South Korean food giant CJ CheilJedang has begun selling its Korean food products at US military bases in Guam, marking a strategic expansion to bring Korean food to the broader US military community.
According to the company on Wednesday, a variety of K-food items have hit the shelves at commissaries within US military bases in Guam. The lineup includes 14 products across four categories: three types of dumplings, six varieties of tteokbokki, or spicy Korean rice cakes, three types of instant rice and two varieties of instant meal cups.
These products reflect the needs of military personnel, many of whom are single service members with limited access to cooking facilities and prefer microwave-ready meals, the company explained.
Ahead of the official launch, the food firm held a launch event at the Guam commissaries from last Friday to Sunday, allowing service members and their families to try dumplings and tteokbokki.
Among their feedback was the observation that the vegetable dumplings tasted similar to meat-based ones, while the tteokbokki offered a chewy texture and a unique, flavorful sauce. The company also noted that many also suggested using instant rice as a side dish for meat, while treating cup meals as complete meals.
In April last year, the company’s K-food products were introduced to US military bases in Pyeongtaek and Osan, both located in Gyeonggi Province, where over 20,000 units of the dumpling and tteokbokki products have been sold to date.
With the global US military community amounting to about 2.5 million personnel, and the processed food market at military bases estimated at around 5 trillion won ($3.47 billion), the company plans to roll out its products to additional US military bases in Japan, Hawaii and Alaska.
A more diverse product lineup will complement the expansion, featuring frozen rice products, street food, and vegan ham and chicken products.
"The launch of CJ CheilJedang's flagship products at the Guam military bases will serve as a springboard for expanding K-food across US military camps worldwide," a company official said, pledging continued efforts to solidify the company's role in leading K-food in the global military food market.
minmin@heraldcorp.com
