aT Steps Up Efforts to Expand K-Food in the CIS Market

Cooking Shows and Tasting Events Held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan
K-Food Exports to CIS Region Rise by 5.3%

The Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) announced on October 21 that it held the "Korean Food Festival 2025" in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, to raise local awareness of Korean agricultural and food products.

Recently, the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) region has emerged as a new export market for K-Food. A variety of products, including Korean instant noodles, ready-to-eat meals, and sauces, are gaining popularity, with "ramen cafes" spreading even to small provincial cities and the consumer base expanding.

Tajikistan is also experiencing a rapid increase in K-Food consumption, fueled by the Korean Wave. In Dushanbe, the capital, the number of specialty stores such as K-style snack shops and K-bakeries is growing, drawing attention to the country as a promising new export market with significant growth potential.

aT planned this event by combining new media promotions with consumer experience activities tailored to the characteristics of the local market. Prior to the event, influencer-linked social media promotions targeted local consumers in their 20s and 30s, and videos promoting Korean food brands were displayed on large shopping mall screens.

At the event, activities included a K-Food cooking show, a cooking competition, quiz events, tasting and sampling sessions, and a K-POP performance. Approximately 2,000 local consumers participated, showing high levels of interest.

Jeon Gichan, Director of Food Export at aT, stated, "The CIS region is a promising market with high growth potential for Korean food products. As the presence of K-Food expands in Central Asian countries, including Tajikistan, we will actively support exports with strategies tailored to local needs."

Meanwhile, as of September this year, exports of Korean agricultural, forestry, livestock, and food products to the CIS region reached 370 million dollars, up 5.3% compared to the same period last year. By product category, instant noodles (60 million dollars, up 49.8%), other processed foods (36 million dollars, up 16.6%), and sauces (30.4 million dollars, up 2.5%) led the increase in exports.

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