South Korea reopens market to UK pork

South Korea, an important market for UK pork, has reopened its doors for the product following lengthy negotiations.

South Korea closed its doors to UK pork after an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the UK in 2007.

A revised list of approved plants for the export of pork has been received by the UK's embassy in Seoul.

BPEX Export Manager Jean-Pierre Garnier said there are 23 premises on the list, including 15 processing plants and eight cold stores.

South Korea imported 1,774 tonnes of UK pork, valued at GBP2.2 million (US$3.5 million) in 2005, he said.

But the country is also one of the world's major pork importers, buying up to 300,000 tonnes per year, and the UK now looks forward to capitalise on this opportunity, said Garnier.