March 1, 2022

South Korea consumes more US beef than domestic beef in 2021

The Hanwoo Association said South Koreans ate more US beef than Korean beef in 2021, with the country's average beef consumption up 0.7 kg to 13.6 kg (including 5 kg of US beef), Business Korea reported.

South Korea imported 234,424 tonnes of US beef from January to November 2021, 23% higher compared to 2020 and the largest since US beef was first imported by South Korea in 2008.

One reason was because of changing consumer preference. A 2021 survey from Gallup Korea and the US Meat Export Federation found that 67.5% of consumers are willing to eat US beef. In the 2020 edition of the same survey, 62.9% of consumers said they believe US beef is safe.

Another reason is due to soaring chilled beef imports. South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said beef imports reached a record 88,919 tonnes in the first three quarters of last year, with the ratio of chilled beef imports to beef imports up from 20% to 23.1% in 2020 and to 26.8% in 2021.

-      Business Korea