Korea Food Industry Association President Jin-Sun Park: "We’ll Support Companies Facing Management Difficulties and Operate a Food Enterprise Support Center"

[Financial News] The Korea Food Industry Association will operate the Food Enterprise Support Center beginning on the 19th of next month to help food companies address business management difficulties they face in the field.
Jin-Sun Park, president of the Korea Food Industry Association, made the remarks on the 29th at a press conference held at the association’s office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, marking the first anniversary of his inauguration. "The difficulties food companies have recently faced span various areas, including food safety, manufacturing and production, legal affairs, overseas regulations, and environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues," he said.
He noted that small and medium-sized enterprises, in particular, find it difficult to introduce artificial intelligence (AI) and AI transformation into their operations because of limited information, personnel, and funding. "We will provide one-on-one consultations with experts tailored to each company’s circumstances and, when necessary, visit sites directly to help resolve problems," he explained.
The center will provide expert consultations to member and partner companies of the Korea Food Industry Association in six areas: food safety; food manufacturing, production, and technological innovation; the use of support programs; general management, including legal, tax, and labor affairs; exports; and sustainable management (ESG).
The association selected the center’s consultation areas based on a demand survey and plans to further subdivide and expand their scope.
He said, "Problems food companies encounter in the field can often be resolved only by experts who understand the food industry," adding, "We will operate the center with a focus on the field so that it can become a reliable first point of contact for food companies."
Park also emphasized that he would strengthen the association’s role in supporting K-food’s expansion overseas.
He said, "As interest in K-food grows around the world, opportunities are emerging to open up new markets and enhance global competitiveness," adding, "We will do our part to help Korean companies expand more actively into overseas markets."
He added, "We will actively respond to industry issues, including the burden of raw material prices and logistics costs and changes in the global trade environment, and focus our capabilities on ensuring that interest in K-food leads to sustainable competitiveness for the domestic food industry as a whole."
Regarding recent collusion among food companies, he explained, "Collusion is illegal, and it is only natural for businesses that engage in collusion to be subject to surcharges," but added, "The scope of what constitutes collusion under the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act (MRFTA) appears to have broadened, so we will need to watch more closely to determine how far the scope of collusion extends."
He also said, "The past year was a time to once again confirm what the association should do amid a rapidly changing industrial environment," adding, "We will work hard to actively convey the voices of food companies."

[email protected] Seo-yeon Kim Reporter