Despite the Monsoon and COVID-19, 'Boknal' Arrives... Battle of Health Foods in the Distribution Industry

Home Shopping Focuses on Samgyetang and Abalone
Convenience Stores Target Single-Person Households with Easy Health Foods

Health-boosting gift sets sold at CU for the hottest days of summer.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] The distribution industry has launched various health food sales ahead of the upcoming Chobok (the first of the three hottest days in summer). This year’s health food trend continues to favor convenience foods, following last year. Due to the later-than-usual monsoon season and the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant, more people prefer to enjoy health foods at home rather than dining out.

On the 5th, the home shopping industry announced that it has scheduled focused health food broadcasts for Chobok on the 11th. CJ OnStyle will sell convenient health food products across all channels including TV live, T-commerce, and mobile. They prepared items such as ‘Sadaebu House Storage Mung Bean Samgyetang,’ which can be heated in a microwave or earthenware pot for 15 minutes, and ‘Yeokjeon Hoegwan Myeongga Galbitang,’ a long-established restaurant with 93 years of tradition. NS Home Shopping introduced ‘Harim e-Dak Samgyetang Hanmari,’ which preserves flavor through rapid freezing. Other products include ‘Wando Fresh Abalone,’ ‘Gangbuja Buja Wang Galbitang,’ and ‘Chambada Freshwater Eel.’

Grilled Whole Fresh Eel Rice Bowl sold at GS25.

Convenience stores have launched health food products targeting single-person households. CU offered a total of about 30 types of health foods. The Boknal (summer heat) gift sets include 12 varieties such as first-grade Korean beef barbecue sets, freshwater eel, air-shipped live lobster, Nohwado live abalone sets, and Maninsan Geumsan ginseng. These products can be ordered through CU’s membership application ‘Pocket CU’ or by filling out order forms available at CU stores nationwide, with free delivery to the customer’s requested address. As convenient health foods, they will release Chogye Konjac Noodles and Bulgogi Konjac Noodles on the 13th and hold a 1+1 event for Boknal products.

GS25 also launched a premium health lunchbox ‘Whole Freshwater Eel Grilled Rice Bowl’ for Chobok. It features the use of a whole freshwater eel. Along with this, they are holding a 50% discount event on representative Boknal menu items ‘Yours Whole Samgyetang’ and ‘Yours Half Samgyetang.’

Seven Eleven is selling the convenient health food ‘Whole Chicken Leg Noodle Soup.’ This product was developed in collaboration with Lotte Central Research Institute and Professor Han Young-sil’s Customized Food Research Institute. Emart24 released ‘Boknal Freshwater Eel Rice Bowl’ as a seasonal limited product. It is a premium lunchbox consisting of a whole freshwater eel, a representative health food for Boknal, cut and served over rice.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.