Japan imports South Korean rice amid price surge

Japan has imported South Korean rice for the first time in 35 years amid soaring domestic rice prices. With prices doubling over the past year, Japanese buyers are turning to South Korean rice, which is relatively cheaper and high in quality. This marks the first time South Korean rice has been exported to Japan for general retail sale since 1990, when South Korea began tracking rice trade statistics with the country.

According to Nonghyup International and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), two tons of South Korean rice cleared Japanese customs on April 8. Since April 10, the rice has been available through Nonghyup’s online mall (koreafood.co.jp) and South Korean supermarkets in Tokyo’s Shin-Okubo district.

The rice, branded “Ttangkkeut Haetsal,” was produced by Okcheon Nonghyup in Haenam County, South Jeolla Province. It was harvested last year and milled in March before being exported to Japan.

Exports of South Korean rice to Japan are rare. According to trade data from aT’s Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Information (KATI) system, Korean rice was sent to Japan in 2011 and 2012 as humanitarian aid following the Great East Japan Earthquake, but this is the first recorded retail export.

A South Korean government official noted that Japan imposes a tariff of 341 yen (about 3,400 won) per kilogram on South Korean rice. “Despite the high tariff, South Korean rice has gained a price advantage due to the sharp rise in Japanese rice prices,” the official said.


In-Chan Hwang hic@donga.com