▲ A customer eats ramen at the "Ramen Library" in the CU Hongdae Sangsang branch in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on January 11.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced today (June 17) that it plans to link the "K-Gastronomy Belt" with regional tourism resources to produce themed tourist maps and promote product sales.
The "K-Gastronomy Belt" is a project designed to attract domestic and international tourists and revitalize regional economies by connecting local ingredients and signature dishes with tourism courses.
The Ministry held the "2nd Public-Private K-Food Export Task Force" meeting this afternoon at the conference room of the Support Group for the Committee on Cultural Exchange to discuss these measures.
The meeting was organized to consolidate the capabilities of relevant ministries, affiliated organizations, and food companies, with the goal of achieving $16 billion (approximately 21.6 trillion KRW) in K-Food exports this year.
The meeting focused on expanding collaborations with content, culinary tourism, and food culture diplomacy to spread the value of K-Food in the global market.
First, it was proposed that information related to the "K-Gastronomy Belt," such as the "K-Chicken Belt" and "Visiting Breweries" currently being promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, be posted on the Korea Tourism Organization's promotional platforms under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Discussions also included a plan to produce and distribute "K-Food Premium Gift Sets"—featuring items like traditional cookies (hangwa), fruit preserves (jeonggwa), and traditional liquor (jeontongju) presented in traditional containers like mother-of-pearl lacquerware or white porcelain—for use during international conferences or events for the diplomatic corps in Korea.
Furthermore, plans were discussed to expand online marketing through "K-Food Challenges" on social media and global over-the-top (OTT) streaming services.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plans to hold a contest for university and graduate students nationwide to discover creative K-Food promotional content.
International students are also eligible to participate in the contest.
During today's meeting, a video message from the "K-Food Honorary Ambassadors" was also broadcast.
Professional gamer Faker, one of the seven ambassadors, plans to promote K-Food in connection with e-sports events in the Greater China region.
In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, in cooperation with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, decided to expand the use of local joint logistics centers to enter potential markets such as India, Africa, and Latin America.
The Ministry also requested that the Ministry of SMEs and Startups accelerate the "K-Food Smart Manufacturing Alliance" and that the Korean Intellectual Property Office devise ways to increase the participation rate of export companies in the Korean product certification system.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety was asked to take preemptive measures regarding revisions to regulations for overseas production companies in China.
Song Mi-ryung, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, stated, "For the global rise of K-Food, we will provide more detailed export support through inter-ministerial collaboration based on the voices of exporters in the field, and we will expand our promotional efforts."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.