"Expand the K-Food Territory" CJ CheilJedang Establishes Global HQ

Global HQ Domestic Food Business
Headquarters Separation and Organizational Restructuring Implemented
Establishment of UK Corporation, Focused European Strategy
Expansion of Bibigo Market Dominance in US
China Focuses on Online Channel Growth

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] CJ CheilJedang has carried out an organizational restructuring, separating its headquarters into a global headquarter (HQ) and Korean food business to accelerate the expansion of the K-food territory. This vision aims to systematically manage global operations and structure the Korean business similarly to overseas regions, growing into a K-food export company.

Reducing Headquarters' Role and Strengthening Business Organizations

On the 4th, CJ CheilJedang CEO Choi Eun-seok announced the organizational restructuring, stating, "This year, we will focus all company capabilities on strengthening the group's four major growth engines to achieve a greater leap as a global lifestyle company," and added, "We have established an innovative organization that grants authority and responsibility to domestic and overseas businesses."

Previously, the headquarters oversaw both overseas subsidiary support and domestic business, but going forward, a Global HQ will be created to manage business across all regions, including Korea and overseas. Separate organizations will be formed by region, such as Korea, the United States, Europe, and Asia-Pacific (APAC). The head of Korea will be Kim Sang-ik, former head of the Food Business Operations Division.

The Global HQ will organize key functions such as marketing, research and development (R&D), and production to efficiently manage business across domestic and overseas regions. In marketing, it will establish global brand strategies and analyze and disseminate mega trends, while production will transfer proprietary manufacturing technology capabilities and know-how to overseas production bases.

CJ CheilJedang plans to establish a Food Growth Promotion Office under the Global HQ to scale up six major global strategic products (GSP) and drive future innovative growth. The strategic products include mandu (dumplings), chicken, gim (seaweed), kimchi, K-sauce, and processed rice. Under the Food Growth Promotion Office, Strategic Planning Teams 1 and 2 will be responsible not only for regional growth strategy planning in the Americas, APAC, and Europe but also for discovering and executing future new growth engines such as plant-based food businesses and startup investments.

Focusing on the European Market

CJ CheilJedang will focus on the European market this year. Considering the many opportunities such as the growing interest in Asian food and K-culture in Europe, which was once called the "barren land" for K-food, the company will establish a UK subsidiary in the first half of the year. The UK is the largest ready-meal market in Europe and the "country of gastronomy" that imports the most K-food processed products. CJ CheilJedang expects that success in the UK will have a ripple effect throughout Europe. The company announced that last year, by increasing the number of European countries entered and expanding entry into mainstream distribution channels, mandu sales grew by 70% year-on-year.

In Eastern European countries where Korean food awareness is low, CJ CheilJedang operates "Bibigo To Go" stores in a shop-in-shop format within large supermarkets. Last month, the first "Bibigo To Go" store was opened in Carrefour in Romania, offering 20 menu items using strategic products such as mandu and chicken.

In the United States, CJ CheilJedang plans to expand the market dominance of the Bibigo brand to globalize K-food. In China, the focus will be on online channel growth centered on mandu, chicken, and ambient home meal replacement (HMR) products. In Japan, the goal is to scale up the "Micho" and "Bibigo" brands and expand consumer touchpoints. In Vietnam, the focus will be on kimchi, processed rice, and K-sauce, while expanding exports to Southeast Asia and Australia through local production bases.

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