CJ Challenges Dongwon's Dominance in the Canned Tuna Market... The Chuseok Gift Set Battle Begins

CJ CheilJedang Imports Spain's Top Brand "Calvo"
Reenters Market 15 Years After Withdrawing Own Brand
Plans Chuseok Gift Sets Combining with Spam and Other Products
Bets on Premium Segment, Riding the Healthy Lifestyle Trend
Strategy to Be Finalized Based on Holiday Sales Performance

With Chuseok just a month away this year, a new dynamic is expected to emerge in the canned tuna market, which is highly popular for holiday gift-giving. CJ CheilJedang, the leading company in the Korean food industry, has decided to target the gift market by promoting "Calvo," Spain's top seafood can brand. There is keen interest in whether the company will be able to achieve meaningful results in a market long dominated by "Dongwon Tuna" from Dongwon F&B.

CJ CheilJedang imports and sells the Spanish premium tuna brand 'Calvo'. Provided by CJ CheilJedang

According to the industry on August 27, CJ CheilJedang plans to strengthen its product lineup by assembling Calvo tuna, which it officially began importing and selling this month, into Chuseok gift sets. The company will offer two main types—"Olive Oil Tuna," made with 100% Spanish olive oil, and "Sunflower Oil Tuna," made with 100% European sunflower oil—both as standalone sets and mixed with other popular holiday items such as Spam and other processed products, thereby offering consumers a wider range of choices.

This is CJ CheilJedang's first attempt at reentering the domestic canned tuna market in 15 years. In the early 2000s, the company sold Sajo Tuna from Sajo Industries by consignment. In 2011, it produced “Fressian Water Tuna,” a product using water instead of fish oil, but struggled in the market and ultimately withdrew from the business.

For this renewed attempt, CJ CheilJedang is betting on a premium strategy. Calvo is Spain’s number one canned tuna brand with over 80 years of history and currently exports to 66 countries. The products imported and sold by CJ CheilJedang feature only three ingredients—tuna, oil, and salt—highlighting the natural and mild flavor of tuna. The company emphasizes that, by not adding seasoning liquid and by using high-quality oils, the tuna can be enjoyed as is, without having to drain the liquid separately.

A representative from CJ CheilJedang commented, “In the past, consumers were unfamiliar with new types of canned tuna, but nowadays, there is growing interest in healthy eating and more careful consideration of aspects like taste, ingredients, and nutritional content. A culture has developed of enjoying and introducing excellent products from global manufacturers through various channels, and as demand for healthy protein sources such as chicken breast, ready-to-eat fish, and other mild-tasting options rises, we see strong market potential for premium canned tuna as well.”

The initial response has been positive. Last month, CJ CheilJedang introduced Calvo Olive Oil Tuna for the first time on Lotte Homeshopping, selling all 2,500 prepared sets within just one hour. The company now plans to observe sales and consumer reactions to the upcoming Chuseok gift sets before finalizing its expanded product lineup and sales strategies.

The domestic canned tuna market remains dominated by Dongwon Tuna, while competitors focus on increasing their market share. According to data published by the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) using market research from Market Link—based on nationwide retail sales figures—Dongwon F&B led the canned tuna market in the first quarter of this year with a 69.6% market share. Sajo Industries followed with 19.4%, and Ottogi came in third at 9.6%.

Among individual brands, Dongwon Tuna also maintained the top spot with a 67.9% share, and Sajo Tuna logged 19.4%. Ottogi’s "Light Tuna" (4.95%), "Ottogi Tuna" (2.81%), and "Mild Tuna" (1.83%) also ranked highly, but their combined share remained in single digits.

Brands that have long dominated the market are also focusing on upgrading their gift set offerings for the peak season of Chuseok. Notably, Dongwon F&B is expanding the range of Dongwon Tuna gift sets by about 20%, targeting the health trend. The high-protein "Light Standard" contains 25g of protein per can (135g)—almost half of an adult’s recommended daily intake (55g)—and is featured alongside various sets of seasoned tuna (such as chili or vegetable tuna). The "BTS Jin Super Tuna Gift Set," featuring Jin from BTS as the brand model, will also be released this Chuseok. This product, in which Jin’s image is featured on the canned tuna, sold more than 40,000 sets during last year’s Chuseok and Lunar New Year. Sajo does not plan any special promotions for the holiday, but will continue to offer its usual canned tuna gift sets as in previous years.

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