Six Korean firms secure spots in North American distribution network through JFC deal

Korean fermented foods and ready-to-eat meals are gaining ground in the North American retail market. Following the government's decision to designate fermented and convenience foods as priority export categories for North America, six domestic companies have secured placement in the distribution network of JFC International, a supplier serving retailers and restaurants across the continent.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) announced Tuesday that they participated in "Taste of Korea 2026," held Saturday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.

Taste of Korea is a trade consultation event targeting key buyers in JFC International's North American Asian food distribution network. Founded in 1958, JFC supplies more than 15,000 food products to supermarkets and restaurants across North America.

The event drew more than 300 buyers and retail representatives from major local chains, including Costco Wholesale, 99 Ranch Market and Superior Grocers.

aT has been cultivating region-specific export products through its Global Next K-Food Project. For North America, the agency identified fermented foods and ready-to-eat meals as its flagship categories based on local consumption trends, and selected 11 companies to receive focused support.

Of those, six companies confirmed distribution placement through JFC at the event, moving beyond consultations to actual entry into the retail supply chain.

Ahead of the event, aT's Los Angeles office provided one-on-one online consulting sessions to participating companies on entering the North American market. Two sample tasting sessions with JFC's key category managers were also held to verify product competitiveness in advance.

Product codes for the confirmed items were registered beforehand so that buyers who encountered the products at the event could place orders immediately, without going through a separate registration process — cutting the time between introduction and actual sales.

aT also plans to pursue marketing efforts to convert offline retail placement into online consumer purchases. The agency intends to run SNS content campaigns using local influencers, organize product experience groups and carry out online store promotions through the end of the year.

"We will continue to identify new promising products so that kimchi and a wide range of other K-foods can establish themselves as a trend in North American food culture," said Jeon Gi-chan, aT's director of export food affairs.