Korea and Indonesia seal halal deal to safeguard K-food, beauty exports
With strict new religious compliance rules set to take effect across Southeast Asia, Korea is taking decisive diplomatic steps to protect its booming cultural exports. Health and regulatory officials in Seoul signed a landmark agreement with Indonesia on Friday to streamline halal certification — clearing a critical path for Korean food and cosmetics brands entering the world’s most populous…
As Southeast Asian nations adopt stringent religious compliance regulations, Korea is proactively safeguarding its thriving cultural exports through diplomatic measures. Health and regulatory officials in Seoul and Indonesia signed an important agreement on Friday, aiming to simplify halal certification and facilitate Korean food and cosmetic brands into Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.
Health and Food Safety Minister Oh Yu-kyoung signed a memorandum of understanding with Indonesia's Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency at the fifth Halal 20 Summit in Depok. This agreement is a direct follow-up to a defense and economic summit in March, where both countries agreed to boost mutual market access under a Special Strategic Partnership.
The regulatory deal comes at a crucial juncture for Korean exporters. Starting October 18, Indonesia will mandate halal certification for all imported food, beverages, and cosmetic products, without official certification verifying product compliance.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
