S. Korea's ginseng exports surpass $100 mln mark in 2009

SEOUL, Jan. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's ginseng exports surpassed the US$100
million mark for the first time in over a decade last year thanks to aggressive
marketing efforts, a state-run farm trading company said Tuesday.

The Korea Agro-Fisheries Trade Corp. said outbound shipments of the herbal root,
known as "insam" in Korean, soared to $108.9 million, the highest level since
$112.0 million reached in 1996.
Exports of insam tablets and drinks increased 71 percent and 9 percent
respectively on-year, while fresh root sales increased 8 percent, it said.
"Aggressive marketing efforts in countries like China and Japan that consume
large quantities of the medicinal root helped bolster exports," the corporation
said.
It said scientific data outlining the excellent qualities of Korean ginseng were
announced at local conventions in China and Southeast Asia, while close
cooperation with a pharmaceutical chain in Japan fueled sales in the neighboring
country.
China and Southeast Asian countries with large number of ethnic Chinese, account
for roughly 50 percent of all overseas ginseng sales, with Japan being the second
largest market. Exports to Japan soared nearly 30 percent on-year in 2009 to $34
million.
The state-run trading firm also said it will set up sales companies in the United
States, Taiwan and China to further promote insam exports.
For the future, the corporation is aiming to ship out $200 million worth of the
root by 2012.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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