South Korea's 'soccer diplomacy' with China opens door for sweet persimmon exports

South Korea lost the match 1-3. But the soccer ball kicked for the first time in 13 years became the catalyst for restoring people-to-people ties between the two countries' agricultural authorities. Exports of Korean sweet persimmons to China — a goal set at last year's summit between the two leaders — also moved a step closer. China agreed to conduct a video inspection of South Korean sweet persimmon export complexes in October, putting follow-up procedures for a first shipment this year into full swing. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said it expects the first export to be possible within the year if the video inspection and export farm registration proceed smoothly.

At 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 6, officials from both countries' agricultural authorities faced off on the pitch at the Caochangdi 335 Cultural and Creative Park stadium in Beijing. It was the first friendly soccer match between the South Korean and Chinese agricultural authorities since 2013 — a gap of 13 years.

The match served as a pre-event for the 19th South Korea-China Agricultural Cooperation Committee meeting held the following day. The two countries have operated the committee since 1996 and began holding friendly soccer matches in 2006 to broaden mutual understanding and people-to-people exchanges. Six matches were held through 2013 before the series was suspended. The agricultural cooperation committee itself had not convened since 2018.

China drove the push to resume the soccer exchange. Ahead of the committee's reconvening after eight years, the Chinese side sent a letter under the name of a vice minister-level official expressing its wish to restart the exchange. The seventh friendly match in 13 years was the result.

Vice Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Kim Jong-gu and Zhang Zhili, vice minister of China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, each made the ceremonial kickoff side by side. Neither took to the field as a player. Instead, they sat together in the stands and cheered on their respective teams.

The match was played in three 30-minute quarters, with South Korea fielding all 18 of its players in rotation. The Korean side conceded one goal each in the first and second quarters, then traded a goal apiece in the third. The final score was 3-1 in China's favor. South Korea hit the post two or three times in the final quarter in a late push but could not turn the result around.

What drew more attention than the scoreline was what happened off the pitch. Chinese participants brought photographs from past friendly matches, including one from 2007, and spread out the old prints to identify people who had played in those earlier games. South Korean attendees were reportedly surprised that the Chinese side had preserved records of exchanges stretching back more than a decade and brought them out again.

The encounter that began on the soccer field continued into the evening. The Chinese side invited the South Korean delegation to dinner, and senior officials from China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs also attended. Unlike formal meetings where prepared remarks are exchanged, the two sides spent roughly two to three hours over a meal discussing agricultural issues and avenues for cooperation, according to an attendee.

The following day, Sept. 7, the 19th South Korea-China Agricultural Cooperation Committee convened for the first time in eight years since 2018. The two sides discussed five agenda items: science and technology-based agricultural innovation, climate change response, development of young farmers, cross-border animal disease management, and conservation of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems.

Kim held a separate meeting with Zhang Zhili to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in smart agriculture technology and livestock disease prevention. Kim proposed establishing a new standing consultative body on veterinary and quarantine affairs between the two countries to regularly share information on cross-border livestock infectious disease outbreaks and disease prevention policies, and to promote exchanges among agricultural technology research institutes and companies. Zhang responded positively.

The Beijing visit also advanced the process for exporting Korean sweet persimmons to China. Kim met with Wei Baofen, deputy director-general of China's General Administration of Customs, on the same day to discuss quarantine issues related to the export of Korean sweet persimmons to China.

South Korea and China concluded quarantine negotiations for the export of Korean persimmons at a summit last November. At that meeting, the two sides agreed to conduct an inspection of South Korean persimmon export complexes in October — to be carried out via video rather than through a direct visit by Chinese quarantine officials to South Korea.

Domestic preparations for the China export are already under way. Korea Sweet Persimmon Export, the integrated export organization for sweet persimmons, has completed the domestic registration of five member agricultural cooperatives' export quarantine complexes following the conclusion of the quarantine negotiations. It has also established systems for compliance with quarantine requirements, safe pesticide use, and pest monitoring and management at the farm level.

Once the video inspection is complete, the process of registering export farms and sorting facilities for approval by China's General Administration of Customs will follow. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs expects the first export of Korean sweet persimmons to China to be possible within the year if the subsequent procedures — including the video inspection and registration — proceed smoothly. Korea Sweet Persimmon Export also plans to pursue an initial shipment to China in December once the quarantine process is finalized.

Breaking into the Chinese market carries significance for diversifying the export destinations of Korean sweet persimmons. Last year, South Korea exported 3,217 tons of sweet persimmons worth $5.8 million overseas. Of that, Korea Sweet Persimmon Export handled 3,144 tons valued at $5.636 million. This year, the organization has set export targets of 3,271 tons and $5.9 million — up 2 percent and 2.3 percent, respectively, from last year.

Diversifying export markets remains a challenge. In the first half of this year, exports to the two main markets totaled $61,100, down 64.1 percent from a year earlier. Exports to Singapore rose 18.9 percent to $48,400, while Vietnam fell 26.1 percent to $9,100. Gaining access to the Chinese market would add another export destination for Korean sweet persimmons.

Preparations targeting the Chinese market are also taking shape. Korea Sweet Persimmon Export has developed a joint brand, "K-PERSIMMON," completed its international trademark registration, and standardized the design of 10-kilogram export boxes. To move beyond bulk-focused exports, it has also developed 12-unit small-pack products and individual single-unit packaging. Small-pack export volume grew from 2,827 kilograms in 2024 to 20,342 kilograms last year.

From Oct. 26 to 28, major buyers from Shanghai will be invited to visit domestic production areas, where they will tour growing complexes, inspect quality and safety management practices and logistics operations, and then negotiate unit prices and trading terms. Plans are also in place for billboard advertising at major shopping malls in Shanghai and Beijing, production of Chinese-language promotional content, and in-market promotions once the quarantine process is complete.

During the Beijing visit, Kim also asked for China's interest and cooperation regarding recently launched quarantine negotiations for exports of Jeju-raised Korean beef to China. He also held a meeting with K-food export companies operating in Beijing — including CJ Group, Pulmuone and Hite Jinro — to hear about local market conditions and export difficulties.

The resumption of soccer exchanges after 13 years did not by itself produce the sweet persimmon export deal. That breakthrough came from last year's conclusion of quarantine negotiations, and this Beijing visit gave it further shape by locking in the October video inspection. But the two countries' agricultural authorities, having faced each other again on the soccer field, sat down at the official negotiating table the very next day for the first time in eight years. High-level consultations held during the same visit yielded concrete results — follow-up steps for the persimmon export and expanded cooperation on veterinary and disease prevention affairs. Kim's "soccer diplomacy" played its part in narrowing the distance in South Korea-China agricultural exchanges that had long gone cold.