Koreans Enticed to Buy U.S. Meats

June 18, 2002

Called a "Butchers Contest," a U.S. Meat Export Federation-sponsored event in South Korea is designed to bring U.S. chilled meats closer to consumers by suggesting cooking methods for easy and simple meat dishes. A final cutting contest was held to evaluate the cutting skills of the finalists and products used in the final cutting contest included U.S. boneless shortribs, chuckeye roll, pork belly, collar butt and another individual cuts selected by the representative.

The company that most effectively demonstrated its own successful promotion and cutting methods won the contest.

It was an event designed to demonstrate demand for U.S. chilled meats to department store personnel and expand awareness of U.S. red meat products among end-users and consumers through publicity generated by the event.

The contest judges are celebrities who visited all 10 stores to evaluate cooking hints, hygiene, merchandising skill, showcase display, the variety of U.S. chilled meat used by the outlet and other factors. During the competition, USMEF provided informational material and promotional staff to help with U.S. chilled meat sales.

Fifty-six South Korean butcher shops that sell U.S. chilled meats entered the 2002 USMEF Eighth Annual Korean Butcher Contest. Ten outlets, representing leading retailers such as Lotte Magnet, L.G., Samsung Tesco and E-Mart made it to the finals which were held at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Seoul. The Hwajung outlet of Lotte Magnet won this year's grand prize.

This year's contest was a nationwide contest and it garnered the Korean media coverage appropriate to such a large-scale event. News articles appeared in three Korean daily newspapers and 10 magazines.

Participating stores sold about 25% more U.S. beef products during the contest and about 6.5 percent more in the period immediately following it.

In 2001, South Korea was the third largest market for U.S. beef exports, importing 145,946 metric tons valued at more than $385.6 million. While sales in 2001 were down from the previous year, sales during the first quarter of 2002 were up sharply, running 60 percent ahead of last year's pace in volume and 81 percent ahead in value.