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| From left, Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Minister Chung Hwang-keun, poses with Handawoon FSL Chairman Ryu Chang-youl, beef importer Jofadli Abdul Rashid and Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority of Malaysia Chairman Aminuddin Zulkipli during the launching ceremony for Korean beef trade with Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, Friday. Courtesy of Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs |
By Baek Byung-yeul
Korea has agreed with Malaysia to export "hanwoo," or Korean beef, to the Southeast Asian country, according to the agriculture ministry and the Hanwoo Board, Sunday.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Hanwoo Board, an organization that promotes the domestic beef industry, said they held an event in Kuala Lumpur on Friday to celebrate the commencement of the exports.
The event was organized to commemorate the signing of the first contract to officially export hanwoo to Malaysia and to promote the excellence and flavor of Korean beef to the Malaysian government, local retailers and restaurants, they said.
"The event was attended by more than 100 people, including government officials, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, retail and restaurant representatives, as well as local media outlets, demonstrating the popularity of Korean culture and hanwoo," the agriculture ministry said.
The ministry said it has been working to export hanwoo to the Southeast Asian country since 2016, starting with quarantine negotiations, and finally received permission in March when the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia, also known as JAKIM, approved a dedicated halal slaughterhouse in Korea.
Starting with the first hanwoo export contract, a total of 1,875 tons of Korean beef is expected to be exported over the next three years. This amount is more than 13 times the 44 tons of hanwoo exported in 2022, and is expected to become a bridgehead for the globalization of Korea's beef industry, the agriculture ministry said.
In particular, this is the first time for halal hanwoo to be exported, and it is expected that it could enter other countries that require halal certification, starting with Malaysia.
In order for hanwoo to be loved by halal meat consumers, the ministry said that it will thoroughly manage the traceability of all processes from transportation, storage and distribution.
"It is very meaningful to commemorate the first export of hanwoo with the officials of Malaysia, a country with which Korea has been actively engaged for more than 60 years," Agriculture Minister Chung Hwang-keun said.
"As interest in Korean food is high due to the influence of Korean culture such as K-pop, the expansion of hanwoo export is expected to contribute to stabilizing the supply of beef and generating profits for farmers."
"To ensure the success of this export, the Hanwoo Board plans to participate in local food and beverage fairs in Malaysia to promote hanwoo to buyers, open a pop-up store to offer hanwoo tastings and organize various events," Hanwoo Board President Lee Dong-hwal said.
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