Gyeongnam-Born Korean Residents in Japan Launch 'Love for the Nation: Agro-Food Consumption Promotion' Campaign

Promoting Representative Rice Varieties Such as Yeonghojinmi

The Korean Agro-Food Association in Japan and the Gyeongnam Residents Association in Japan are launching the “Love for the Nation: Korean Agro-Food Consumption Promotion Campaign” to expand the consumption of Korean agricultural products in Japan.

The “Love for the Nation: Korean Agro-Food Consumption Promotion Campaign” is a nationwide, private-sector-led consumer movement that aims to promote outstanding agricultural and food products from various regions of Korea—starting with ‘Yeonghojinmi,’ a representative rice variety of Gyeongnam Province—expand exports, and contribute to the globalization of Korean cuisine.

The Association of Korean Residents in Japan is promoting the export to Japan by holding up 'Yeonghojinmi,' the representative rice variety of Gyeongnam Province produced in Jinju, Gyeongnam.
[Photo by Gyeongnam Province]

The campaign is being joined by Gyeongin Ryu, President of the Gyeongnam Residents Association in Japan, as well as fellow Korean residents originally from Gyeongnam, and Gyeongnam-born entrepreneurs who operate Korean restaurants in areas like Shin-Okubo Korea Town and Akasaka.

The Korean Agro-Food Association in Japan, working in cooperation with its member companies, local Japanese distributors, Korean restaurants, and food companies, will conduct agro-food consumption campaigns, promotional events, and tasting sessions. Through these efforts, the association aims to support the expansion and distribution of Korean agricultural products in the Japanese market.

Previously, in June, the two organizations imported 450 packs (5kg each) of Jinju Yeonghojinmi rice into Japan, supplying them at affordable prices to Korean residents in Japan through association events.

They are also planning another import of fresh produce from Gyeongnam Province around November, with intentions to expand the distribution to Korean communities throughout Japan and widen the scope of participating export regions to include all of Gyeongnam Province.

The Gyeongnam Provincial Government stated that this campaign supports the President's agenda from last year, which emphasized expanding agro-food exports and promoting consumption of Korean rice.

Additionally, they anticipated that the Korean community in Japan, by taking the initiative in consuming and promoting Korean agricultural products, will not only increase the competitiveness of Korean agro-food products in the Japanese market but also enhance the value of Korea’s national brand.

The campaign is also expected to establish itself as a leading private-sector movement embodying love for Korea beyond local hometown affection, and become a new model for expanding Korean agro-food exports to Japan.

Yuk Jongmoon, President of the Korean Agro-Food Association in Japan, stated, “While love for one’s hometown is important, it is even more meaningful to consume and promote our agro-food products out of love for Korea. I hope that this campaign will help not only Yeonghojinmi but also many other superior Korean agro-food products to gain further popularity in the Japanese market, providing tangible support for expanding Korea’s agro-food exports.”

Ryu Gyeongin, President of the Gyeongnam Residents Association in Japan, added, “Residents of Gyeongnam Province will take the lead in promoting our excellent local agricultural products and do our utmost to ensure that this leads to greater consumption and export of all Korean agro-food products. We will fully participate in this campaign as an expression of love for Korea beyond our hometown.”

Looking ahead, the two organizations plan to continue working closely with local governments, producer groups, and food companies to further expand overseas markets for Korean agro-food products and continuously promote their consumption.

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