South Korea will likely start exporting the traditional ginseng chicken soup or “samgyetang” to China next month.
 
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said on Sunday that domestic samgyetang products will hit the Chinese market next month, as the country reached an agreement with China on quarantine and sanitary rules. The food will be exported in retort pouches.
 
The Seoul government and the local food industry have pursued the samgyetang export since 2006, but little progress has been made due to quarantine issues. But the two sides have actively engaged in talks on the matter since the leaders of the two nations held summit talks in October last year.
 
The agriculture ministry expects the nation’s samgyetang exports to China will reach three million U.S. dollars or three-and-a-half billion won this year.
 
South Korea shipped about two-thousand tons of samgyetang worth eleven billion won last year.