Government Secures Vietnam Hub for K-Food Exports

The government is moving to comprehensively restructure the K-food supply chain across the ASEAN region, using Vietnam as its hub, and is pushing forward with the expansion of its export territory.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs used the “2026 ASEAN K-Food Fair,” held over two days starting on July 2 in Hanoi, Vietnam, as an opportunity to review local production and logistics infrastructure and distribution networks, and explored strategies for full-scale market expansion. Vietnam is regarded as Korea’s fourth-largest agri-food export market and a key strategic hub for extending reach across the entire ASEAN region.

The Ministry examined in depth the operational status of the “multi-function hub logistics center” it established in Hanoi last month. The center is equipped with rapid refrigeration and freezing systems and high-efficiency cold chain packages, providing the infrastructure necessary to maintain the highest quality of fresh agricultural products such as strawberries, grapes, and pears even in the hot and humid Southeast Asian climate.

Multi-layered support is also being provided in parallel to address the chronic challenges of high logistics costs and freshness deterioration that have long plagued export companies. The government plans to deliver integrated support for pilot exports and marketing through the V-Express program, and to secure the price competitiveness of Korean agricultural and livestock products by establishing a joint logistics system linking online and offline platforms.

The strategic focus of export efforts is shifting from the existing B2C model centered on large supermarkets to the B2B market targeting food service and institutional catering infrastructure. Through consultations with local distribution buyers and food service franchise companies, the Ministry confirmed strong demand for Korean-style sauces, ready-to-eat meals, and ingredients such as tteokbokki, and decided to expand the supply of tailored large-volume products.

In particular, strategic cooperation with K-MARKET, which operates more than 150 stores across Vietnam, is expected to serve as a key lever for expanding into the broader ASEAN market. Both sides agreed to build a mutually beneficial model that organically combines leading domestic export companies with local distribution infrastructure to extend the K-food supply chain to neighboring emerging markets such as Cambodia and Laos.

At the B2B export consultation session held during the event, 45 domestic companies and 107 ASEAN buyers participated, achieving the result of signing a total of 46 export memoranda of understanding (MOUs) worth $21 million. Local consumers showed an enthusiastic response to halal food and K-street food, and the Korean-style Han River ramen experience zone in particular drew an explosive reaction from younger audiences.

The Ministry plans to further strengthen its policy support based on the local demand and logistics infrastructure confirmed through this occasion. Jeong Gyeong-seok, Director General for Food Industry Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, emphasized that “Vietnam is an important hub for expanding exports of fresh agricultural products and food ingredients,” adding that “we will boldly expand the territory of our agri-food products across the entire ASEAN region, using cooperation with major distribution networks as a springboard.”