According to Yonhap News,
(SEOUL=Yonhap News) South Korea's government said Wednesday that it will soon begin negotiations with Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates so local halal certification will be accepted in these Muslim countries that can boost the country's food exports.
The halal authorization given by the Korea Muslim Federation (KMF) is currently acknowledged in Malaysia and Singapore.
The food certificates are issued only to food products that were prepared in a specific way in accordance with Islamic Sharia law.
"We are seeking a cross certification of local halal certificates in Indonesia and the UAE by the end of the fourth quarter this year and to launch an aggressive marketing campaign for South Korean halal foods," a Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs official said. "We need to diversify export destinations as shipments to China and Japan have been adversely affected by political and diplomatic developments."
The ministry estimates the halal food market encompassing the Islamic population of 1.8 billion will grow US$1.6 trillion by 2020.
South Korea's exports of agricultural products to Japan, China and the United States account for 45 percent of its total agricultural goods shipments abroad in 2016.
Exports to China have dropped sharply in recent months amid the diplomatic row over South Korea's deployment of a U.S. missile defense system on its soil.
Shipments to the U.S. may also decline in the near future amid concerns of the Donald Trump administration revoking the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, which the new president has dubbed a job-killing deal.
South Korea's agricultural product exports to the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference rose 8.8 percent to $913 million last year from a year earlier. This accounts for 14 percent of the total agricultural goods shipments abroad, according to ministry data.
The Korea Tourism Organization, meanwhile, said Monday it will launch a weeklong halal fest for Muslim travelers in Seoul in September to promote South Korean culture, tourism and halal foods.
The KTO will also organize similar events in Kazakhstan, Malaysia and Indonesia later this year.
The number of inbound Muslim tourists soared 33 percent to 980,000 last year from a year earlier.
hdh@yna.co.kr
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Source: Yonhap News (Mar. 29, 2017)