en.Wedoany.com Reported - The South Korean government has officially selected Vietnam as its central hub for expanding logistics, distribution, and food supply chains into the ASEAN region.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced the decision on July 7, based on the outcomes of the 2026 ASEAN K-Food Expo held in Hanoi from July 2 to 3. Vietnam is currently the fourth-largest export market for South Korean agricultural, fishery, and food products. With the growing influence of the Korean Wave, demand for Korean food in the Vietnamese market continues to rise, making it a key strategic market in South Korea's plan to expand exports to ASEAN.

To enhance competitiveness, South Korea is accelerating the modernization of its logistics system in Vietnam. Among these efforts, a comprehensive logistics center in Hanoi officially began operations in June this year.

The South Korean government will also expand the "V-Express" full-process export support program and integrate it with logistics and marketing support measures, aiming to reduce import and transportation costs while strengthening online and offline promotional activities in the Vietnamese market.

Another key focus of South Korea's new strategy is to shift business models from business-to-consumer (B2C) to business-to-business (B2B). According to a survey by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, demand in the Vietnamese market for pre-prepared foods, convenience foods, Korean sauces, and street food ingredients is growing rapidly. Therefore, South Korea will promote the supply of food ingredients and various sauces to Vietnam.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has held talks with K-Mart, a South Korean supermarket chain operating over 150 stores in Vietnam, discussing plans to develop the company's logistics and distribution infrastructure, aiming to expand the K-Food supply chain from Vietnam to neighboring markets such as Cambodia and Laos.

During the 2026 ASEAN K-Food Expo, 45 South Korean exporters of agricultural, fishery, and food products engaged with 107 representatives from ASEAN importers, signing 46 memorandums of understanding with a total value of approximately $21 million.

Jeong Gyeong-seok, Director of the Food Industry Policy Division at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, noted that Vietnam is a strategic base for South Korea to expand exports of fresh agricultural products and food ingredients. He stated that South Korea will continue to expand K-Mart's distribution network in Vietnam and across the entire ASEAN region through the Hanoi logistics center.