Yun Byeong-tae, Mayor of Naju, Signs $5 Million Agricultural and Marine Products Export Agreement in the U.S.

Published 16 Oct.2023 16:57(KST)

Yoon Byung-tae, the former mayor of Naju, Jeollanam-do, once again embarked on a sales mission to export local agricultural specialties, including Naju pears and rice, to the U.S. this year, following last year’s efforts.

According to the city on the 16th, Mayor Yoon completed a 4-night, 6-day overseas schedule from the 11th to the 16th, participating in the LA Korean Festival Agricultural and Marine Products Expo and visiting H Mart in New Jersey to open overseas sales channels for excellent local agricultural and marine products.

Through this overseas sales mission, Mayor Yoon achieved the signing of an export agreement worth $5 million (approximately 6.8 billion KRW) for Naju agricultural and marine products with H Mart, the largest Asian supermarket chain in the U.S.

Yoon Byung-tae, Mayor of Naju (4th from the left), and Choi Woo-jin (5th from the left), President of H Mart, signed an export agreement worth 5 million dollars for agricultural and marine products from Naju at the H Mart Ridgefield store in New Jersey on the 14th local date, and are taking a commemorative photo.
[Photo by Naju City]

The U.S. delegation accompanying Mayor Yoon included Kim Jeong-sook, chairperson of the city council’s operations committee; representatives from Golden Hill, Naju Pear Horticultural Cooperative, and Wando Marine Products, who participated in the LA Korean Festival Agricultural and Marine Products Expo; officials from the Jeonnam Food Export Association; and employees from Baewonye Distribution, totaling 11 people.

H Mart, which signed the export agreement with Naju City, was established in 1982 and is headquartered in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.

Currently, it operates 105 stores across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., with annual sales reaching $2.3 billion, approximately 3.1 trillion KRW, making it a major distribution company.

On the 14th local U.S. date, Mayor Yoon and Choi Woo-jin, president of H Mart, met at the H Mart Ridgefield store in New Jersey to sign the export agreement and agreed to actively cooperate to expand exports of Naju agricultural and marine products.

The signing ceremony was also graced by Shim Hwa-seop, head of the U.S. regional office of the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), and Jeong Seung-ju, executive director of H Mart and a native of Donggang-myeon, Naju.

After the signing ceremony, Mayor Yoon and the U.S. delegation visited the promotional event for Naju agricultural and marine products at the H Mart Ridgefield store, promoting the excellent taste and quality of Naju pears, Naju rice, and other local specialties to the local consumers.

The promotional event for Naju agricultural and marine products will continue until the 19th at 11 stores across five U.S. states, including the Ridgefield store in New Jersey and the Jericho store in New York.

Prior to the signing ceremony, from the 11th to the 12th, Mayor Yoon encouraged participating companies (five in total) at local distribution companies in the LA area and at the LA Korean Festival Agricultural and Marine Products Expo booths, conducting promotional activities.

He also visited the Hannam Chain Fullerton store, which signed an export agreement for Naju agricultural specialties last year, and Kit Trading, which operates the Jeollanam-do overseas permanent sales center in the U.S., to discuss ways to expand export channels for agricultural specialties.

Mayor Yoon said, “Following last year’s agreement with Hannam Chain, I hope that the export agreement with H Mart, a major U.S. distribution company, will contribute to expanding overseas sales channels for our local agricultural specialties and provide tangible support to farmers’ incomes.”

He added, “With the complete abolition of export logistics cost support starting next year, which will increase difficulties for exporting farmers and companies, we will continue to do our best in providing customized export support and developing overseas sales channels.”