. He added that for a premium beef brand with limited production, proper branding must support its global promotion.

“The more popular K-food gets worldwide, the more naturally hanwoo can benefit and see increasing trust and preference in global markets. It will help hanwoo position itself as the most popular premium food among Koreans,” Eum said in an interview with The Korea Times. Eum led the cooperative, which has 1,000 member farms in Hoengseong, to export hanwoo to the United Arab Emirates last October, the first time hanwoo landed the Middle East.

Hanwoo, with its premium quality and limited quantity unsuitable for mass production, must target global niche markets, Eum said. Successfully entering those markets, he said, requires cultural branding. He pointed out the role of the Korean wave, or hallyu, in raising the stature of hanwoo to global consumers.

Hanu Dubai in the United Arab Emirates presents a table for serving Korean beef barbecue using hanwoo imported from Hoengseong Hanwoo in this undated photo. Courtesy of Hoengseong Hanwoo

“K-foods and hallyu often together generate synergy outside Korea. Celebrities eating hanwoo in drama series or entertainment shows can fuel curiosity toward the food,” Eum said.

Promoting hanwoo to the globe is an urgent priority. Currently, 51 nations import wagyu, including the U.S., which is currently the largest beef consumer market in the world. Eum said Japan will also likely export wagyu to China, another major beef market.

Hanwoo, meanwhile, is currently exported to Hong Kong, Cambodia, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates, with limited volumes to Mongolia and Singapore. “Right now, we need government support to expand our export markets. Japan’s wagyu exports last year amounted to 10,000 tons, whereas Korea saw just 66 tons for hanwoo,” Eum said.

Exporting hanwoo

Upon confirming demands in overseas, exporting hanwoo to target countries first requires a bilateral agreement on safety inspection procedures. It is why keeping hanwoo healthy and free from diseases like bovine tuberculosis, brucellosis and mad cow disease is critical for farms. An outbreak among cows can instantly prompt importing countries to cancel supply deals. Livestock in Yeongam County, South Jeolla Province, that suffered foot and mouth disease last March have since been prevented from export.

Hoengseong Hanwoo had to go extra miles to export to the UAE, a land where products that are not certified as halal are essentially ignored by local consumers. To earn halal certification, the cooperative commissioned the Japan Islamic Trust for approval of its slaughtering methods. The UAE only imports livestock certified by global agencies that were designated by the country's Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology.

A City'super store in Hong Kong displays barbecue cuts of hanwoo imported from Hoengseong Hanwoo in this 2016 photo. Courtesy of Hoengseong Hanwoo

Since halal certification requires cattle to be slaughtered while they are still breathing, air guns are used to render the animals unconscious first. The Japanese agency issued the license after checking recorded videos of cattle at the Korean cooperative’s production plant in Hoengseong being slaughtered using this method.

Hoengseong Hanwoo now exports to Hanu Dubai, a fine-dining restaurant in Dubai. The cooperative exported three times last year and has secured another shipment this year. Exported hanwoo are all top 1++ grade to maintain premium quality.

Michelin-starred restaurant Beefbar Hong Kong and six retailers in Hong Kong, including City'super, also currently import from the cooperative. Hong Kong last year imported 9 tons in total from the cooperative over 16 shipments, a 200 percent increase from previous year. Hong Kong has been importing from the cooperative since 2016.

Hoengseong Hanwoo’s exports are currently limited to barbecue cuts. Eum said they want to expand to more cuts, such as ribs for galbitang (beef soup) or collar and blade cuts for bulgogi (stir-fried beef).

“Hanwoo’s global promotion has been so far supported by the Hanwoo Board (a Korean private agency dedicated to promoting hanwoo) since the government is banned by the World Trade Organization from getting directly involved in the process. The board supports hosting promotional offline events overseas and creating online content,” Eum said.