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Korea - Republic Of > East Asia and the Pacific + South Korea

In September 2024, a National Assembly member submitted a draft revision of the Act on Transboundary Movements of Living Modified Organisms, commonly referred to as the LMO Act.

The biotechnology regulatory system in Ukraine is still not fully developed, but the country is gradually adjusting its domestic policies to align with European Union regulations.

Bolivia announced on October 19 the approval of Intacta, a new biotech soybean variety with insect resistant Bt and glyphosate resistant traits. Intense drought and more unpredictable weather are disrupting Bolivian farmer livelihoods and they see the Intacta approval as one helpful step towards improved crop productivity and environmental resilience.

Korea’s wine import sector has been undergoing a stabilizing phase since the explosive growth around 2021. In 2023, wine imports reached 506 million USD, down 12.9 percent from the previous year, totaling 56.5 million kg, a decrease of 20.4 percent compared to 2022.

Korea’s fresh pear production is projected to rise by 10.2 percent to 202,000 metric tons (MT) in marketing year (MY) 2024/25, helped by favorable weather and lower incidences of diseases and pests compared to the previous year.

Market share of U.S. corn in South Korea is expected to remain strong in MY 2024/25 after rebounding to 20 percent in MY 2023/24. Domestic rice production continues its slow decline as the government incentivizes farmers to switch to planting alternate crops.

Korean seafood imports totaled $5.93 billion in 2023, down 8.3 percent from 2022. Korean 2023 seafood imports from the United States totaled $203 million, a decrease of 11.4 percent year-to-year.

Ukraine’s wheat, barley, and rye harvest for marketing year (MY) 2024/25 has concluded. MY2024/25 corn production is smaller due to lower yields. Post estimates MY2024/25 beginning stocks for grains at minimal levels, as Ukraine was able to maintain an independent export corridor out of its Odesa region ports for most of MY2023/24.

FAS/Seoul forecasts Korea’s 2025 milk production to decrease to 1.92 million tons. Korean milk production continues to decline in line with industry contraction and demographic-driven consumption declines.

In 2025, Ukraine’s fluid milk production will decrease slightly due to growth in the size and productivity of industrial farms, despite a larger decrease in dairy cow inventory.

Post expects livestock numbers and beef production to continue their decrease through 2025. Beef production efficiency remains low, with the majority of beef derived from dairy and dual-purpose animals.