Minister Song Miryung Visits Mongolia: "Expecting Further Expansion of Agri-Food Trade Between the Two Countries"

Minister Song Visits Mongolia on July 8-9
Discusses Strengthening Agricultural Cooperation with Minister of Food, Agriculture, and Light Industry
Participates in K-Fresh Experiential Event

Song Miryung, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, visited Mongolia from July 8 to 9 on the occasion of the Korea-Mongolia summit diplomacy. During her visit, she discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in the agricultural sector between the two countries and participated in the K-Fresh experiential event with local consumers, demonstrating efforts to expand exports of K-food.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Minister Song met with Iderbat Chaganghu, Minister of Food, Agriculture, and Light Industry, in Ulaanbaatar on July 8 to discuss measures to enhance bilateral cooperation in the agricultural sector.

Song Miryung, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (right), is taking a commemorative photo after discussing ways to strengthen agricultural cooperation between the two countries with Idherbat Chaganghu, Minister of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry, in Ulaanbaatar on the 8th. Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

At the meeting, Minister Song stated, "In Mongolia, interest in K-food, especially among the younger population, has been growing recently, and the market holds significant potential for expanding exports of fresh agricultural products. I hope that this visit to Mongolia will serve as an opportunity to further expand agricultural and food trade between the two countries."

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1990, trade between Korea and Mongolia has continued to grow, and following the establishment of a strategic partnership in 2021, bilateral trade has become even more active. In the agricultural sector, the two countries have held seven Agricultural Joint Committees since 2004, sharing agricultural and rural policies and promoting cooperative projects in areas such as livestock product processing, veterinary services, and vegetable production. The ministers shared the results of these cooperation projects and exchanged views on future cooperation during their meeting.

On July 9, both ministers attended a memorandum of understanding (MOU) exchange ceremony in the presence of the leaders of both countries. Based on a shared understanding of the recent changes in agricultural conditions, the ministers agreed to expand the scope of cooperation to include food security and smart agriculture by revising and signing the "MOU on Cooperation in the Food and Agriculture Sector," thereby pledging to further strengthen collaboration in the future.

Song Miryung, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, is delivering a greeting at the 'K-Fresh' event introducing K-Food and Korean food culture on the 8th. Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

To boost K-food exports, Minister Song also hosted the K-Fresh experiential event with local consumers in Ulaanbaatar, as well as a tasting session of K-convenience store ready-to-eat meals made with Korean ingredients. Over the past five years (2020–2025), K-food exports to Mongolia have more than doubled, growing at an average annual rate of 16.2%. In the first half of this year, cumulative exports increased by more than 14% compared to the same period last year, solidifying Mongolia's status as a promising market. While key export items include processed foods such as snacks, beverages, and ramen, there has also been a growing variety of exportable fresh agricultural and livestock products, including seasonal fruits like strawberries, grapes, and watermelons, as well as mushrooms, paprika, and meats (pork, beef, chicken), all of which are expected to contribute to future growth.

Minister Song commented, "Mongolia is a market with great growth potential, where a wide range of K-food exports is possible—from K-Fresh to K-ready meals—and Korean convenience stores are successfully establishing themselves. K-food can meet Mongolian consumers’ demand for convenience and healthy flavors. We will spare no effort to support the expansion of K-food exports, including the development of strategic items, certification, customs clearance, logistics, distribution channel development, and both online and offline marketing."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.