S.Korea exports Hanwoo beef to Cambodia for 1st time

The premium Korean beef Hanwoo was exported to Cambodia on Monday for the first time, marking the culmination of eight years of quarantine negotiations that began in 2015.

According to the South Korean Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on Tuesday, Cambodia is the third country after Hong Kong and Malaysia. This is also the first time Hanwoo has been exported to a country in the Mekong River Basin.

Cambodia is the largest export market for Japanese Wagyu beef. The South Korean government expects the export to be an opportunity to expand Hanwoo's presence in Southeast Asia. 

GIBON, an enterprise specializing in Hanwoo exports, disclosed aggressive growth plans in the Cambodian market.

The company aspires to foster workforce collaborations and inaugurate local processing units in Cambodia, with the aim of exporting an estimated 2,000 tons of Hanwoo beef, valued at about $100 million, over the ensuing five-year period.

The ministry forecasts a dramatic escalation in the scale of Hanwoo exports, projecting volumes to soar to around 1,000 tons annually by 2025—a robust 20-fold increment from last year's exports of 44 tons.

The exported Hanwoo beef is designated for premium distribution channels, primarily targeting luxury hotels and high-end eateries in Cambodia.

Write to Jung-hwan Hwang at jung@hankyung.com