Haenam-gun, Steady Progress in Preparing Kimchi Specialized Production Complex

Published 08 Sep.2021 16:19(KST)

Basic Plan Establishment Research Service Report Meeting Held... Haenam Leads Globalization of Kimchi Culture

Held a service briefing session for the Kimchi Production Specialized Complex. ⓒ Asia Economy

[Haenam＝Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyun] The kimchi specialized production complex project, which Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do is focusing on, is gaining momentum.

According to the county on the 8th, a research service report meeting for establishing the basic plan for the kimchi specialized production complex was held on the 6th, seeking response strategies for the development of the kimchi processing industry.

At the report meeting held with Jeollanam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services, Agricultural Food Distribution Division, Jeonnam Center for Creative Economy and Innovation, Jeonnam Food Industry Research Center, World Kimchi Research Institute, Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation, Daesang Co., Ltd., CJ CheilJedang, and related parties of the local kimchi processing industry gathered in one place to review the current status of Korea's kimchi industry and exchange opinions on Haenam-gun's role in leading the globalization of kimchi.

Haenam-gun is promoting the establishment of a 48 billion KRW kimchi specialized production complex, which integrates infrastructure such as raw materials and food storage and logistics centers, processing factories, kimchi component functionality research centers (demonstration, analysis), and support for startups, exports, and R&D.

Haenam is a major production area for napa cabbage, accounting for 30% of the national production, with autumn and winter napa cabbage cultivation areas reaching 4,995 hectares.

Also, this year, a large-scale vegetable shipment control center worth 10 billion KRW was selected in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' public contest, creating an environment for year-round kimchi production.

The county selected the establishment of the kimchi specialized production complex as a key task to revitalize the local napa cabbage industry, holding continuous opinion exchanges and meetings with kimchi-related research institutes, companies, and Jeonnam Province since the beginning of the year, and has been preparing specific establishment plans.

County Governor Myeong Hyun-gwan also visited central government ministries such as the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs several times to secure national funding, resulting in the inclusion of 435 million KRW for the design cost of the kimchi raw material supply complex support project next year, giving momentum to the project.

At the report meeting, in-depth discussions were held on the policy goals of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' five-year comprehensive plan for kimchi industry promotion, including expanding the market share of domestic kimchi, leading national-level domestic kimchi promotion policies, and developing high-quality customized kimchi for the globalization of kimchi culture.

Attending the meeting, CJ CheilJedang Senior Vice President Ahn Hyun-gu said, “If a differentiated Haenam kimchi recipe is developed, Haenam kimchi is expected to sufficiently replace Chinese kimchi, which occupies 99% of imported kimchi,” expressing the industry's interest in the establishment of the kimchi specialized production complex.

Also, Shin Sam-sik, director of the Jeonnam Food Industry Research Center, stated, “We will actively cooperate with the participating related organizations to ensure that large national projects concentrated in the metropolitan area are definitely attracted to Jeonnam.”

Governor Myeong Hyun-gwan said, “The establishment of the kimchi specialized production complex is a sustainable agro-food industry that Haenam-gun should foster in the mid to long term, and we will do our best to secure national funding and be selected for public contests,” adding, “We will achieve the globalization of kimchi culture leading to an export-driven strategic industry with Haenam kimchi, which has national-level competitiveness.”