[INTERVIEW] Korean food exports face tough battle in Vietnam

Korean food products have drawn global attention, with certain product labels like Buldak sparking a rare consumer frenzy and online fandom movement transcending nations and borders. From instant noodles to snacks, baked goods, fruit and manufactured seafood, Korean food products have become strategic items for retailers outside Korea. K-Market in Vietnam, a network of 150 directly managed medium-sized supermarkets, specializes in K-foods and other Korean products. The largest Korean-run retailer in the country also operates a logistics center in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, facilitating product distribution to stores in the country’s largest economic hubs in the northern and…