Orion’s Goraebab sees 1 million sales in China

Goraebab, a Korean snack of Orion, one of the nation’s biggest confectionery companies, has seen its total sales exceed 200 billion won (162 million dollars) last year, largely thanks to its popularity in China. The company announced on Tuesday that Goraebab’s gross global sales increased by 28 billion won (27 million dollars), from 186 billion won in 2014 to 214 billion won (174 million dollars) in 2015. Goraebab is the fourth of Orion’s products to reach more than 200 billion won (162 million dollars) in sales following Choco Pie (403 billion won, or 327 million dollars), Oh! Gamja (295 billion won, or 239 million dollars) and Yegam (234 billion won, or 190 million dollars).

The snack was particularly a big hit in China. A whopping 82 percent, or 175 billion won, of its sales was recorded in China. The figures in the Vietnamese and Russian markets were merely 12 billion won and 3 billion won, respectively. Orion pointed to its successful localization as the main contributor in the Chinese market.

Goraebab is a packaged confectionery consisting small crackers of nine different shapes of sea animals, first introduced in Korea back in 1984.

김성모 기자mo@donga.com