On June 20th, a significant agreement ceremony was held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in New Jersey, USA, by Hongseong County in Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea, aiming to promote local businesses entering the North American market. The event was jointly organized by the Chungnam Economic Promotion Agency, the New York Korean-American Business Association, and the Hongseong County Business Association, achieving export results worth $10.6 million during the export negotiation meeting.
Hongseong County Magistrate Lee Yong-rok stated that in order to assist local small and medium-sized enterprises in establishing a global sales network, the county government actively promoted sales policies, ultimately reaching over $10 million in American export contracts, which is a significant boost for the local economy.
According to data from Hongseong County, the export negotiation meeting on that day attracted over 40 buyers from New York and other regions in North America, showcasing the popularity of Hongseong’s specialty product, Gwangcheon seaweed. During the negotiation meeting, a total of 69 business negotiations took place, resulting in the successful signing of 7 Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) totaling $8 million, with a total contract amount exceeding $10.6 million (approximately 14.6 billion Korean won), opening up new export routes for businesses in the county.
Magistrate Lee Yong-rok expressed at the ceremony, “Through this agreement, Hongseong enterprises will move towards the global market starting from New York, based on the system support from the Chungnam Economic Promotion Agency and the rich local experience of the New York Korean-American Business Association. We will continue to expand the global sales network, creating more growth opportunities for local businesses.”
On the same day, a trilateral MOU signing ceremony was held at the New York Korean Food Association in Bayside, New York, with attendees including Hongseong County Magistrate Lee Yong-rok, Hongseong County Business Association President Lee Sung-chan, and New York Korean Food Association President Park Kwang-min. According to the agreement, the three parties will strengthen information sharing and cooperation to promote the export of Hongseong agricultural and marine products, expecting to further accelerate the speed of exports to the United States.
President Park Kwang-min stated, “Since the 1980s, the New York Korean Food Association has been predominantly led by small businesses such as supermarkets, promoting the development of the food industry. Our member activities extend across the United States and Canada, dedicated to becoming a bridgehead for K-food entering the global market.”
Magistrate Lee Yong-rok emphasized, “At a time when K-food is loved around the world, it is our golden opportunity. Let us work together to promote the specialties of Hongseong, the organic agricultural special zone in Korea, to the global market.”
President Lee Sung-chan expressed, “We hope that this agreement will allow Hongseong’s high-quality products to enter the New York and global markets, and the association will actively cooperate.”
This collaboration and agreement portend a new peak in the future development of Korean seaweed and other Hongseong specialties in the North American market.