Celebrated for its exceptional standards and outstanding reputation, Hoengseong Hanwoo is widely recognized as Korea’s premier beef brand. In January 2024, the brand was inducted into the Hall of Fame after winning the Customer Satisfaction Management Award for ten consecutive years. In February, it received the Korea First Brand Award for the eighth consecutive year, and in March, it was ranked first in the Korean Industry Brand Power Index for an impressive 18th consecutive year. In addition to its accolades, Hoengseong Hanwoo achieved the Excellent Livestock Brand Certification for the 19th consecutive year in September 2023, and the National Premium Certification at the Livestock Brand Contest for the 11th consecutive year in December 2023. The brand also topped the Global Brand Competence Index for 12 consecutive years in 2021 and won the National Brand Award for three consecutive years in 2020. The Hoengseong Livestock Cooperative manages every aspect of Hoengseong Hanwoo production through an integrated system that encompasses pedigree management, breeding, slaughter, processing and sales. The premium branding project for Hoengseong Hanwoo began in earnest in 1995, focusing on rigorous pedigree verification. Each calf is individually checked for purity and uniqueness before registration. Only members of the cooperative can purchase these true-breed calves, ensuring the preservation of the highest quality pedigrees through years of meticulous oversight. In addition, the cooperative’s genetic development program advances Hanwoo’s breeding standards by implanting embryos from elite bloodlines, producing true-breed calves and maintaining the brand’s commitment to excellence. Uniform breeding practices and scientific quality management further underscore the superiority of Hoengseong Hanwoo. The cooperative supplies uniform feed and implements consistent management programs to ensure optimal fattening. In addition, the production base for premium steers has been expanded to produce the highest quality beef in Korea. Hoengseong Hanwoo boasts a first-grade beef yield of more than 90%, with 30% of this yield achieving top grade. The cooperative exclusively markets beef from this premium selection, ensuring that only the finest quality reaches consumers. It was also one of the first in Korea to implement a traceability system that tracks every step from birth and rearing to slaughter, processing and sales. This comprehensive approach has solidified Hoengseong Hanwoo’s reputation as a world-class brand representing Korean beef. Over the past five years, the Hoengseong Livestock Cooperative has achieved steady growth. Annual sales were approximately KRW 114.2 billion in 2020, KRW 127 billion in 2021, KRW 138.8 billion in 2022, KRW 130 billion in 2023, and KRW 114.5 billion as of November 2024. During this period, the cooperative managed 1,188 member farms, 52,367 heads of cattle and 5,715 heads of slaughter cattle in 2020; 1,189 member farms, 53,155 heads of cattle and 6,664 heads of slaughter cattle in 2021; 1,171 member farms, 53,697 heads of cattle and 6,953 heads of slaughter cattle in 2022; 1,120 member farms, 51,170 heads of cattle and 6,849 heads of slaughter cattle in 2023; and 1,065 member farms, 48,136 heads of cattle and 6,926 heads of slaughter cattle as of November 2024. On average, the cooperative produces 150 tons of roast beef cuts, 140 tons of bone-in products, 25 tons of jerky, 2 tons of sausages, and 1 ton of tteokgalbi annually. Since the cooperative began exporting to Hong Kong in July 2016 and Cambodia in 2017, it has achieved remarkable results: 5,400 kg worth USD 490,000 in 2020; 6,700 kg worth USD 600,000 in 2021; 5,600 kg worth USD 570,000 in 2022; 2,400 kg worth USD 350,000 in 2023; and 3,500 kg worth USD 340,000 as of November 2024. From 2016 to November 2024, the cooperative exported 47,437 kg of beef to Hong Kong, 268 kg to Cambodia in three shipments between 2017 and 2019, and 99 kg in one shipment to Mongolia.

Sauces, which used to play a secondary role in enhancing the flavor of food, have become essential ingredients that give dishes a distinctive character. In Korea, everyone who loves to cook has their own signature sauces. Even famous restaurants owe much of their distinctive flavors to their house-made sauces. The same ingredients can taste completely different depending on the type and application of the sauce. Remarkably, the creation and use of personalized sauces tailored to the diverse tastes of people has become commonplace even for home cooks and casual food enthusiasts-not just for professional chefs or fine dining establishments. The Korean restaurant GYUBAN is an excellent illustration of this trend. The restaurant is led by Kim Ji-young, a former culinary director of the iconic Korean drama Dae Jang Geum. They offer a seven-course dinner with appetizers and desserts, as well as four main dishes. Two of the dishes feature GYUBAN’s signature sauces, which contribute to their distinctive flavors. The beef bulgogi and grilled deodeok (a Korean root vegetable) are marinated in a special soy sauce that enhances the distinctive umami of premium Korean beef. And the cod is grilled with a red chili paste-based “Gangjeong Sauce” (sweet rice puff sauce) that neutralizes the fishy odor while delivering a deep, clean flavor. GYUBAN’s signature sauces are the perfect balance of depth and clarity that sets the restaurant’s dishes apart. Choi Eun-san gets up at 6 a.m. to make herown breakfast. The girl, who will be a fifth-grader next spring, has been doing this since she was in second grade. With guidance from hermother, a graduate of a renowned French culinary school, Eun-san has developed herown sauces to suit his tastes. Initially, she spent a few months spreading strawberry and blueberry jam on toast, but now she creates herown peanut mayo sauce, which she uses as a dip for toast or Mont Blanc pastries. The sauce is sweet, nutty, and slightly salty, made by combining peanut butter and mayonnaise in a 1:1 ratio with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of honey. For herfavorite chicken drumsticks and grilled beef, Eun-san prefers a spicy and creamy Sriracha mayo sauce, made by mixing Sriracha sauce and mayonnaise in a 1:0.75 ratio. This growing trend of creating personalized flavors with sauce combinations, as seen with Eun-san, highlights the expansion of the global sauce market. Health-conscious Millennial and Gen Z consumers are increasingly inclined to make their own sauces with pre-made products such as traditional Korean gochujang (red chili paste) and ganjang (soy sauce). In particular, the global popularity of spicy Korean dishes such as tteokbokki (stir-fried rice cakes) and ramen has fueled interest in bold and fiery K-Sauce flavors. As the world increasingly appreciates the distinctive flavors and aromas of Korean cuisine, international demand for K-Sauce products created by Korean companies continues to grow. Established in 1978, Woomtree Co., Ltd. holds the largest domestic market share in fresh wasabi. Leveraging its expertise in producing traditional sauces such as soy sauce and red chili paste, the company now produces more than 80 Korean sauces, including Meat n E Sauce, Meat n Roasting Sauce, Spicy Chicken Feet Seasoning, and Matjjang Tteokbokki Sauce. In particular, Woomtree has successfully localized its sauces for international markets, such as Soy Sauce for Marinated Crab in Thailand and Capsaicin Sauce in Indonesia. Other popular products, such as Samyang Foods’ Buldak Sauce and Kyochon Chicken’s K1 Hot Sauce, made with Korean-grown Cheongyang peppers, are also rooted in traditional Korean condiments. Last year, the domestic K-Sauce market was estimated at approximately KRW 3 trillion, with exports reaching USD 384 million to 139 countries.