LOS ANGELES — The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (Minister: Kim Young-choon) of the Republic of Korea announced the global launch of K·FISH, Korean fishery exports national brand. This exclusive introduction to the global market will be held on November 9 in Los Angeles, California.
In an effort to promote the excellent quality of products from the Korean sea, the Ministry has developed K·FISH, a globally competitive premium seafood brand. K·FISH is the first government-certified fishery exports national brand of premium marine products selected based on strict management regulations, meticulous quality control, and systemic evaluation standards. The K·FISH logo was created by modifying the Taegeuk symbol that stands for Korea, in which the three primary colors represent the clean ocean (blue), good texture(yellow) and quality control (red), respectively.
At present, 11 categories* are available. The K·FISH trademark is registered as of September, in 36 countries including the U.S., EU, Japan, and China. The trademark application process is currently in review in 16 countries including Russia and Vietnam.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries plans to expand the export of K·FISH gradually, starting with the U.S., a key fishery trade partner, then to Asian countries including China and finally moving on to Europe, South America, and the Middle East in 2018.
The U.S. launch event marks the introduction of K·FISH to the global market, and is expected to offer a significant opportunity for promoting the excellent quality of seafood from the Republic of Korea. As the U.S. is a leading trade partner, Los Angeles was an ideal location for the launch. The event will host media, buyers and representatives from the Ministry, and it will be a forum to introduce the products and enhance the understanding of the K·FISH brand. There will also be presentations and a cooking demonstration by Chef Kerry Heffernan, a renowned seafood expert who will demonstrate special Korean-inspired recipes using fresh K·FISH products, followed by tasting.
A ministry official said, "K·FISH represents seafood produced from the seas of the Republic of Korea, clean and clear enough for local Haenyeo** to collect seafood by diving without any special diving gear. He added, "The launch of K·FISH in the U.S. market is expected to help the American consumers to recognize Korean seafood products as premium food items that are clean, safe, and reliable."
* 11 categories: Fresh Flatfish, abalone(fresh and processed), Gim/ laver(dry and seasoned), sea cucumber(dry), oyster(frozen), red snow crab, fish cake(steamed, grilled, fried and fish meat sausage), squid(seasoned), conger(fillet), tuna(canned and pouched), Miyok/sea mustard(dry)
** Haenyeo: Haenyeo are traditional Korean female divers who dive for fish and other seafood without the use of oxygen tanks. They maintain the environment by 'staying underwater as long as they can hold breath and collecting as much as the sea gives' and also avoid harvesting seafood during the breeding season. The value of the culture of Jeju Haenyeo has been recognized around the world by its official entry in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2016.
About K·FISH
K·FISH is a premier brand of seafood exported by the government of the Republic of Korea, and sets a new standard for aquatic products; meeting strict government quality regulations and evaluation criteria. Only select marine products that meet these guidelines are allowed to carry the K·FISH name. K·FISH guarantees only high-quality, fresh, delicious seafood. K·FISH is introduced for the promotion of Korean seafood export and carrying K·FISH brand requires qualifications of documentations and site-inspections by the expert group and an approval from the operation committee.
Source: K·FISH
