Expatriates from nearly every part of the world living here in South Korea may have at one time or another remarked on the high price of coffee here. That may be changing soon.

Emart, which is the nation’s No. 1 supermarket chain, announced the sale of a new line of premium Kenyan coffee in a launching ceremony at its Seongdong-gu headquarters on Feb. 12.

Othaya Kenya AA, dubbed a “special classic” brand of premium coffee, will be sold throughout its nationwide network of 144 super stores with 1 percent of the coffee’s proceeds donated to UNICEF.

“Feb. 12, 2014, will remain one of the most memorable days in regard to the relationship between Kenya and Korea,” said Kenyan Ambassador Ngovi Kitau during the launching ceremony.

Emart’s decision reflects a growing demand here for coffee from Kenya.

The consumption of Kenyan coffee in Korea has been growing over the past seven years. When Kenya opened a chancery here in 2007, South Korea imported a meager $150,000 worth of coffee beans. That figure grew to $1.7 million in 2009 and to $4.1 million in 2011. Last year, South Korea imported $6 million in coffee beans from the East African nation.

Ambassador Kitau said a single shipping container of coffee from Kenya costs about $100,000, which he said is prohibitive for small retail cafes in Seoul.

“Emart is making it possible for many cafes in Korea to pick up a few kilos of roasted premium coffee beans from Kenya.”

By Philip Iglauer (ephilip2011@heraldcorp.com)