Korea and Indonesia seal halal deal to safeguard K-food, beauty exports

With strict new religious compliance rules set to take effect across Southeast Asia, Korea is taking decisive diplomatic steps to protect its booming cultural exports.

Health and regulatory officials in Seoul signed a landmark agreement with Indonesia on Friday to streamline halal certification — clearing a critical path for Korean food and cosmetics brands entering the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation.

Food and Drug Safety Minister Oh Yu-kyoung signed a memorandum of understanding with Indonesia’s Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency (BPJPH) during the fifth Halal 20 Summit in Depok, Indonesia, the ministry said. The agreement serves as a direct follow-up to a bilateral defense and economic summit held in March, where both nations pledged to expand mutual market access under a Special Strategic Partnership.

The regulatory pact arrives at a pivotal moment for Korean exporters.

Starting Oct. 18, Indonesia will enforce mandatory halal certification for all imported food, beverage and cosmetic products. Without official certification verifying that products comply with Islamic law — free from pork derivatives and processed under strict hygienic standards — foreign goods face immediate removal from Indonesian retail shelves.

Under the new arrangement, Korea and Indonesia will share technical data, workforce training and regulatory frameworks to help Korean manufacturers navigate Indonesia’s complex certification process. Crucially, Seoul is leveraging the pact to secure official recognition for the Korea Institute of Food Safety Management Accreditation as an official halal certification body. Once recognized, Korean companies will be able to receive legitimate halal verification domestically before shipping goods overseas, eliminating months of bureaucratic delays in Jakarta.

Driven by the global popularity of Korean pop culture, "K-food" — ranging from instant noodles to spicy sauces — and "K-beauty" skin care lines have seen explosive growth across Southeast Asia. Indonesia, home to roughly 240 million Muslim consumers, represents one of the most lucrative growth markets for Korean exporters seeking to diversify beyond traditional East Asian buyers.

"Indonesia is a core halal market with immense potential for expanding K-food and K-beauty exports," said Oh. "This agreement elevates our bilateral cooperation and creates a stable bridge for our companies to navigate evolving local regulations. Moving forward, we will expand government-level partnerships across major Islamic nations so Korean businesses can seamlessly expand into global halal markets."

By establishing a formalized government-to-government framework, ministry officials said Korea aims to transform a looming regulatory hurdle into a strategic launchpad for its global consumer goods industry.

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