Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Development Corporation, which operates Jeju Samdasoo, said on the 8th that it has signed an export contract with GS Global and will seek to enter China's major online platform JD.com.
The corporation plans to build a cooperative system with local distributors and operate a dedicated brand store for Jeju Samdasoo on the platform through July this year.
Jeju Samdasoo has continued exports mainly to the Korean community market in China, but this is the first time it will sell to local consumers through online channels.
The corporation plans to gradually expand its sales base in China's online market based on cooperation with GS Global. In particular, it will use the Jeju–Qingdao direct route, which opened in Oct. last year, for logistics to strengthen transport efficiency and supply competitiveness. It will also carry out marketing and cultural exchange activities to promote Jeju through Jeju Samdasoo.
Acting President Song Hyeong-gwan of Jeju Development Corporation said, "We will work to inform Chinese consumers about the excellent quality of Jeju Samdasoo and to successfully establish ourselves in the market through various marketing activities," adding, "We will use this entry as a springboard to grow Jeju Samdasoo into Asia's leading premium bottled water brand."
Earlier, on the 30th of last month, Jeju Governor Oh Young-hun met in his office with a seven-member delegation including Wang Lei, head of the Shandong Provincial Department of Commerce in China, who oversees foreign trade and commerce, and discussed ways to expand imports and exports between the two regions. At the meeting, Oh requested expedited customs clearance as exports of Samdasoo to China get underway in earnest.