DENVER — Recent consumer polling by Gallup in South Korea showed that people are growing confidence in imported US beef.

The poll, conducted by the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF), stated that more than 70% of respondents expressed confidence in the safety of US beef, and nearly 70% said they intend to purchase US beef.

Jihae Yang, vice president for the Asia Pacific at USMEF, headed the USMEF’s office during the market reopening and explained the support the Beef Checkoff Program and USDA played in reaching this point in the effort.

Yang stated this was possible because of the collaboration between US exporters, Korean importers, Korean retailers and foodservice operators in the country.

“I think the confidence on the US beef safety provide another level of assurance for the Korean consumer, and that is backed up by the statistics that US beef has been the dominant beef supplier to the Korea market for the last seven years,” Yang said.

Yang noted that Korea is currently the leading destination for US beef exports and has been the No. 1 value market for US beef for two consecutive years — including a record $2.7 billion in 2022.

“I want to take a moment to say thank you to the beef producers and the investment for the long term, and eventually it pays off in Korea market,” Yang added. “Korea became the largest destination of US beef and that is possible because of the trust and the investment from the beef producers. It is so very much appreciated, and we hope to have the continued investment and the support from US beef producers.”

USMEF and Yang described how they grew consumer confidence by relying on citizens to eat American beef. 

“The most effective way is to make them try and make them feel comfortable when they eat US beef,” Yang said. “The communication message through their friends or their mother or their colleagues would be much more efficient than the communication through the professionals like nutritionists or the animal scientists or the government official.”

During 2008, Korean citizens protested the return of US beef to the market following a bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) incident in 2003.