The rising global trend of Korean food and beverages, fueled by the Hallyu or Korean Wave, has caught the attention of the Korean Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation. They are now aiming to boost the export of Korean food (K-Food) to the Indonesian market. At Indonesia's largest international food exhibition, Food & Hospitality Indonesia (FHI) 2024, the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Song Mi-Ryeong, along with the chairman of the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation, Kim Chun-jin, provided a platform for 12 Korean food and beverage export companies to increase their sales in Indonesia. "Through this exhibition, we have successfully solidified the potential to expand K-Food exports in the Indonesian market," stated Lee Seung Hoon, Head of the Korea Agro-Trade Center, in a written statement on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. He added that Korean food and beverage producers will be encouraged to adapt to Indonesian regulations, particularly concerning halal certification procedures.
He noted that the high enthusiasm of the Indonesian public for Korean food and beverages has increased the confidence of K-Food companies in boosting their export market to Indonesia in the coming years. Coffee products are the most imported into Indonesia. K-Food exports to Indonesia have been steadily increasing. As of the end of June 2024, Korean food and beverage export data shows that coffee products rank first with an export value of USD34 million, a 17.3% year-on-year increase. Additionally, beverage products increased by USD13 million or 15.8% (year-on-year), and instant noodles rose by USD7 million or 25.8% (year-on-year). The rise in food and beverage export figures is supported by the collaboration between Korea and Indonesia on halal certification, which will be formalized in October 2024. Halal labeling is crucial for the distribution of food and beverage products in Indonesia, given that Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world. Due to this, the Indonesian government plans to lead the halal certification market towards greater standardization by collaborating with other countries, including South Korea. This collaboration aims to develop Indonesia's Halal Certification market to an international level by adopting international halal certification standards from other countries.
