BRUNEI Darussalam needs to promote itself, while acquiring a better understanding of the Korean people and their tastes, if it is to gain entry into the Korean market.

This sound advice came from Lee Dong-go, the Deputy Head of Trade and Investment Unit under the Asean-Korea Centre, in an exclusive interview yesterday during the Trade Facilitation Workshop for local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), at the International Convention Centre (ICC).

In 2016, the Asean-Korea Centre invited 10 Brunei companies to participate in a food festival in Seoul, and similar arrangements are being made for this year.

Lee said, “The Seoul Expo in Korea this year is scheduled to take place on October 25-28. This will be a great opportunity for Brunei products to be introduced to Korea.”

He also noted that Brunei’s special sauce and blue shrimp made an impression on Korean consumers at last year’s expo.

Recently, Lee and a Korean delegation, made up of experts in food and packaging, visited the BMC Food Industries Sdn Bhd (BMC) and the blue shrimp farm at Golden Corporation Sdn Bhd. “I am impressed with the blue shrimp farm here,” said Lee. “It’s very clean with modern facilities. We are already importing numerous seafood products from Vietnam and Thailand, and I feel that there is a very good chance of Golden Corporation exports to Korea.” Lee also lauded the quality of Golden Corporation’s blue shrimp, which he described as “very fresh and nice.”

On BMC, he said, “It is a potential target for the growing Muslim community in Korea. Halal food is healthy and hygienic, which is a very attractive selling point.” To promote further understanding between both countries, Lee also recommended the start of direct flights from Brunei to Seoul.

“The direct flights should provide a good chance for the people of both Brunei and Korea to understand each other better,” he said.

This is the 6th visit to Brunei by representatives from the Asean-Korea Centre, which has also conducted various programmes with the local food sector. The two-day Trade Facilitation Workshop has focussed exclusively on food and packaging, one of Brunei’s prioritised sectors for further economic growth and national development, under the 10th National Development Plan of 2012-2017.

The workshop was specifically designed to enhance the capacity of Brunei’s MSMEs and building networks between Brunei-Korean businesses, while establishing a strong platform for mid- to long-term trade flows between Brunei and Korea in the food sector.

This year, the Asean-Korea Centre brought along experts from eight Korean companies dealing in sub-sectors of food items, packaging design and info-communications technology (ICT) in smart farming.

link -> http://borneobulletin.com.bn/brunei-potential-penetrate-korean-market/