CJ CheilJedang expands K-food market to US soldiers in Guam

U.S. soldiers try Korean food products at the commissary of the U.

S. Army base in Guam, Sunday. Courtesy of CJ Cheiljedang By Ko Dong-hwan Major food company CJ CheilJedang has begun selling its food products to U.



S. military bases in Guam, expanding its market to American soldiers stationed outside their country, the food arm of CJ Group said Wednesday. The company, with its signature brand Bibigo, launched a culinary operation at two U.

S. military bases in Guam. Featured items include 14 different types of dishes like vegetarian dumplings, "tteokbokki," or simmered rice cake, steamed rice and stews.

The company said the selected food items are all microwavable, with convenience in cooking being a key consideration. This strategy takes into account the needs of soldiers, most of whom are unmarried and do not have a kitchen in their living quarters, it added. CJ CheilJedang hosted a Bibigo launch event at Commissary, a food market within the bases, from Friday to Sunday.

The event was exclusively for soldiers and their family members. The company reported that consumers gave positive feedback. “Some said they never imagined the dumplings were vegan because they tasted so much like ordinary ones with minced meat.

Others also said they liked tteokbokki’s unique sauce, chewy [texture and taste],” a company official said. CJ CheilJedang began supplying its products to a key food outlet at the U.S.

Army Garrison Humphreys and Osan Air Base, both in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, in April last year. It initially introduced vegetarian dumplings and, following their consistent popularity, expanded its offerings to include tteokbokki in August. So far, each item has sold over 20,000 packs.

The company plans to further expand its market across U.S. military bases around the world, including in Japan, Hawaii and Alaska.

It estimates that there are over 2.5 million U.S.

soldiers worldwide and their bases represent a global market for food products and catering services worth over 5 trillion won ($3.47 billion). Park Choong-il, chief of CJ CheilJedang’s business-to-business division, said the company’s recent market expansion to the U.

S. military bases in Guam represents its “starting point for market expansion to global U.S.

military bases.”.