Visit Alimentaria

Why visit Alimentaria?

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.

Seasoning sauces made with traditional Korean ingredients such as gochujang and doenjang are driving the continued growth of the K-Source market, bolstered by the global popularity of Korean culture and cuisine. The simultaneous rise of K-culture and K-food is believed to be a key factor in the expansion of the sauce sector. As the world rediscovers the distinctive flavors and aromas of Korean food, the demand for Korean sauces continues to grow. Companies such as Woomtree Co., Ltd. continue to innovate new sauces based on traditional pastes such as gochujang and doenjang, and introduce products tailored to international tastes. Last year, Korean food companies exported USD 384 million worth of sauces. This included USD 241 million for seasoning sauces such as Buldak and bulgogi sauces, USD 111 million for fermented pastes such as gochujang and doenjang, and USD 32 million for other sauces such as ketchup and mayonnaise. Among them, mixed condiments accounted for USD 40 million. Major exports included gochujang at USD 62 million, soy sauce at USD 18 million, doenjang at USD 11 million, and chunjang and ssamjang at USD 20 million. Other major products included mayonnaise (USD 19 million), ketchup (USD 5 million), and mustard and curry (USD 8 million). Seasoning sauces accounted for 62.8% of total sauce exports. Between 2019 and 2023, total sauce exports increased by 48.6%. The export performance for the last five years is as follows: USD 259 million in 2019, USD 322 million in 2020, USD 364 million in 2021, USD 362 million in 2022, and USD 384 million in 2023. In 2023, the largest export markets were the United States with USD 84 million (21.8%), China with USD 51 million (13.2%), and Japan with USD 35 million (9.0%). The number of export destinations also grew steadily from 123 countries in 2020 to 126 in 2021, 124 in 2022, and 139 in 2023. In 2019, total sauce exports were USD 259 million, including USD 159 million for seasoning sauces (USD 125 million for mixed seasoning sauces) and USD 77 million for fermented pastes. The latter included USD 38 million for gochujang, USD 15 million for soy sauce, USD 9 million for doenjang, and USD 15 million for chunjang and ssamjang. By 2020, total sauce exports increased to USD 322 million, including USD 199 million for seasoning sauces (USD 167 million for mixed seasoning sauces) and USD 100 million for fermented pastes. Of these, gochujang accounted for USD 51 million, soy sauce for USD 16 million, doenjang for USD 12 million, and chunjang and ssamjang for USD 21 million. In 2021, total sauce exports climbed to USD 364 million, including USD 237 million for seasoning sauces (USD 201 million for mixed seasoning sauces) and USD 103 million for fermented pastes. This included USD 53 million for gochujang, USD 19 million for soy sauce, USD 11 million for doenjang, and USD 21.5 million for chunjang and ssamjang. In 2022, total sauce exports reached USD 362 million, including USD 237 million for seasoning sauces (USD 197 million for mixed seasoning sauces) and USD 99 million for fermented pastes. Of these, gochujang accounted for USD 53 million, soy sauce for USD 17 million, doenjang for USD 11 million, and chunjang and ssamjang for USD 18 million.