Korea's food industry, which has expanded its Halal-certified products to target the Middle East market, is keeping a close eye on the recently escalating military conflict between the United States and Israel and Iran. As tensions around the Middle East persist and uncertainty grows in logistics and export conditions, corporations are considering expanding sales channels to new Halal markets in Africa and Central Asia.
According to the food industry on the 17th, Korean food companies have long used the Middle East as a key Halal export base and expanded their markets. Halal certification applies to products such as food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals that are produced and processed according to Islamic law. Halal certification bodies review whether the products and their manufacturing processes meet Halal standards and issue official certificates. This is a mandatory requirement for targeting the Muslim market.
A representative case is Samyang Foods. Samyang Foods obtained Halal certification from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2018, then signed an exclusive supply contract with a local distributor in 2021 to make a full-fledged entry into the Middle East market. Since then, it has expanded its sales network from a UAE base to about 10 Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Last year, Samyang Foods' sales in the Middle East increased by about 32% from the previous year.
With the possibility rising that military tensions in the Middle East could be prolonged, there is a growing sense in the industry that Halal export strategies need to be recalibrated. The global Muslim population is estimated at about 2 billion. Demand for Halal K-food is increasing among Muslims not only in the Middle East but also in Africa, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia.
In particular, Africa and Central Asia are cited as emerging markets drawing attention from K-food corporations. The high share of Muslim populations makes it easy to leverage existing Halal-certified products, and the spread of K-content is boosting interest in Korean foods. According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), combined K-food exports to Africa and Central Asia rose from 576.8 billion won in 2023 to 700 billion won in 2024 and to 841 billion won last year, up 21.4% and 20.1%, respectively, over the past two years. If this growth continues, this year's export volume is expected to exceed 1 trillion won.
A food industry official said, "The Middle East remains an important market, but recent military tensions have increased uncertainty in logistics and export conditions," adding, "Africa and Central Asia have a high share of Muslim populations and can use existing Halal-certified products as is, so they have strong potential as alternative markets."
Domestic food companies are also ramping up strategies aimed at new Halal markets. Samyang Foods is accelerating expansion into the African market with its "Buldak" brand. It is pushing to expand Buldak, which had been exported to about 10 African countries, to all 54 African countries this year. In particular, with Africa's Muslim population reaching 700 million, the company is expected to broaden its customer base through Halal-certified products.
Daesang has moved to target the African market with Jongga kimchi and sauce and paste products. Daesang is currently in six African countries, including Kenya, Ghana, and Morocco. As sales in Africa rose 52% from the previous year, Daesang plans to expand into markets such as Egypt and Mauritius this year. CJ CheilJedang is also exporting Halal-certified Bibigo dumplings and stir-fried noodles to eight African countries, including Egypt.
The food industry's push into Central Asia is also active. Dongwon F&B, which began exporting Dongwon tuna to Uzbekistan last year, is preparing to enter nearby Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan within the year. In the first half of this year, it also plans to export Yangban seaweed and Yangban seaweed bugak. In addition, Namyang Dairy Products exported products such as protein drinks and coffee to Kazakhstan, and OTOKI plans to produce export-only Jin Ramen at its Halal-certified plant in Vietnam to target markets in Muslim cultural spheres such as Indonesia.
Industry observers say that while the Middle East remains a key region in the Halal market, the growing geopolitical risks make it inevitable to diversify Halal K-food export strategies. A food industry official said, "The Middle East is still an important market, but the recent escalation of military conflict has increased uncertainty in the export environment," adding, "More companies are considering diversifying Halal K-food export strategies—once centered on the Middle East—into Africa, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia."
Kim Tae-hwang, a professor in the Department of International Trade at Myongji University, said, "If military tensions in the Middle East disrupt supply chains and cause logistical setbacks, Halal K-food exports will inevitably be affected," adding, "Rather than replacing the Middle East market, this will be an opportunity to seek export channels for Halal K-food through Africa, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia as complementary and niche markets."