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Singapore to allow imports of nonprocessed Korean pork for first time

Published: 06 Nov. 2025, 16:01

Shoppers browse the meat section of a large discount store in Seoul on Nov. 4. [NEWS1]

As the global appetite for K-content continues to grow, so too does the craving for K-food. This now includes handon, or fresh Korean pork, which just secured a coveted export route to Singapore.

According to the Pork Board (translated) — an association dedicated to advancing the Korean pork industry and improving the livelihoods of pig farmers — on Thursday, Korea and Singapore officially agreed to open a pork trade during a bilateral summit between President Lee Jae Myung and Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Sunday, paving the way for exports of pork produced on Jeju Island. Before now, Singapore only allowed imports of Korean pork in processed forms, such as canned and cooked products like Spam.

Singapore is known for having some of the world’s most stringent sanitary and phytosanitary standards, especially for meat imports. For pork and other livestock products, Singapore requires proof that the exporting region is free of foot-and-mouth disease, as certified by the World Organisation for Animal Health.

Jeju secured this certification in May, becoming the first region in Korea to do so, which served as a critical turning point for the new export deal.

“The opening of the Singaporean market, which enforces high quarantine standards, confirms that the safety and quality of K-pork meet global standards,” a Pork Board representative said. “This could be a watershed moment for the pork industry, which has long focused on domestic sales, to pivot toward export-led growth.”

Industry insiders see the deal as an opportunity to further tap into the popularity of K-food abroad, as samgyeopsal, or pork belly, and other cuts are increasingly recognized as signature Korean cuisine thanks to the global appeal of K-dramas and films.

Korean pork is known for its freshness and safety, backed by traceability systems, hygienic certification frameworks and the growing adoption of smart livestock farming that automates control of temperature, humidity and feed.

In March, the Pork Board launched the K-pork Export Promotion Task Force (translated), a public-private initiative aimed at expanding overseas market access. The group links producers, government agencies, distributors and exporters to raise awareness of Korean pork and forge partnerships with international distribution networks.

“The export deal with Singapore is the result of years of work on quality control and quarantine procedures for Korean pork,” said Lee Ki-hong, the chairman of the Korea Pork Producers Association. “Handon is now evolving into a national brand, and we will work to expand K-pork’s reach not only in Asia but around the world.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY AHN HYO-SEONG [[email protected]]