Malaysian supermarket chain Giant will host a series of promotions for five Korean fruits and vegetables from Jinju City until the end of 2014.
Lee Chang-Hee, mayor of Jinju City, launched the promotions of Korean Maehyang strawberries, Eryngil mushrooms, Fuyu persimmons, Shingo pears and muskmelons on 27 November.
Persimmons and mushrooms kicked off the promotions, with pears, strawberries and muskmelons to be introduced during December, all to be sold at discounted prices until the New Year.
Lee has said he is confident Korean produce will do well in Malaysia, with growing demand for Korean fresh produce driven largely by an increasing interest in Korean popular culture, including Korean dramas and K-Pop.
“With the waters flowing through our pristine Namgang river, sheltered by the protective mountains, and caressed by the salty sea breeze from the coast, Jinju City produces some of the best strawberries, persimmons and fruits in the region and we want to bring this to the world,” said Lee in a press release.
Korean strawberries in particular have gained ground in Malaysia in recent years, popular in the lead up to Christmas when the sweet Maehyang variety sells well.
“We are very happy to be chosen to host this exciting promotion in Malaysia, as like our Korean partners, we take delight in offering our consumers high-quality products at affordable prices,” said Junie Chung, senior category manager at Malaysia’s GCH Retail.
Giant supermarkets are operated by GCH Retail, which also runs Cold Storage, Mercato and Jasons Food Hall stores across Malaysia.
