Daesang Corp. won the Presidential Award at the 13th Agriculture and Fishery Export Tower Presentation and Export Promotion Ceremony held at the aT Center in Yangjae-dong, southern Seoul, on March 20 in recognition of the company’s achievements in the export of food products, the company said recently.

The company won the award for its successful export of the drink “Hongcho” to Japan, which took the top position in sales in the beverage market there. Sales of the drink are being counted on expanding further with the ad in Japan featuring the famous pop group Kara performing in Japan.

The event, attended by some 200 government officials and industry people, was initiated in 2011 by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to encourage foodstuff exporters who greatly expanded their products.

Daesang President Myung Hyung-sup received the Presidential Award at the ceremony from Minister Suh Kyu-yong.

Hongcho had two ads, one at home and the other for its Japanese market, starring famous models such as Jun Ji-hyun for the domestic ad and female pop group Kara, who has been whipping up the wind for the popularity of Korean pop entertainment, or Hallyu, in Japan.

On Feb. 14, model Jun filmed the ad at a studio in Nonhyun-dong, southern Seoul, and in March Kara filmed the ad to attract more Japanese customers to the spicy beverage. 

Jun mesmerized the male staff at the film studio with her beautiful, clean and sexy look. Kara is also being counted on to boost the sale of the drink by attracting a huge number of new customers in Japan with their pretty and magical movements. It is the first Korean beverage to successfully penetrate the Japanese market.

Daesang introduced the beverage at the Japan Food Expo from March 6-8 under its versatile marketing campaign focused on the drink’s special effects and taste.

In the meantime, Daesang Japan signed an MOU with Nippon Access on cooperation to produce and market foodstuff in Japan as well as retail distribution on Jan. 19 at ANA InterContinental Hotel in Tokyo.

Daesang Japan has been keeping close relations with Nippon Access to leap ahead as a global foodstuff production and marketing company with Japan as its base since 2010, as the Japanese firm handles the accounts of well-known Japanese supermarket chains, large discount stores and convenience stores, among others. 

The MOU with Nippon Access will help Daesang in such areas as the development of various Korean foods for Japanese customers, distribution, expansion and the exploration of the Japanese market for those Korean foods, among others.

Attending the signing of the MOU were President Myung Hyung-sup of Daesang Corp.; President Yoo Yun-sang of Daesang Japan; President Park Yong-joo of Daesang Holdings; and Director Choi Sung-soo of the Overseas Business Headquarters for Daesang, among others.

Lately, exports of Korean food products to Japan have been rising thanks to the high popularity of Hallyu in Japan. Nippon Access has been handling the sales of Korean food products in Japan including the drink Hongcho and Sunchang red pepper paste, among others. Daesang expects the exports of its food products to Japan to rise due to the MOU.