'K-Food' Kimchi Craze... aT Accelerates Globalization

The global status of kimchi, a representative of K-food, is rising. In the first quarter of this year alone, kimchi worth 42.3 million dollars was exported worldwide. The Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) is drawing attention by actively promoting the establishment of 'Kimchi Day' in major countries to expand global consumption of kimchi.

According to aT on the 3rd, the company appointed Magdalena Solari Quintana, a former Argentine lawmaker who led the establishment of the first-ever 'national-level Kimchi Day' overseas, as the 'Global Kimchi and Low-Carbon Diet Ambassador' at the aT Center in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, on the 1st.

Kim Chun-jin, President of the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (second from left), is taking a commemorative photo with Magdalena Solari Quintana, former Argentine congresswoman (third from left), and Emiliano Weiselfitz, Argentine Ambassador to Korea (fourth from left), at the appointment ceremony for global kimchi and low-carbon diet ambassadors held on the 1st.

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Former lawmaker Quintana said, "As a global kimchi ambassador, I will continue to work hard to keep the kimchi and K-food craze alive not only in Argentina but throughout South America," adding, "As a global low-carbon diet ambassador, I will actively promote the low-carbon diet campaign and willingly participate in this valuable effort to protect the Earth."

Quintana was the first to propose the bill to establish Kimchi Day in Argentina and played a significant role in officially designating Kimchi Day as a national holiday last July, not just in some regions. This invitation was made possible with the cooperation of Daesang, a major kimchi exporting company.

An aT official explained, "The resolution to establish Kimchi Day in Argentina specifies the history and excellence of kimchi, that Korea is the origin country of kimchi, and that UNESCO recognized 'Kimjang,' the process of preparing and preserving kimchi, as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013." The official added, "It also states that November 22 will be designated as Kimchi Day every year, which holds great symbolic significance in raising the awareness and status of Korean kimchi in the vast South American market, including Argentina."

So far, Kimchi Day has been consecutively established and proclaimed in 16 regions across four countries, including Argentina, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Brazil. Thanks to this momentum, Korean kimchi was exported to 97 countries worldwide last year, totaling 156 million dollars, an 11% increase compared to 2022. The aT official said, "Especially, exports to countries where Kimchi Day has been established have increased more than three times the national overall growth rate, indicating that kimchi consumption, previously centered on Korean communities, has expanded to local markets, broadening the consumer base."

The increase in kimchi exports continues in the first quarter of this year as well. Kimchi export value rose by 6.1% year-on-year to 42.3 million dollars. Kim Chun-jin, president of aT, who has been working on establishing 'Kimchi Day' since 2021, said, "Kimchi, a soul food that carries the identity of Koreans, is a beloved food exported worldwide," adding, "aT will continue to promote the development of premium kimchi, conduct various projects such as linking with large overseas retail stores for promotions, expand the kimchi industry and exports, and make every effort to ensure Kimchi Day is enjoyed by people around the world."

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