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South Korea plans to expand exports to Vietnam of all meat products, while accelerating bilateral trade in fruit and other food items, according to the country’s agriculture minister.
South Korea’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryung said Korea will expand exports to Vietnam of all its meat products. The move follows earlier announcements that the two countries reached a veterinary quarantine agreement for poultry exports to Vietnam.
Song said the government is also negotiating with Vietnam on the export of heat-treated pork, Korean beef, duck, and sheep, with talks currently in their third stage.
She added that 13 Korean companies, including Lotte, Maniker, and Nong Hyup Moguchon, have expressed interest in expanding markets to Vietnam as discussions continue toward new MOUs.
“Vietnam's meat market is extremely large. Some Korean companies said that combining poultry and pork would create a tastier flavor. If the current MOU negotiations achieve a veterinary agreement, our livestock exports will certainly accelerate,”
Song said at a press conference in Sejong.
Beyond meat, Song said bilateral trade will be accelerated further with fruit products. Korea also plans to boost exports of its food products to food service companies operating in Vietnam.
Vietnam and Korea have agreed to exchange local fruits grown in different climate conditions. The Korean side proposed kiwi and satsuma, while Vietnam mentioned lychee and passion fruit. Plans for agriculture trade projects based on climate differences are underway.
Earlier, Vietnam and Korea completed market-opening negotiations that allow exports of processed poultry meat (including ham and chicken meat) between the two countries since April 2026.
Song said she ensured the extension of Korean watermelons exports to Vietnam through June to increase total volume. She noted that last year, during the first year of Korean watermelon exports to Vietnam, Vietnam imported the second-largest quantity of watermelons in the world, with a total value of 295,000 USD.
Song said she met with representatives of Korean companies operating in Vietnam, including Lotteria, Bonchon International, and Dookki, to discuss ways to boost their sales.
She also said there are nearly 10,000 Korean companies in Vietnam and described a visit to Hanwha Vision Vietnam in Bac Ninh Province. Song said the company has hired Ourhome, a Korean food service company, to provide lunch and dinner for 1,000 employees daily.
“This has prompted me to pursue exporting Korean food ingredients to Korean companies in Vietnam with their own cafeterias,”
Song said.
She added that Vietnam is Korea’s fourth-largest market for Korean food exports globally. While the ranking may not change, she said MOUs being discussed are expected to further boost export volumes.
Song also said Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will form a new task force this week to introduce renewable energy companies to Vietnamese farming areas, aiming to reduce Korea’s reliance on imported crude oil.
She said the initiative is linked to the Iran crisis, which has damaged global oil supplies, including Korea’s imports from the Middle East.
Song noted that Korean farmers in Vietnam are organizing self-sufficiency campaigns to recycle and upgrade agricultural materials such as cattle manure or waste plastic to improve sustainable farming methods. She said the government should respond with programs such as cattle manure-based fuel, biogas, or installing additional solar panels using agricultural land and reservoirs.
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