Food Exports to China

[Anchor Lead]

South Korea's food exports to China are beginning to grow again after suffering a serious blowback over Seoul's deployment of the U.S. THAAD antimissile system. With Korean products relining the shelves of Chinese stores, buyers are flocking to get their fill. And that means profits for the second half of this year are looking particularly bright.

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Korean beer is displayed on shelves at a famous Chinese supermarket. It saw a 50 percent jump in sales upon its arrival in mainland China. Sales growth of Korean raw oysters is also outstanding. Raw oyster exports to China have increased a whopping 360 percent, despite competition posed by French and South American rivals. South Korea's exports of foods to China plunged more than ten percent last year amid Beijing's full-scale anti-Korean products ban over Seoul's deployment of the U.S. THAAD anti-missile system. But this year, a drop of only 1.7 percent has been posted, indicating an evident recovery in South Korea's food exports to China. Viewers and buyers flocked to a Korean booth at an international food fair held in Shanghai.

[Soundbite] (Chinese Power Blogger(Online Broadcasting)) : "This ginseng product is quite well made. You will boost your health if you always carry a ginseng product with you."

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is predicting that if this trend continues, South Korea's shipments of farm produce to China will begin to increase in the second half of this year, compared to the same period last year.