'Jeju Beef and Pork' Exported to Singapore for the First Time... "Laying the Foundation for Expansion into Southeast Asia"

Just One Month After Korea-Singapore Summit Agreement
Initial Export Volume Reaches 4.5 Tons

Jeju beef and pork will be exported to Singapore for the first time. This comes just one month after the official export agreement was reached at the Korea-Singapore summit during the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit on November 2.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced that, together with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Government, it held a loading ceremony at Jeju Port on the 1st to commemorate the first export of Jeju beef and pork.

Jung-Hoon Park, Director of the Food Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, is delivering a welcoming speech at the loading ceremony celebrating the first export of Jeju-grown Korean beef and pork at Jeju Port on the 1st. Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Six facilities have been designated as export sites for Singapore: Jeju Livestock Cooperative Association (slaughterhouse), Seogwipo Livestock Cooperative Association (processing plant), Jeju Pig Farming Cooperative (slaughterhouse and processing plant), Daehan F&B (processing plant), and Montlac (processing plant). The initial export volume is 4.5 tons of beef and pork, valued at approximately 280 million won.

An official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs stated, "This export demonstrates that Singapore, a country with strict livestock product import standards, recognizes the safety of our beef and pork. It is the result of several years of close cooperation between central government, local governments, and the livestock industry to diversify export markets for livestock products."

Since 2016, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety have been working with the Jeju Provincial Government to negotiate exports with Singaporean authorities for Korean beef and pork. Efforts have been made to gain recognition of equivalence for Korea's livestock product safety management and quarantine systems. Notably, at the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) General Session held in Paris, France in May this year, the Ministry obtained Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD)-free status for Jeju, further proving the safety of Korean livestock products.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety finalized the sanitary and quarantine conditions during the Korea-Singapore summit at APEC in November. In particular, they worked closely with Jeju Province, exporters, the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, and producer groups to prepare for on-site inspections by Singaporean authorities. During the local inspection in August, the government actively responded, resulting in the inclusion of a 'list approval' system, whereby the list of exporters submitted by the Korean government is approved without on-site inspection by Singaporean authorities. This achievement demonstrates international recognition of Korea’s rigorous sanitary and quarantine system.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety held advance briefings for the industry to explain export requirements, and, together with Jeju Province, conducted three on-site inspections of export facilities, providing tailored consulting for each company. Jeju Province, led by Governor Oh Younghoon and an economic exchange delegation, began implementing a full-fledged export strategy following their visit to Singapore in 2023. In particular, to obtain FMD-free certification-a prerequisite for export to Singapore-Jeju Province formed a dedicated task force in July 2023, following a proposal to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and worked closely with central government agencies, ultimately securing the certification in May this year.

Singapore is a high-income country that relies on imports for most of its livestock product supply. Its meat market has grown at an average annual rate of 5.5%, from USD 3.1 billion in 2019 to USD 3.9 billion in 2023, making it a promising export destination for livestock products. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs expects this export to strengthen the overall foundation of Korea's livestock production, processing, and distribution systems.

At the loading ceremony, Park Jung-hoon, Director of the Food Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, stated, "Together with K-Food, we will spare no effort to support local promotional and marketing events in cooperation with relevant agencies, so that many citizens in Singapore can become familiar with and easily consume our livestock products. We will also continue to work on securing new markets through further quarantine negotiations."

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