Hyundai Department Store to launch premium Myeongin Myeongchon kimchi on Oct. 13
Version 2: Later coverage added three more outlets, one of which reported that the kimchi is about two to three times the price of ordinary kimchi and that this is the department store's first move into the kimchi market, while another framed the launch as a challenge in a market it described as centred on hotels.
In short
Hyundai Department Store said on Oct. 5 that it will launch a premium kimchi line under its traditional food brand Myeongin Myeongchon on Oct. 13, starting at its Apgujeong main store food hall with 10 everyday varieties and two specialty varieties. The company said the products use ingredients from master craftspeople for the main vegetables and for sub-ingredients such as salt, salted seafood and red pepper powder, with cabbage kimchi priced at 30,000 won per kilogram. Sales are to expand to branches such as the Trade Center and Pangyo stores, and Chosun Ilbo reported the price is about two to three times that of ordinary kimchi.
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Hyundai Department Store said on Oct. 5 that it will launch a premium kimchi line, Myeongin Myeongchon Kimchi, on Oct. 13 at the food hall of its Apgujeong main store, starting with 10 everyday varieties and two specialty varieties. Yonhap reported that the everyday lineup includes cabbage kimchi, yeolmu kimchi and oi sobaki, while the specialty items include sunmu kimchi and gat kimchi. [ 2 , 5 , 6 ]
Prices listed by the company are 30,000 won per kilogram for cabbage kimchi, 26,000 won each for yeolmu kimchi and oi sobaki, and 32,000 won for sunmu kimchi, according to Yonhap. The company said the product uses ingredients from craftspeople identified by Myeongin Myeongchon not only for cabbage and radish but also for sub-ingredients such as salt, salted seafood and red pepper powder. [ 1 , 2 ]
Hyundai Department Store said it will expand sales from the Apgujeong store to other major branches such as the Trade Center and Pangyo stores. Maeil Business reported that craft ingredients and natural fermentation and aging methods were applied and that the expansion is expected to support growth in premium food results. Myeongin Myeongchon, launched in 2009, has sold about 200 products, mainly fermented items such as jang, vinegar and soy sauce, Yonhap and Dong-A Ilbo reported. Dong-A Ilbo also noted that soy sauce from the brand appeared on the entertainment program “Black and White Chef 2,” used by temple food master Seonjae. [ 2 , 3 , 5 ]
Chosun Ilbo reported that the launch is the department store's first move into the kimchi market and that, at 30,000 won per kilogram for cabbage kimchi, the line is about two to three times more expensive than ordinary kimchi. Seoul Shinmun's headline framed the launch as a challenge in a kimchi market the paper described as centred on hotels. The company official said, according to Yonhap, that the line was planned “to introduce customers to excellent ingredients from producing areas nationwide and to regional kimchi cultures.” [ 2 , 4 , 6 ]
Why it matters
The launch takes Hyundai Department Store's Myeongin Myeongchon traditional food brand, which the company says has sold about 200 products since 2009, into a new category. Chosun Ilbo described it as the retailer's first move into the kimchi market, and Seoul Shinmun framed it as a challenge in a market it described as centred on hotels, so how far sales spread beyond the Apgujeong store will show whether the premium line gains ground.
Key facts
- Hyundai Department Store said on Oct. 5 that it will launch a premium kimchi line under its traditional food brand Myeongin Myeongchon. [ 2 , 5 , 6 ]
- The launch is set for Oct. 13 at the food hall of the Apgujeong main store, with 10 everyday varieties and two specialty varieties, 12 in total. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
- Prices listed by the company are 30,000 won per kilogram for cabbage kimchi, 26,000 won each for yeolmu kimchi and oi sobaki, and 32,000 won for sunmu kimchi. [ 2 ]
- The company said the product uses ingredients from craftspeople identified by Myeongin Myeongchon, including sub-ingredients such as salt, salted seafood and red pepper powder. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Sales are to be expanded to other major stores including the Trade Center and Pangyo branches. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
- Myeongin Myeongchon was launched in 2009 and has sold about 200 products, mainly fermented items such as jang, vinegar and soy sauce. [ 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- Chosun Ilbo reported that this is the department store's first entry into the kimchi market and that the price is about two to three times that of ordinary kimchi. [ 6 ]
- Dong-A Ilbo reported that soy sauce from the brand appeared on the entertainment program “Black and White Chef 2,” used by temple food master Seonjae. [ 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Hyundai Department Store announced the launch of a premium kimchi line under its traditional food brand Myeongin Myeongchon. [ 2 , 5 , 6 ]
- The launch is set for Oct. 13 at the Apgujeong main store food hall, with 12 varieties in total: 10 everyday kimchi and two specialty kimchi. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
- Sales are to be expanded to major branches including the Trade Center and Pangyo stores. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
- The company said the product uses ingredients from craftspeople identified by Myeongin Myeongchon, including for sub-ingredients such as salt, salted seafood and red pepper powder. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Prices per kilogram are 30,000 won for cabbage kimchi, 26,000 won each for yeolmu kimchi and oi sobaki, and 32,000 won for sunmu kimchi. [ 2 ]
- Myeongin Myeongchon was launched in 2009 and has sold about 200 products, mainly jang, vinegar and soy sauce. [ 2 , 3 , 5 ]
Still unclear
- The full details of one outlet's reporting on the launch That outlet's headline is about the kimchi launch but its article text addresses a different story, so only its headline can be used here.
- Chosun Ilbo's statement that the kimchi is about two to three times more expensive than ordinary kimchi Single-source claim; the comparison baseline and the ordinary kimchi price used are not given in the documents.
- Seoul Shinmun's framing of the premium kimchi market as centred on hotels Only that outlet's headline is available, with no article text, so the details behind the framing cannot be checked.
- Production volumes and how many stores will ultimately carry the line Not stated; the documents describe only the Oct. 13 start and the named store expansion.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- A business outlet reports in a headline that Hyundai Department Store is presenting a premium kimchi using master-craft ingredients including cabbage and salted seafood. [ 1 ]
- The official wire reports the launch in detail: the Oct. 13 start, the 12 varieties, prices, craft-sourced ingredients and a company official's comments. [ 2 ]
- A business outlet reports the same launch, citing craft ingredients and natural fermentation and aging methods, and expected growth in premium food results. [ 3 ]
- A business outlet frames the launch in its headline as a challenge in a hotel-centred premium kimchi market. [ 4 ]
- A business outlet reports the launch, saying the brand's sourcing capability for ingredients is presented as its core competitiveness and that the lineup will be expanded in stages. [ 5 ]
- A business outlet reports the launch, saying it is the department store's first entry into the kimchi market and that the price is about two to three times that of ordinary kimchi. [ 6 ]