Thai seafood, Nam Dok Mai mango promoted in SKorean hypermarkets

NONTHABURI, THAILAND, March 21 (TNA) - Thai food products have been well-received by consumers in South Korea during an ongoing promotional sale campaign at branches of South Korea's second largest hypermarket. Malee Chokelamlert, Director-General of the Department of International Trade Promotion, under the Ministry of Commerce, told journalists on Tuesday that Thailand's international trade promotion office in Seoul has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Homeplus, the South Korean 2nd largest hypermarket, on organizing promotional sale activities for Thai agricultural products and seafood such as frozen shrimps, squids and Nam Dok Mai mangoes at all of its 142 branches across South Korea this month, including a highlight on cooking demonstrations at its five major branches. Malee said in the first week of March, Thai shrimps were sold for 200 million won or about seven million baht and more orders of 40 tons of shrimps were placed. According to the senior official, Homeplus normally welcomes as many as 900,000 customers daily; so, the South Korean second largest hypermarket is considered a potential channel for Thai food exports. In 2016, the total bilateral trade value between Thailand and South Korea reached 11 billion US dollars, a 1.55 per cent year-on-year increase, with Thai exports to South Korea slated at 4.04 billion US dollars. (TNA)