Korea to demand China open kimchi, makgeolli market

Korea plans to call on China to open its domestic market to fermented food and beverages that cannot be formally sold due to the lack of sanitation guidelines, a senior government trade official said Wednesday.

The request to allow shipments of such traditional Korean products as kimchi and makgeolli will be made at the bilateral working-level trade talks scheduled for next Tuesday, Deputy Trade Minister Lee Si-hyung told reporters.

Kimchi is a spicy side dish made from fermented cabbage, radishes and red chili peppers, while makgeolli is a traditional milky-colored rice wine that is popular in South Korea and countries such as Japan.

“Kimchi and makgeolli are currently being sold in China, but such transactions are informal in nature, because Beijing does not have sanitary regulations governing fermented products,” the official said.

He said because of this oversight, there is no way for South Korea to formally export such traditional products to the neighboring country.

Lee also said Seoul will urge China to do more to protect the intellectual property rights of South Korean companies, and cultural content such as TV dramas and pop songs. He said talks are planned to touch on financial regulatory rules that Beijing maintains, which could pose challenges for the growing number of South Korean firms operating in the world’s No. 2 economy.

The official, meanwhile, said negotiators from the two sides will exchange views on the need to start negotiations for the 16-country Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership for East Asia that aims to create a broad free trading block in the region.

The RCEP calls for South Korea, Japan, China, India, Australian, New Zealand and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, to create a new economic bloc to fuel trade, investment and business opportunities through the Asia-Pacific region. 

(Yonhap News)