APT Expectations for Export of K Foods Due to Popularity of Black-and-White Cooks

[Anchor]
As our exports, which had been doing well, retreated 0.4% in the third quarter, there is a crisis theory.

The food sector, however, is seeing growing expectations for exports on the back of popular cultural content such as "APT." and "Black and White Cook."

Lee Seung-eun reports.

[Reporter]

"Chaeyoung's favorite random game" 'Apartment! Apartment!"

It's "APT," a collaboration between Rosé and Bruno Mars that's sweeping global charts.

It is based on a drinking game in Korea.

[Rosé / Source: VOGUE YouTube: It's called beer that's empty in Korea. Soju's "so" and beer's "maek" are combined and called so-maek.]

Rosé made her own somaek, stuck her spoon on the bottom of her glass, and made kimchi fried rice and ate it together.Soju companies, which were struggling with sluggish domestic demand and changes in domestic alcohol culture due to the popularity of

'APT,' are smiling.

Last year, exports of Korean soju increased for the second consecutive year, exceeding $100 million.

It's only now that we've recovered the record from 10 years ago.

Domestic soju companies are knocking on the door of overseas markets by making videos of how to make alcoholic beverages such as sea snail noodles and meat pancakes.

The global popularity of Netflix's cooking competition program "Black and White Cook" is also a good opportunity to promote Korean food.

In particular, it can help foreigners spread tourism to our region and increase exports of pastes such as soybean paste and red pepper paste.

Jang is a basic ingredient that can tame foreigners' tastes in Korean food.

[Kim Jung-seop / Professor of Culture, Industry and Arts at Sungshin Women's University] It is a phenomenon that Korean food has a wide variety of flavors when it is dug in (not a very superficial part). And I think it's also known through this program that depending on how you use the sauce, the characteristics of the chef are added, so you can enjoy sensational popularity with many people.]

By September this year, Korea's agri-food exports amounted to $7.37 billion, up 8.3% from the same period last year, the largest ever.

In particular, beyond traditional export items such as ramen, snacks, and kimchi, the export growth rate of rice processed foods such as frozen gimbap and tteokbokki is 41.6%, which is at the crossroads of item diversification.

We need a systematic strategy to continue our curiosity about Korean food.

I'm YTN's Lee Seung Eun.


Video Edit Han Soo-min

Design Park Yoo